- Mystery Monday: Murrell DNA, Part 1
- Tuesday’s Tip: Just Google It- Murrell DNA, Part 2
- Mystery Monday: Murrell DNA, Part 3
- Mystery Monday: Murrell DNA, Part 4
Murrell Family, ancestors to the Roberts Family (Click for Family Tree)
Tuesday’s Tip: Just Google it.
“Mystery Mondays” seem to stick in the mind of this writer, and then it seems more research just has to be done to try to solve the mystery. Happened again this week, and the above excerpt is the result of “Tuesday’s Tip.”
Although unable yet to find a full copy of this 1915 encyclopedia online (other than the Ancestry.com version which downloads as a thin column), this excerpt tells us that some of our hypothesis was correct. Yes, Major James Murrell did have children with one wife, who died prior to 1818, when James remarried and had more children.
James’ first wife was Obedience (Rudd) Murrell, who died 16 May 1816. Note that her namesake, Obedience Margaret Murrell, was born just four days before, on 12 May. Her mother likely died of complications from childbirth with those dates being so close together.
This looks to be a pretty complete version of Major Murrell’s life, though we should probably look into the accuracy of these volumes, as many written at the turn of the 20th century were sometimes exaggerated or had incorrect data. If we assume that it is correct, however, we do not see our elusive Wiley A. Murrell listed as one of the children. James W. R. Murrell would be the closest possibility, Perhaps the “W” was for “William” and he went by “Wiley”? But there is no “Anderson” listed in this name, so likely not the right person. James W.R. was born in 1809 per this record, but he died in Arkansas, and we know Wiley was born in 1805 (or 1806) and died in Jasper County, Iowa.
So, it does not look like this James Murrell and Nancy Cobb are Wiley’s ancestors. Then why does the paper trail for so many DNA matches show these people? Is there some inaccuracy in the trees, or is James truly related, such as the brother of our Wiley’s father?
More research.
Notes, Sources, and References:
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