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.

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

Why is this a “Thriller Thursday” post? Because we have new interest within the family to document and preserve the past, and that is THRILLING! It is so wonderful to find connections between cousins and our ancestors through DNA, online trees, and communicating via email, sites like FaceBook, or wonderfully, in person! Unless we preserve the little pieces we each have and share them, there will be much missing in the stories of our family.

A number of cousins have asked for suggestions on getting started, and after starting a long email to one cousin, it seemed a bit easier to put it out in a blog post, along with some links that might be useful.

So here are some of my thoughts on doing genealogy, and I hope that they will help those interested.

Here are some sites that may also be of use when getting started:

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1. I have no financial interest in any of the above organizations or businesses, and none of the recommendations were solicited by them.

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McMurray Family, Payne Family (Click for Family Tree)

It is with great sadness that our flag today flies at half mast*- our country has lost a military hero and a man who has given most of the years of his life to service for our country, its values, its preservation, and its people.

Whether or not you like the politics of John McCain doesn’t matter, and yes, he was not a perfect human- none of us are. But he loved this country and its citizens, and did his best to honor them, whether it was his resolve to survive honorably as a downed Navy pilot enduring the horrors of the Hanoi Hilton (North Vietnamese POW camp for you young’uns) or negotiating across the aisle in the halls of Congress to enact legislation that would better the lives of everyday Americans. John McCain is a true American Hero, and it is good that we honor him.

This is not meant to be a political post, but the feelings of his passing weigh heavy on many hearts, mine included. These feelings have also made me think of our own ancestors who devoted their energy to preserving our freedoms, helping us all to be better souls, and even those who braved a wide, unpredictable ocean and the unknown to start a new and better life in America for their families and descendants. They too are American Heroes- our ‘quiet’ heroes.

All of our immigrant ancestors fit into the hero category, in my not-always-so-humble opinion. The very earliest, in the 1600s, would have known little about this country before they came. (And yes, some of our lines go back that far!) Later immigrants would have had more knowledge, though probably little about the conditions on board ship, or the terrible way many immigrants were treated once they got to our shores. Some came to build a new civilization where men (literally- only men like them) would be free, some were fleeing persecution due to religion, and others came to enrich their fortunes, help their families to survive, and have some land to leave their children. They braved unbelievable circumstances to get here and to settle here, and leave us an incredible legacy- the United States of America.

Our ancestors of the McMurray-Payne-Burnell line are a great example of those who chose to serve in various ways. Robert Burnell (1669-1737) was born in Essex, Massachusetts, so his father (still a question to this researcher) may have been our immigrant ancestor before 1669. Both families would have been involved in protecting homes, farms, and businesses, theirs and their neighbors. They would have lived through the Salem Witch Hysteria of 1692- wonder if they had any involvement? (There were also other cases of accused ‘witches’ in other parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut, where other early family lived.) It would have been hard to speak up against the hysteria without being accused yourself- there are always such considerations when taking a stand.

Robert’s grandson, Capt. Joseph Burnell (1725-1807) was a volunteer to the American Revolutionary War in 1775, and participated in the Siege of Boston. He is also noted as being on duty during the war at West Point Military Academy, working as an ‘artificer’- someone skilled in working on artillery in the field. He likely was teaching others those skills so that our rag-tag Revolutionaries would at long last win the war against the British, giving us freedom from king and tyranny.

Capt. Burnell’s son John Burnell (1750-1837), another of our ancestors,  was 26 in 1776, and he too served his country as a Continental soldier. There are quite a lot of documents for men named John Burnell from Massachusetts, so we will need more research to determine his actual service.

Rufus Burnell (1796-1875) was the son of John Burnell and Mary Bannister (1752-1838). (“Rufus” is from the same Latin word that means ‘red’ or ‘reddish hair’- without color photography can you get a sense of what he looked like?) Rufus was a Deacon in the church, and was serving his neighbors in a spiritual manner. Nancy Kingsley (1792-1839) was his first wife of three- sadly, he buried the first two. Their son, Kingsley Abner Burnell (1824-1905) spent his own life spiritually ministering to others. He travelled around the world with his brother, Thomas Scott Burnell (1823-1899), also a missionary. Both men were very involved with the American Missionary Society, and Kingsley, also known as “K. A.” journeyed through the United States promoting the Young Men’s Christian Association, or Y.M.C.A. Soldiers during the Civil War throughout the South were served by K. A. as well. The stories of these two Burnell brothers is an incredible one, and we will tell much more in upcoming posts.

Of course, we must, “remember the ladies” as Abigail Adams wrote to her husband John Adams as our new republic was being organized. There is very little that survives of their lives, unfortunately, but we know that they would have been beside their husband, supporting him in his efforts to serve, while raising their children, maintaining the household and garden, etc.- they served their families and communities in their own quiet ways.

The only daughter of Kingsley Abner Burnell was Nancy Maria Burnell (1847-1898), who married Edward Biron Payne (1847-1923). Edward was the son of a minister, Joseph Hitchcock Payne (1810-1884), became a minister himself, and even founded a short-lived Utopian colony in California. He wrote as well as lectured, and was a Christian Socialist who stood up for the rights of “the common man.” Edward gave up a pulpit in a wealthy church in New England in order to minister to others who needed him more because of their life situations in the mill towns of the Northeast. He may have contracted tuberculosis there, or possibly earlier, when he and Nanie (Nancy’s nickname) were in Chicago, Illinois, working in the poorest areas with Dwight L. Moody. Despite going blind in her early 20s, Nanie worked alongside Edward, and was involved with women’s groups in his pastorate.

Lynette Payne (1879-1968) was the only child of Edward and Nanie, and she grew up in the liberal town of Berkeley, California. As a teen she read a paper of her father’s to a Socialist group, and she likely attended meetings and lectures of socialists during her teenage years. She also probably attended lectures of the leading as well as local Suffragists who spoke in Berkeley and across the bay in San Francisco. (There was no Golden Gate Bridge back then!) Her father gave a series of lectures on female suffrage, and Lynette was 17 years old in 1896 when California voters decided not to ‘give’ the vote to women. Lynette moved to small-town Iowa after her high school graduation in 1897. She was outspoken there on women’s rights too- she was the first woman to ride a bicycle in Newton, Iowa, and even wore the scandalous new “bloomers.” Lynette was a devout Episcopalian and served her church with work done at St. Stephens in Newton.

Lynette married William E. McMurray (1874-1957) who owned a grocery store and meat market in Newton, always serving his customers  with a kind attitude. They had three children, and the two sons, Edward A. McMurray (1900-1992) and Herbert C. McMurray (1911-1989), both became doctors, serving their patients with kindness and understanding.

Dr. Edward A. McMurray’s son with Edith Roberts (1899-1982) served his country in World War II. Edward A. McMurray, Jr. (1924-2010), was an aircraft mechanic in the South Pacific. Our Marines would take a small island from the Japanese, the Seabees would go in and bulldoze a landing strip, then Ed and other Army-Air corp members would be taken in to set up the mechanics shop for the airplanes. His enlistment lasted the duration of the war, and their ship was in Tokyo Harbor on 2 September 1945 when the Japanese signed their surrender. He always was so proud to have served, and helped preserve, the freedom of our country and of those around the world.

Ed served his community as a trusted pharmacist for many years after the war. Some of his customers called him, “Doc,” showing the respect they had for his knowledge and loving care.

These are just some of the people in our McMurray-Payne-Burnell family lines who are “quiet” American Heroes. There are so many more who have served others throughout the years. These Heroes have served as role models for their children and communities, and we can never know the true extent of their legacy.

You can read more about the above persons in other blog posts- there are too many to reference- just put their name in the search box, or click on the tagged name that is a part of this post to find other stories about these fine people.

There are many more blog posts planned to tell the stories of these quiet American Heroes.

A heartfelt thank you to them all, and to John McCain. May they all Rest in Peace.

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1. * Half-mast vs. half-staff- technically, flags are flown in the US at half-staff, as the staff is the flagpole. Only on Navy ships is ‘half-mast’ technically appropriate, as flags there are flown from a mast. Since the Honorable John McCain as well as this writer are Navy veterans, we shall let it be ‘half-mast’ for today.By the way, the flag should always be raised to full height first, then lowered halfway, in honor of the fallen- not just raised to half-way up.
2. Please check out other, more detailed stories of our “quiet” American Hero ancestors on this blog.
3. Subscribe to the blog to be notified of new posts.

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

McMurray Family (Click for Family Tree)

This old family note, found in papers passed down in the Maude McMurray Cook line, gives us new clues about General Proctor:

1. He “came from England to U.S.”
2. He came to the US “in 1775.”
3. He was a “Brit. general.”

This note contradicts some of what has been posted previously, plus what we know from census and other research.

1. “He was from England”- the older family letter we wrote about in 2014 does state that General Proctor came from England, so the two documents agree on that. Interestingly, however, Mary was born in Ireland per some researchers (listed as such on Find-A-Grave too, though no documentation is included), but few moved from Ireland TO Britain- the British did not like the Irish at that time. So how would she have been born in Ireland but her father sailed to America from England, and was an officer in the British Army? It is possible, but does not seem likely.

   Also, the 1850 US Federal Census for Blair County, Pennsylvania, states that Mary (who was about 57 then), was born in Pennsylvania. It seems that if if she truly had been born in Ireland or England, she would have had an accent even after 50+ years in the states and obviously be Irish or English, but then, we don’t know who gave the information to the census taker. Mary died in 1851, so we do not have more census data about her birth.

   Number 2., “He came to the US in 1775,” and 3., “He was a “Brit. general,” need to be considered together. About 5 am on 19 April 1775, the American Revolution  began with the “shot heard ’round the world” at Lexington, Massachusetts.  So if Gen. Proctor was a British officer, he would have come to the colonies to help quell the civil unrest if he came before that date, or he would have come as an official enemy to the American rebels if he landed after 19 April 1775 and before 1783. There was very little migration to the colonies during the war. So we should probably next try to determine if he was captured by the Americans and then went over to their side, or if he decided to stay and become an American after the war. Thus far, however, it has been challenging to find an officer with the name of Proctor who fits the few parameters we know of his life.Additionally, Mary was not yet born in 1775, and the family letter we have states that she came with her father “at the close of the war” and brought spoons and a pin. It does seem she would have been an older girl or young woman if she was bringing a pin and spoons.

They were brought from England by Mary Proctor when she came to the states with her father, General Proctor, at the close of the war. This was father’s mother. The pin had been a clasp to a neck chain but was fitted with a pin and had been used as such for about one hundred years. When Mary died she gave the pin to her daughter Sarah, Huldah’s mother, who took care of her during her last sickness.

The spoons were also handed down at the same time.

We do not know which war this was- could it have been a war other than the American Revolution? Perhaps Mary and her father came over at the end of the War of 1812? If she was born in 1793, she would have been 19 when that war began. (The War of 1812 was not officially over until 1815.) Even if she immigrated to America with her father after that war, the timing would work for her to marry William McMurray around 1818 and have their first child, Henderson McMurray, in 1819. She would have been 25 when marrying, which is plausible for that time period, especially after a war. This suggests that maybe looking at the War of 1812 and British war records may help us to find out more about this family.

This note about Gen. Proctor was received more than a year ago, but it has only been recently thoroughly reviewed. It helps that we know a bit more about Mary since we received the papers, as we can now better analyze the information they contain. We still do not know when the notes were written nor who wrote them, and if we can learn that information, we might be better able to analyze their accuracy.

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1. “Tuesday’s Tip: Who was ‘General Proctor’?” http://heritageramblings.net/2016/03/01/tuesdays-tip-who-was-general-proctor/
2. “Mystery Monday- The McMurrays in America”– http://heritageramblings.net/2014/04/07/mystery-monday-the-mcmurrays-in-america/
3. “Mystery Monday: General Proctor of the McMurray Line”–http://heritageramblings.net/2018/08/20/mystery-monday-general-proctor-of-the-mcmurray-line/
4. The letter was written by Hepzibah Jeanetta (McMurray) Raugh (1865-1954), to her sister, Mary E. McMurray (1856-1956), both granddaughters of Mary Proctor. We don’t know who has these items now, nor the date the letter was written.

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

McMurray Family (Click for Family Tree)

We are still looking for the father of Mary (Proctor) McMurray, known only to us as “General Proctor.”

One of the ways to find a parent is to search in the area their children lived. Since the General and his daughter came to America together, they might have a very close relationship. Since there has been no mention of a wife/mother in the meager documents we have, perhaps Mary’s mother had passed away in England or was too ill to make the trip across the ocean? That might have made father and daughter even closer, and Mary would have been the one to care for her father. Also, as parents age, they tend to settle down with a family member- that was “social security” back then, and usually the parent(s) would stay with a daughter and her husband.

The earliest we know of Mary (Proctor) McMurray is that on 22 May 1819, she gave birth to her son Henderson McMurray in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. We have a letter that states that Mary, “came to the states with her father, General Proctor, at the close of the war.” Which war was not specified. We know she was born in 1793 per her tombstone, so they would have come after the American Revolution. So possibly they came after the War of 1812? Or maybe it really was after the Revolution, with “close of the war” taking in a range of years.

Since Mary (Proctor) McMurray lived in Blair County, Pennsylvania, we decided to target our research there for anyone of the name “Proctor” in the correct time period. One of the books reviewed was the “150th Anniversary History of Blair County, Pennsylvania.”  Following are the few pertinent mentions that might assist us in our research.

A “William Proctor” was listed in the 1772 Tax Assessment of Bedford Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania. This assessment was written right after Bedford “was erected.” Blair was later formed from Bedford. (p. 53)

A Thomas Proctor is listed as a resident in the 21st Class, which was Frankstown Twp.,- most of Blair County today. This was transcribed form the “Duplicate of Delinquent Classes Frankstown Township 1782 Federal Tax.” Thomas was also listed as having appeared in the 1779 assessment but not 1775. (p.62)

1785- Thomas Proctor listed as a non-resident (p.64)

None of this information is definitive, but it may help us prove or maybe rule out, certain men as ‘our’ General Proctor.

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1. “150th Anniversary History of Blair County, Pennsylvania,” by Larry D. Smith, Classon Press, 1997. This is not available yet as an e-book or on a free site, but may be obtained via Interlibrary Loan (ILL).

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