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Sorting Sunday: John White, Our Puritan Immigrant

The Puritan by Augustus Saint Gaudens – Springfield, Massachusetts, via Wikipedia, public domain.

McMurray Family, Benjamin Family (Click for Family Tree)

Now that we are all post Thanksgiving-turkey-and-pie-food-comas and on to the shopping frenzy, if your feet or fingers would like to take a break, here is a bit about our own Puritan immigrant, John White.

First, an important note: There are two other men named John White who came to the colonies very early. One, a minister and founder of Massachusetts, travelled the ocean on another ship named Mayflower– not the original, 1620 vessel- and the other came in 1632 on the ship Lyon. Our McMurray-Benjamin line is not related to either of these men, as far as we have been able to ascertain. (See notes below.) There are some online family trees, however, that do have these three men mixed up (I too was confused by them for many years), so be careful out there in wild, wild GenealogyTreeLand.

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The years before 1638 were difficult ones for the English. Charles the First was king, and he, like his father, had abandoned many of the practices of the Anglican Church founded by Henry VIII in the 1530s. The “Eleven Years Tyranny” from 1629-1640 was also called “The Personal Rule,” as Charles insisted on the return of sacraments and religious ceremonies similar to those of the Catholic Church, which had been outlawed for much of the previous century. This “return to popery,” as many called it, caused the Puritans to become even more dissatisfied with the English government. Charles 1 created illegal taxes as well, placing significant burdens on the common people, including many merchant Puritans, and was so frustrated with Parliament not giving him what he wanted that he disbanded it several times. (Hence, “The Personal Rule.”) With further persecution of Puritan clergy and laymen alike, many more decided to leave England. By 1638, four Puritans had been “martyred” to the cause (tortured and imprisoned, but not executed), the last of them due to importation of works censored because they were critical of the king and his government. Many Puritans lost hope that their religion and country would be reformed to be more “pure.” Perhaps this was the final motivator for “our” John White and his family to undertake the perilous voyage to New England. It was good timing, as civil war was soon to come in England (1641).

We have no record of exactly when and from where the John White family took leave of chaotic England and set sail, nor the name of the ship that carried them to the shores of New England. In 1784, a descendant recorded that John came from the west part of England, and more recent research verifies that he was baptized in South Petherton, Somerset, England (SW England), and born about 1602. He married Joan West in Drayton Parish of Somerset, in 1627.  Five of the known White children were born in England, with Mary born there about 1635; the rest were born in Massachusetts. There is record of John White being “of Salem in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, 1638,” per the White genealogy, although a GoogleBooks description states they migrated in 1639 to Salem, Massachusetts. (This date might be because of the land grant date- see next paragraph.)

Knee buckles worn by John White on his voyage from England to Massachusetts in 1638. Genealogy of the Descendants of John White of Wenham and Lancaster Massachusetts by Almira Larkin White, 1900, page 17.

 

The Puritans had strict rules for those who lived in their colonies, and John was officially “received an inhabitant of Salem” in August, 1639, when he was granted 60 acres of land. On Feb.1, 1642, he was granted 6 acres of meadow at nearby Wenham, which he had already been mowing “for these 2 or 3 years past.” Town records note at least 48 more acres were granted to John White, and the first saw and grist mill in Wenham was built on a stream that ran through John’s land.

Although there has been an assumption that John White was a Puritan, curiously, we have no real documentation of him being a church member. More to come on that point, but we do know that he lived in Puritan colonies and was granted land by the Puritans. He and his family came to New England just 18 years after the first Pilgrims landed, but their stories differed in many ways- we will explore that further in future posts.

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. “Mayflower” was a common name used for ships in England. A second Mayflower made the trip to Plymouth Colony in 1629, also carrying Puritans from Leiden. In 1630 this same Mayflower was a part of the Winthrop Fleet, and the “other” (Rev.) John White, of Dorchester, England, was a part of passengers in this fleet. This Mayflower made 3 more successful trips to the colonies but was lost on a fourth trip in 1641.The original Mayflower of Plymouth Rock fame had returned to London in 1621, and her captain and owner died in 1622. The ship laid in the Thames in London (it is believed) until an appraisal in 1624 for Capt. Jones’ estate inventory. No one knows for sure what happened to her after that time, though it is surmised she was taken apart and timbers used in various land structures. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayflower for more information.
  2. Yet another John White of Messing, Essex, England, immigrated to the colonies in 1632 on the ship Lyon. He first lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, then Hartford, Hadley, and Hartford again. See The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Vols. 1-3, page 1976-1979, by Robert Charles Anderson, NEHGS.
  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puritanshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Puritans_under_King_Charles_I
  4. Genealogy of the Descendants of John White of Wenham and Lancaster, Massachusetts. 1638-1900, in Two Volumes. Almira Larkin White, 1900. Volume 1 has provided information for this blog post. Both volumes are available on archive.org.
  5. Ancestry.com. Colonial Families of the USA, 1607-1775 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. This collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Project contributors. Accessed 11/24/2018. Original data: Mackenzie, George Norbury, and Nelson Osgood Rhoades, editors. Colonial Families of the United States of America: in Which is Given the History, Genealogy and Armorial Bearings of Colonial Families Who Settled in the American Colonies From the Time of the Settlement of Jamestown, 13th May, 1607, to the Battle of Lexington, 19th April, 1775. 7 volumes. 1912. Reprinted, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1966, 1995.
  6.  Genealogy of the Descendants of John White of Wenham and Lancaster, Massachusetts. Almira Larkin White, Chase Brothers, 1900. (Also brief bio.) https://books.google.com/books/about/Genealogy_of_the_Descendants_of_John_Whi.html?id=uqVbAAAAMAAJ

 

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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.

Original content copyright 2013-2018 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly, i.e, reference this blog.
 Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright or use of our blog material.

Shopping Saturday: William Elmer McMurray as a Newton, Iowa Merchant

 

“A group of Newton residents are shown gathered in front of Willis McCollum’s grocery store in 1892.” Will McMurray is the second from the left. See below for further discussion. Reprinted in the Newton Daily News, 10 Aug 1957. (We apologize for the poor quality of this old clipping that has been in a box for 61 years.) (Click to enlarge.)

McMurray Family (Click for Family Tree)

The above photo was taken in 1892, in front of Willis McCollom’s grocery store on the northeast corner of the square in Newton, Iowa. Will McMurray is the tall slender man who is the second from the left. Behind his left shoulder is a salesman from Chicago (in the deep shadow) and the man to the right is Willis McCollom, store owner. (Note spelling on awning vs. spelling in caption.)

Seven years later, the Newton Record of Feb. 23, 1899 printed the following ad on page 8:

McMurray-Killduff grocery announcement in the Newton Record, Feb. 23, 1899, page 8. (Click to enlarge.)

“We are young in years

but not young in the grocery business.”

If Will McMurray & William Charles Killduff had been employed for a “few years” by Grocer McCollom, possibly since about 1896, Will would have been about 22 when he started there. William Killduff was three years older than Will McMurray; maybe as teens they worked as delivery boys for McColloms.

How did these two end up partners? It was more than having worked at the same store or possibly being friends- William C. “W. C.” Killduff married Will McMurray’s cousin, Mae Benjamin. Mae was the daughter of Jonathan Elliot Benjamin, brother to Will McMurray’s mother, Hannah Melissa (Benjamin) McMurray. So, with W. C.’s marriage, the two Wills became cousins.

The year 1899 was quite a special year for both families. In addition to purchasing the McCollom Grocery in February of 1899, Will married Lynette Payne on 6 June 1899 and W. C. married Mae Benjamin in October of 1899. The two gents were preparing to support a family with the purchase of the store, so this event was more than just a business decision.

More to come about the McMurray-Killduff Grocery.

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. Newspaper clippings from family treasure chest but referenced above.

 

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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.

Original content copyright 2013-2018 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly, i.e, reference this blog.
 Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright or use of our blog material.

Friday’s Faces from the Past: Young William Elmer McMurray

McMurray-Benjamin Family circa 1886: Frederick Asbury McMurray, Hannah "Melissa" Benjamin McMurray, William Elmer McMurray, Harry J. McMurray, Addie Belle McMurray, Roy McMurray, and Ray McMurray (baby)
McMurray-Benjamin Family circa 1887: Frederick Asbury McMurray and his wife, Hannah “Melissa” (Benjamin) McMurray, William Elmer McMurray (standing in back, viewer’s left), Harry J. McMurray (standing in back, right), Addie Belle McMurray (standing on far left with bow on her dress), Roy McMurray (sitting in front, left), and Ray McMurray (baby being held on Melissa’s lap).

McMurray Family (Click for Family Tree)

[How are we related? Will McMurray was the father of Dr. Edward A. McMurray, Herbert C. McMurray, and Maude (McMurray) Cook.]

How many baby pictures exist of you? How many of your children, if you have any? Do you have boxes and boxes of photos, documenting every single year and special event?

We are almost overwhelmed with photos these days, both physical and digital, but for the Frederick Asbury and Hannah Melissa (Benjamin) McMurray family, that was not a problem. Before the invention of small consumer cameras, a family had to go to a professional photographer to get a picture taken of the family or child, or utilize an itinerant photographer who carried all studio equipment with him/her. (Some photographers, especially out west, even outfitted a train car with a studio and darkroom! They would advertise their arrival date ahead of time, stop in a small town for a couple of days and take photos and print them, then move on.) Family historians lament the lack of photos available for our ancestors, but there just weren’t that many taken, plus they were destroyed by fires, floods, humidity, and/or heat. They may have been left behind when migrating to a new place, split among a dozen children, thrown out by descendants who did not care about them, or they exist somewhere, maybe in an antique store but have no name, date, or place on them, so we cannot know if the images are of those who shared their DNA with us to make us who we are today.

We are so lucky to have this photo, and know each of the persons in it! This is the earliest photo we have that shows the McMurray family or any of their children. Our subject today is William Elmer McMurray in his younger years, so we will focus on him in this and some upcoming posts, but childhood years would have been fairly similar for Will’s siblings too: Harry James McMurray, Addie Belle McMurray, Roy McMurray, and Ray McMurray.

William Elmer McMurray, circa 1887, about age 13, cropped from family photo.

Will, or Bill, as he was known in later years but maybe even as a child, was the oldest of the McMurray children. He was born 15 June 1874 in Newton or Marshalltown, Iowa, or may have actually been born out on the farm. His parents had married the year before, but we don’t know yet whether they had their own land at that point, were living on the farm of one of their parents, or lived in town and worked out on a parent’s (or someone else’s) farm.

Growing up on the farm as he most likely did gave Will the opportunity to have the freedom of country life yet he would have had the responsibilities of the eldest son of a farmer. Will was six years old in 1880 and attended school per the US Federal Census. His brother Harry, age 4, and sister Addie, age 2, were “at home” with Hannah, and F. A. was listed as a farmer, as were the other heads of household on the 8 June 1880 US Federal Census for Newton Township, Jasper County, Iowa. As F.A. McMurray was also an auctioneer who traveled all over the county, and sometimes even to other counties, Will probably went with him at times as a helper and to learn the business.

A big change was coming to the McMurray family- by 1885, when Will was 10, the Iowa State Census noted that Will’s father, Frederick Asbury McMurray, had a second-hand store, and they were living in East Newton, at “Out Lot 26, Newton.” Will’s Aunt Mary McMurray (his father’s sister), who was 27 and single, was also living in the household, and working as a dressmaker. (She never married, and lived to be 100 years, 2 months old!) The big move to town would have been quite a lot of work for the whole family, though since F.A. was an auctioneer, selling off their farm equipment, grain, and livestock would have been a bit easier than calling in a stranger. Whatever was left over of household goods could be put in the second-hand store, and Will and his siblings most likely did a lot of carrying to and fro with the move.

We have the above picture from about 1887- the date estimate is calculated from ages of the children, with baby Roy being born 29 October of 1886, we can guess he is over 3 months old so the picture was likely taken in 1887. Then we have a gap of about five years, from 1887-1892, when we know very little about what was going on with the family, other than some articles about Will’s father conducting auctions around the county. (Sadly the 1890 US Federal Censuses were destroyed.) By 1892, Will was about to open a new chapter of his life, and it is there that we will pick up the story on another day.

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. See references within article.

 

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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.

Original content copyright 2013-2018 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly, i.e, reference this blog.
 Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright or use of our blog material.

Sentimental Sunday: A McMurray Reunion!

McMurray-Benjamin Family circa 1886: Frederick Asbury McMurray, Hannah "Melissa" Benjamin McMurray, William Elmer McMurray, Harry J. McMurray, Addie Belle McMurray, Roy McMurray, and Ray McMurray (baby)
McMurray-Benjamin Family circa 1886: Frederick Asbury McMurray, Hannah “Melissa” Benjamin McMurray, William Elmer McMurray, Harry J. McMurray, Addie Belle McMurray, Roy McMurray, and Ray McMurray (baby)

McMurray Family (Click for Family Tree)

!!! NEWS FLASH !!!

A recent small family get-together has made the McMurray clan pretty sentimental, and we have decided to plan a McMurray Reunion!

The reunion is for descendants of Henderson McMurray (1819-1906) and Mary Ann (Horn) McMurray (1824-1891). (We do not have pictures of their family.) This McMurray family lived in Pennsylvania before their migration to Cedar County, Iowa, and then Jasper County, Iowa by 1870.

The current plan is for family to meet along the Mississippi River in Dubuque, Iowa, on Saturday, June 15, 2019.

We hope that people can arrive in Dubuque on Friday, June 14. We will reserve a block of hotel rooms, or you can make your own arrangements. The reunion festivities will take place on Saturday, and there will be food, entertainment, family history, and fun, including special activities for the little ones. Sunday we will have some additional activities available, such as a boat ride on the Mississippi River, lunch in the revitalized Old Millwork section of Dubuque, or ??? We could possibly have a trip on Monday to Newton, Iowa (about 2½ hours away) to see some of the McMurray home places in Jasper County, if  there is interest.

If you are sentimental and want to get together with other McMurrays at this reunion, please use our Contact Form and let us know so that we can put you on our mailing list. Our Contact Form is not published on the blog, and we will not share your information other than with the family planning this event. Let us know what family line you are from, the activities you might be interested in, how many would most likely attend, and what your travel plans may be.

More details to come…

We look forward to a wonderful McMurray family reunion on June 15, 2019 in Dubuque, Iowa!

 

 

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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.

Original content copyright 2013-2018 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly, i.e, reference this blog.
 Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright or use of our blog material.

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All because two people fell in love… Part 2

This entry is part [part not set] of 2 in the series All because two people fell in love…
Ed and Mary (Helbling) McMurray, 26 Sep 1948, in Newton, Iowa.

McMurray Family, Roberts Family, Lee Family, Broida Family, Cooper Family (Click for Family Tree)

Three years ago today I posted some images along with lyrics from Brad Paisley’s song, “Two People Fell in Love.” Seemed like that was just not enough pictures of our ancestors who fell in love, so we decided to provide Part 2 and make it a series, as wonderful pictures become available.

Of course, the secret to a good marriage is making every day a day to celebrate your love, not just a day in the midst of February. Our ancestors probably struggled with this concept like we sometimes do, especially when the mundane gotta-dos of life get in the way. Many of them had long, loving marriages though, and they were good role models for their descendants of today.

Please enjoy these lovely people on this Valentine’s Day of 2018 !

1940- from left Ruth Nadine (Alexander) Lee, Henrietta (Fasterling) Reuter, a friend, in center, and Ruth’s husband, Lloyd Eugene “Gene” Lee on right with 1940 Pontiac, license plate from Missouri but image likely taken in Colorado.

 

McMurray-Benjamin Family circa 1886: Frederick Asbury McMurray, Hannah "Melissa" Benjamin McMurray, William Elmer McMurray, Harry J. McMurray, Addie Belle McMurray, Roy McMurray, and Ray McMurray (baby)
McMurray-Benjamin Family circa 1886: Frederick Asbury McMurray, Hannah “Melissa” Benjamin McMurray, William Elmer McMurray, Harry J. McMurray, Addie Belle McMurray, Roy McMurray, and Ray McMurray (baby)

 

1974_02_40th Wedding Anniversary of Gertrude Belle (Broida) Cooper and Irving Israel Cooper.

 

George Anthony Roberts with his wife Ella V. Daniel Roberts and their three children: Ethel Gay Roberts standing in back on left, George Anthony Roberts, Jr. standing on right, and little Edith Mae Roberts between her beloved parents, circa 1904.
George Anthony Roberts with his wife Ella V. Daniel Roberts and their three children: Ethel Gay Roberts standing in back on left, George Anthony Roberts, Jr. standing on right, and little Edith Mae Roberts between her beloved parents, circa 1904.

 

William Anderson Murrell and Cordelia (Talley) Murrell- possibly wedding photo? If so, would have been taken 1 Oct 1867 in Warren Co., IL.

 

John and Gitel (Frank) Broida, c. 1889.

 

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. “All because two people fell in love” HeritageRamblings.net post, 14 Feb 2015– http://heritageramblings.net/2015/02/14/all-because-two-people-fell-in-love/
  2. “Two People Fell in Love,” song by Brad Paisley- see above article for more information.

 

Click to enlarge any image. Please contact us if you would like an image in higher resolution.

We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.
 

Original content copyright 2013-2017 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly.
 Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright or use of our blog material.

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