Hello all and welcome back to the Hogue Connection! I’m supposed to be laying low after a back procedure I had this morning, so I thought I would hammer out an informational blog post for you. Today we’ll be looking at The Murray Clan Society of North America and what info you might be able to find there.
My mom’s maiden name is Murray, and we didn’t know a lot about her branch going into my genealogical studies back in the 1980’s. I thought I would join the clan, knowing that they do have a couple of genealogists on their team. I thought for the $25 annual registration fee, it might turn up new study material if I did a little digging. You can go to their website here.
My Murray Line…
Looks like this…
William Alexander Murray (1778-1830)
Isaac Julian Murray (1816-1880)
Leonidas M. Murray (1844-1917)
William Libborn Murray (1869-1952)
Roy Lee Murray (1911-1956)
Martha Ann Murray (1938-2014)
Me
My great-great grandfather Lee migrated from Boone County, Missouri after 1880 to North Creek, Lincoln, Indian Territory, where his family was recorded in the 1900 census. William L. and family haven’t shown up on a 1900 census, but were living near Okemah, Okfuskee County, OK, when my grandpa Roy was born in 1911. The great folk singer Woody Guthrie was born there, too, in July of 1912. Roy married Grandma Irene Depriest in 1933 and soon headed to California via Arizona. Both Mattie Marie, Roy’s mother and Frank, Irene’s father passed away in Mesa, AZ in 1937 and 1936, respectively. Isaac Murray and family moved from North Carolina to Boone County, MO in the 1840’s.
The Murray Clan Adds A Bio…
I was strategizing about approaching the genealogist for The U.S. of the Clan Murray Society, Michael Thomas, to ask if he had more information about my Murray lineage. As part of the application process, I had to send a basic family pedigree sheet in. I got the impression from a few newsletters, that Clan Murray wasn’t really going to do your genealogy for you, but they might be able to provide some guidance along the way. Well last week, I got quite the surprise when I received a message though WikiTree that Michael Thomas had edited the bio for William Alexander Murray.
This is cool, I thought. Remember that everyone on WikiTree is a profile manager and can edit profiles and add sources to everyone in the one world tree. We all sign an Honor Code and agree to follow WikiTree guidance when doing any editing. If you are the profile manager, it is customary to thank people if they improve your profiles. It’s part of everyone’s contribution to the tree. So, thank him I did.
William Alexander Murray’s Bio…
Here’s my paraphrasing of what we know about my 4th great grandfather from the new bio added to his profile in WikiTree by Michael Thomas:
William was born about 1778 in Randolph, Charlotte, NC. He married Barbara Julian in about 1798 and they had their first son, John in 1799. The 1800 Census of that county shows a correct enumeration of these folks there. We know that in 1820, parts of Tennessee were opened up for white settlement, after another Indian treaty was signed. It seems he was regularly known as Alexander, not William.
Alexander Murray is shown the below petitions and deeds he had signed in Monroe Co. TN:
1820- 1822 : HIWASSEE LAND PURCHASES – Book Numbered 1, Grant No. 509 on 21 Nov. 1820 to ALEXANDER MURRAY. Land description Range : R1E-T2 in Township : 21-SWq for 160 Acres Paid : 3.27
1822-1824 :MONROE CO. TN : State Petition 1822-23, Monroe Co. citizens Murray, Alexander. Murray, John. Murray, Renne. ( Renne and John are sons of Alexander Murray and Barbara Julian Murray )
1829 : MONROE CO. TN : Deed : Barbara JULIAN Murray is shown on this land deed as neighbor then but listed as BARBER MURRIES in this deed and later is shown in the 1830 Monroe Co. TN Census as Barbara Murray : Monroe Co. Deed Book B 1824 – 1832 Page 81, Nov. 4
1830 : MONROE CO. TN Census : MURRAY, Barbara 00100 – 11000 – 01 Barbara ( Julian ) Murray is on the 1830 Monroe Co. TN census, and we believe her husband Alexander Murray had died by then. Later on, she married her next door Monroe Co. TN Neighbor, THOMAS ALEXANDER and is then found as Barbara Alexander on the 1840 through 1870 GREENE Co. MO Censuses, having moved there sometime between 1830 and 1840.
The Children of William and Barbara Murray…
It is believed that Barbara Julian Murray Alexander died sometime after her 1870 Greene Co. MO census in the household of THOMAS D. MURRAY, her grandson. THOMAS ALEXANDER had died previous to the 1870 Greene Co. MO Census.
There were other entries in the bio regarding census reports and the families that lived in Cass and Greene Counties, Missouri. You can see how valuable land records are in tracking ancestors. As long as they could afford to buy land that is!
Here is my look at their Family Group Sheet:
William Alexander Murray (1778-abt 1830) m. about 1898 to Barbara Julian (1780-1870)
1. John Murray (1799-1867)
2. M. Mason Murray (1801-Unknown)
3. Renne N. Murray (1802-1884)
4. James Murray (1809-1898)
5. Elizabeth “Betsy” Murray (1812-1893)
6. Mary Ann Murray (1815-1893)
7. Isaac Julian Murray (1816-1880) my 3rd great grandfather
8. Malinda Murray (1819-1900)
I have information that needs to be verified regarding William Alexander’s parentage. Hopefully I’ll get some help through the Clan Murray Society on that, too. Barbara Julian’s heritage is the one that goes back to those other Hogues, William Hoge and Barbara Hume.
Thanks Again, Michael Thomas!
Michael has a couple links you will find valuable for researching both the Thomas and Murray lines. First you can go to his blog “All In The Past” here and, then, a separate database called “Our Family History” here to check out what he has compiled. Thanks for checking out my blog and we’ll see you soon! You can return to the Home page here.
Hi Mr. Hogue. I have done a bit of research on William Alexander Murray’s family because I thought we might be related. My great great grandmother was Nancy Jane Murray, born 1832 in Roane County, TN. Her family lived in the Hiwassee area too but I think they lived in the Roane County, TN area. Her father’s name was John. She also had a brother John and one I think was named William. So there are similarities. I know William Alexander had a son John who may have been mixed up with my John Murray who mostly spelled his name Murry. I believe your Murray family was. French/ Scottish family but I do not honk mine was. There might be some confusion on a land purchase in Roane County, TN in 1820. Did my John purchase this land or did yours. I know members of your family did purchase land in Roane County, TN in 1820. I have tried to find a DNA match between your Murray family and mine but as yet have not been able to establish a link.
Hi Mona…Thanks for visiting my blog. Many of my ancestors lived in the same area of TN that yours did. Blount, Loudon and Monroe counties which are close enough to Roane County. It’s quite possible these people are the same Murrays, but I haven’t checked out the land records you mention. I hope a DNA match will provide some clues!
Mike
Hello, I’m searching my Murray line. I keep hitting a roadblock. My great great great was Mary or Mariah Murray – Mack. All I hear is the family were black space owners.
Hi Tinesha. Thanks for visiting The Hogue Connection. Try visiting this blog I mentioned in the article: http://www.allinthepast.net/ to see if you can find more info on your branch.
Mike