Nancy (Petty) Murray in Oklahoma

 

Needs update: we know a little more now...

Nancy (Petty) Murray in Oklahoma

Winfield Scott Murray had died in 1877. Afterwards, Nancy had moved from Fannin County to Murray County, Georgia. Sometime early in the 20th century, before 1910, Nancy MURRAY and her grown offspring, Elias, Will, and Jane, move to Comanche County, Oklahoma, by way of Texas. We know that Elias and possibly Will were in Texas part of the time before settling in Oklahoma.

Will marries Ninnie SNIDER. Their descendants live in Comanche County, Oklahoma. Elias married Vera SMITH late in life. Vera never has any children. Jane MURRAY never marries. Nancy MURRAY of Fletcher, Oklahoma, dies there on the 18th of April, 1917. She is buried at Elgin, but later removed to Lawton, Comanche County, Oklahoma, because the cemetery at Elgin is neglected. In 1939, Elias orders tombstones for the graves of his father and two little sisters back in Georgia. The stones are erected by NEAL MONUMENT COMPANY of Blue Ridge, Georgia, with the help of Dallas WOODY (a relation of the PETTY family) and Willy Lee Pritchett, the grandson of W.S. MURRAY.

One other son who is never mentioned in census, at least by the name we know, is "Gains" MURRAY. Gains has a son named Jim, whose picture is found among Vera (SMITH) MURRAY's pictures. The caption says that he is the son of Gains, "Will's half brother." Will would be the younger William, Nancy's son, who moved to Oklahoma. This would make Gains the son of W.S. MURRAY and his first wife, Caroline. 

Winfield Scott MURRAY has been a difficult individual to research. It took many years of research to put together this skimpy biography, and we still know nothing about his parents. What we know of the children of his first marriage is vague--we only know what we have pieced together from census and from that one photo caption of Jim MURRAY. We do feel that Winfield Scott MURRAY may turn out to be related to the Buncombe County, North Carolina line of MURRAYs. However, we have no real documentation as yet--just circumstantial pointers.

Any and all information on Winfield Scott MURRAY, first wife, Caroline, or their children would be greatly appreciated.

 

Detailed Biography: Winfield Scott Murray

Winfield Murray married Nancy Petty, daughter of Elijah Petty, on 1 July 1866 in Blairsville, Union County, Georgia. The marriage is recorded in a book that records marriages from 1866 to 1874. They are couple number 339 in that book, and appear as W.S. Murry and Miss Nancy Pettey. (Source: Georgia's Virtual Vault: Marriage Records from Microfilm. Digital page 9.) Nancy MURRAY appears on a list of charter members of Salem Number One church in Fannin County.

Scott and Nancy Petty Murray in Census...
1870 finds Scott MURRAY and Nancy PETTY together in census for the first time. One child, Georgia MURRAY, born in 1869, is dead by 1870 and does not appear in census. The only proof that we have of Georgia's life is a tombstone erected by Elias Andrew MURRAY, and a niece who was named "Georgia," probably after this child. Scott, Nancy and children live next door to Nancy's father, Elijah PETTY. He and his family moved into Georgia from North Carolina between 1850 and 1860. Also in Scott's household is Milton MURRAY, an unknown relation. Possibly, he is Scott's son from the earlier marriage. If so, he was mentioned by a different name in the 1860 census. The fact that one of Scott's children was named "Raphala" (Raphael?) does point to a possible affinity for classical names in this family. Sarah MURRAY makes her first appearance in the 1870 household, too. William "Will" MURRAY, five months old, shows up here, too. Since there was another William in the 1850 household of W.S. and Caroline MURRAY, it is possible that the first William died young.

Winfield Scott Murray dies...
Winfield Scott MURRAY dies in 1877, as does his child, Dovie MURRAY, who was born in 1875. They are buried at Sugar Hill ~ Salem Number One, in Dial, Fannin County, Georgia. Dovie does not appear in any census. The widowed Nancy MURRAY is still in Fannin County in 1880. She is 38 years old and has five of her children at home: Sarah, William, Alice, Mary Jane, and Andrew. Also living in the household is Nancy's sister, Sarah PETTY, a housekeeper. Nancy purchases land in Murray County, Georgia in 1885. 1900 finds Nancy and family in MURRAY County, though Mary and Elias (Andrew) are the only offspring left in her home. Sarah and Alice have married by now. William, too, is out of the household, though it is unknown where he is and whether he has married already. Milton, the unknown relation, is also gone, never to be heard from again, apparently. We do find a mention of a Milton MURRAY in North Carolina, who serves in the Union Army during the Civil War; it is unknown if that is the same Milton MURRAY.

Winfield Scott Murray in Census

Winfield Scott Murray

Chronology and Household Composition

1850 Union County, Georgia: W. S. Murray and Caroline are in Union County, Georgia.

Elsewhere: Elijah Petty and his second wife, Sarah (Parker), with daughter, "Nancey," age 8 (who is to become W.S. Murray's second wife), are still in McDowell County, North Carolina in 1850. Elijah and Sarah had only recently married. Nancy is the child of Elijah and first wife, Letty Lewis.

1854: Fannin County, Georgia is formed. The new county is formed from sections of Gilmer and Union Counties.

Caroline is now gone from the household, probably deceased. William, Raphala, James, and the male infant of the 1850 household are not enumerated here, unless they are listed under different given names. Robert is now aged 16. A new female child, Martha, appears here. Various young Murrays do appear in other Fannin County households in 1860, with families named "Brown," and "Murray." It is unknown if they are any relation to W.S. Murray.

Elijah Petty and wife, "Sallie," with Nancy, aged 18, are now in Fannin County (Stockhill Dist., p.1069, dwelling no. 713).

1877: W.S. Murray died. He is buried at Sugar Hill/Salem #1 in Fannin County, Georgia. Near him are two children's graves with matching markers: Dovie Murray and Georgia Murray. [A letter in possession of the Murray family, written by Bruce Neal of Neal Monument Company in Blue Ridge, Georgia, to E.A. Murray of Fletcher, Oklahoma, confirms that in 1939, E.A. Murray ordered stones for W.S. Murray and two others.] Also near W.S. Murray's grave is another grave with a hand-carved natural stone showing "R.F. Murra."

Note: on the above roster, parents of all individuals are designated as being born in NC.

Various siblings of Nancy Petty live nearby, including Daniel Petty next door. Elijah Petty (Nancy's father) and his family are on page 6, dwelling no. 51. David Pritchett, whose son, Stephen T. will later marry W.S. and Nancy's daughter, Alice, is on page 17, dwelling no. 146. (There is an error on David's middle initial, though, which should be "W" instead of "T."

1881: Elijah Petty dies. His will, probated in Fannin County, Georgia, mentions Nancy C. Murray as a legatee.

9 November 1885: Nancy Murray buys land in Murray County, Georgia. [Deed Book T, page 419: S.E. corner of land lot no. 168, sold by John R. Harris; transaction witnessed by W.D. Petty.] An old land map of Murray County shows "Mrs. Murray" on land lot 168.

On the above roster, parents of all individuals are designated as being born in NC. Nearby is David W. Pritchett and family; included in his household is his grown son, Stephen with wife, Alice (Murray) Pritchett and their three children.

Before 1910: Nancy moves to Oklahoma. In the 1910 census, Nancy is gone from Murray County, Georgia. We know from various family sources that she moved to Oklahoma to join other family members who had moved out there.

In addition to the children mentioned in the various census, W.S. Murray and his first wife, Caroline, had a son named "Gains." Gains Murray had a son named "Jim Murray." Several of the children from the first two census listings are possibly enumerated under various names, making it look as if there were more children than there probably were.

Marriages of Nancy Petty Murray's Children

Sarah Lou Murray married Andrew Greenville Pullen. They resided in Murray Co., Georgia.

William E. Murray married Ninnie Snider. They resided in Fannin Co., Georgia and Oklahoma.

Alice Safronia Murray married Stephen Thomas Pritchett. They resided in the Hall's Chapel area (near Crandall) of Murray County, Georgia.

Mary Jane Murray never married. She resided in Fannin Co., Georgia and Oklahoma.

Elias Andrew Murray married Vera Smith of Texas. They resided in Comanche Co., Oklahoma.

Some research is now available in Family Search on the children of Winfield and Caroline Murray.

Death Record Searches for Petty, Murray, and Pritchett - Crandall, Georgia, and Oklahoma

Scrap From My Genealogy Files

Search Subject: Death Records and sources of a search centering on the surnames of Petty, Murray, and Pritchett, extended family members of a family in Crandall, Murray County, Georgia, having roots in Union, Gilmer, and Fannin County, Georgia; one branch moved to Oklahoma.

Death Certificate of Nancy Petty Murray, Extract: "Commanche" County, Fletcher township, Oklahoma. Full name: "Nancie K. Murry." Sex: Female; Race: W; Widowed. Date of birth: "Nov 24 1842. Age: 74 yrs, 4 mos, 24 day." Birth place: "North Cariluna." Name of father: "Elija Petty." Birth place of father: "North Carioluna's." Birth place of mother: "North Carioluna." [North Carolina is misspelled and partly illegible, each time]. Maiden name of mother "Nance Pettie" [obviously, here, Elias incorrectly gave his own mother's maiden name, rather than Nancy's mother's name.] "Informant: E.A. Murry. Address: Fletcher." Date of Death: "Apr. 18, 1917." Doctor certifies that he last saw her alive on 19 Feb. 1917, and that death occurred on the date stated above at "Apr. 18 10:30 A.m." Cause of death: "arterioscloroses." Duration, etc.: "Don't know." [Signed by doctor]: Chas W. Joyce M.D., 1917, Fletcher, Okla. Place of burial or removal: Elgin, Okla. Date of burial 4-19*-1917 [difficult to read, could be 4-18-1917]. Address Fletcher. Undertaker J.W.Wisener. Co. Supt. of Publ. Health: E.S. Gooch. [Separate source/Family note: Nancy's body was later removed to the cemetery in Lawton because the one at Elgin wasn't being kept up.].

Death Certificate of Nancy Petty Murray, Extract: "Commanche" County, Fletcher township, Oklahoma. Full name: "Nancie K. Murry." Sex: Female; Race: W; Widowed. Date of birth: "Nov 24 1842. Age: 74 yrs, 4 mos, 24 day." Birth place: "North Cariluna." Name of father: "Elija Petty." Birth place of father: "North Carioluna's." Birth place of mother: "North Carioluna." [North Carolina is misspelled and partly illegible, each time]. Maiden name of mother "Nance Pettie" [obviously, here, Elias incorrectly gave his own mother's maiden name, rather than Nancy's mother's name.] "Informant: E.A. Murry. Address: Fletcher." Date of Death: "Apr. 18, 1917." [Signed by doctor]: Chas W. Joyce M.D., 1917, Fletcher, Okla. Place of burial or removal: Elgin, Okla. Date of burial 4-19*-1917 [difficult to read, could be 4-18-1917]. Address Fletcher. Undertaker J.W.Wisener. Co. Supt. of Publ. Health: E.S. Gooch. [Separate source/Family note: Nancy's body was later removed to the cemetery in Lawton because the graveyard at Elgin wasn't being kept up].

Claud T. Pritchett, married white male, aged 39, born in Georgia; head of household, with wife, Edith I Pritchett, and two children. Census: 1940, Militia District 874, Murray, Georgia.

Orriville Pritchett, white male, aged 17, born in Georgia; son of Stefan I. and Alice Pritchett. Spelling/index variation: Orriville Pritchett, instead of Arvel or Arvil Pritchett. 1920 census, Tenth District, Murray, Georgia.

Arvil H. Pritchett, white male, aged 27, born in Georgia; head of household, with wife, Sudie H. Pritchett. 1930 census, Tenth District, Murray, Georgia.

Sudie Pritchett, white female, aged 17, died 23 Nov 1931, in Crandall, Murray, Georgia. Estimated birth year, 1914; married, wife of A. H. Pritchett. Parents, Bill Headrick and Quincy Davis (both born in Georgia). Informant, Enoch Headrick, Cisco, Georgia. Buried at Calvary Cemetery, 14 November 1931.

Whitfield-Murray Historical Society, "Murray County, Georgia Marriages (Volume II): 1907-1941", p.50, Lents, Elmer (married) Onie Adams on 01 Mar 1925. Book N, p.497.

Letter from Bruce Neal to Elias A. Murray, of Oklahoma (1939)

Winfield Scott Murray married (1) Caroline. Her last name is not known. She may be related to the Wrights, by evidence of an older woman by that surname, who lived in the Murray household in 1850, in Union County, Georgia. Winfield appears in census under the given names of Winfield S., W.S., and Scott. The surname is spelled various ways: Murray, Murry, and Mury. Winfield's second wife was Nancy C. Petty, daughter of Elijah Petty. They married on 1 July 1866, in Blairsville, Union County, Georgia, and are found in the 1870 census in Fannin County. Winfield S. Murray died in 1877 and is buried at Sugar Hill Cemetery, in Fannin County, Georgia.

Nancy (Petty) Murray and her grown children moved to Murray County, Georgia. Later, they left Georgia, probably between 1908 and 1910, and moved to Oklahoma. Nancy died in Fletcher, Comanche County, Oklahoma, in 1917, and is buried at Highland Cemetery in Lawton, of that same county. 

When Elias got older, he began to worry about the unmarked graves back in Georgia, of his father and two little sisters, Georgia and Dovie Murray. He ordered some stones for the graves. Dallas Woody (son of Nancy's half-sister, Lydia), showed Neal where to find W. S. Murray's grave. Elias Murray had sent a plat showing the other two graves in relation to his father's grave. Willie Lee Pritchett, grandson of W. S. and Nancy (Petty) Murray, helped put up the stones. He wrote a letter to his uncle Elias, and enclosed it in Mr. Neal's letter. Below is the correspondence, sent to me by Lavita Murray, of Oklahoma.

Above: Bruce Neal Letter to E. A. Murray

Above: Letter from W. L. Pritchett to Elias A. Murray
and Envelope, with Neal Monument Co. Return Address

Three Deeds Originating in Clarke County, Georgia, Filed in Murray County, Georgia. Surnames: Barber, Vincent, Murray, Robins

Three Deeds Originating in Clarke County, Georgia; filed in Murray County, Georgia

Half of Lot 318 in the Tenth District, Third Section of Murray (Originally Cherokee)

Murray County Deed Book G, pages 456 – 457

Superior Court, Murray County, Georgia

Deed 1: Allen Barber to Isaac S Vincent

Deed 2: Isaac S Vincent to William Murray

Deed 3: William Murray to Thomas J. Robins

[Transcript begins, page 456, Deed 1]

______________________________

Allen Barber

Deed to

Isaac S Vincent

½ of Lot 318 - 10 - 3

_______________

Georgia. Clarke County } This indenture made this seventh day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty between Allen Barber of the county & state aforesaid of the one part and Isaac S Vincent of the same place of the other part Witnesseth that the said Allen Barber for & in consideration of the sum of three hundred & fifty dollars to him in hand paid at & before the sealing & delivery of these presents the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged hath granted bargained sold & conveyed & doth by these presents grant, bargain sell & convey unto the said Isaac S Vincent his heirs & assigns the undivided half of all that tract or parcel of land situate lying & being in the County of Murray known and distinguished as lot number three hundred & eighteen (no 318) in the tenth (10th) district & third (3rd) section of Cherokee County & state aforesaid the whole of said lot containing one hundred & sixty acres more or less one Moiety or half of which is hereby conveyed as aforesaid, To have & to hold said undivided half of tract or parcel of land unto him the said Isaac S Vincent his heirs & assigns together with all & singular the rights members & appurtenances thereof to the same in any manner belonging to his & their own proper use benefit & behoof forever in fee simple And the said Allen Barber for himself his heirs executors & administrators the said bargained premises unto the said Isaac S Vincent his heirs & assigns will warrant & forever defend the right & title thereof against themselves & against the claim of all other persons whatever In witness whereof the said Allen Barber hath hereunto set his hand & seal the day and year above written

Signed sealed & delivered in the presence of ?T?est Ranson A Whitehead Richard Daken P. Recorded & certified for the 20th November 1848

Allen Barber {seal} Robert McCamy Clk

______________________________________

[End of page 456; deed continued on page 457]

[Transcript begins, page 456, Deed 2]
______________________________________

Isaac S Vincent
Deed to
William Murray
½ of Lot 318 - 10 - 3
____________________

Georgia. Clarke County } This indenture made this third day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty four between Isaac Vincent of the county & state aforesaid of the one part and William Murray of the other part Witnesseth that the said Isaac Vincent for & in consideration of the sum of three hundred dollars to him in hand paid at & before the sealing & delivery of these presents the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged hath granted bargained sold & conveyed & do by these presents grant bargain sell & convey unto the said William Murray his heirs & assigns the undivided half of all that tract or parcel of land situate lying & being in the County of Murray in said State known and distinguished as lot number three hundred & eighteen (No 318) in the tenth 10th district & third (3rd) section of Cherokee County & state aforesaid the whole of said lot containing one hundred & sixty acres more or less one Moiety or half of which is hereby conveyed as aforesaid, To have & to hold said tract or parcel of land unto him the said William Murray his heirs & assigns together with all & singular the rights members & appurtenances thereof to the same in any manner belonging to his & their own proper use benefit & behoof forever in fee simple And the said Isaac S Vincent for himself his heirs executors & administrators the said bargained premises unto the said

______________________________________
[End of page 456; deed continued on page 457]

[Transcription begins, page 457 (continued from 456)]
______________________________________

William Murray his heirs and assigns will warrant & forever defend the right & title thereof against themselves & against the claim of all other persons whatever In Witness whereof the said Isaac S Vincent hath hereunto set his hand and seal the day & year above written

Signed sealed & delivered in the presence of
Thomas Borthe }
M.M Sheals J.P. }

Isaac S Vincent {seal}
Recorded & certified for the 20th day of November 1848
Robert McCamy Clk
___________________________
[End of Transcript]

[Transcript begins, page 457, Deed 3]
____________________________

William Murray
Deed to
Thomas J Robins
Lot 318 - 10 - 3
__________________

Georgia Clarke County }
This indenture made this nineteenth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & forty eight between William Murray of the county of Clarke & state aforesaid of the one part and Thomas J. Robins of Murray County in said state Witnesseth that the said William Murray for and in consideration of the sum of seven hundred and twenty five dollars to him in hand paid at & before the sealing & delivery of these presents the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged hath granted bargained sold & conveyed & by by these presents doth grant bargain sell & convey unto the said Thomas J. Robins his heirs & assigns all that tract or parcel of land situate lying & being in the County of Murray & State aforesaid known & distinguished as lot number three hundred & eighteen (No. 318) in the tenth 10th district & third 3rd section in Originally Cherokee County Containing one hundred & sixty acres more or less To have & to hold said tract or parcel of land unto him the said Thomas J. Robins his heirs and assigns together with all & singular the rights members & appurtenances thereof to the same in any manner belonging to his & their own proper use benefit & behoof forever in fee simple And the said William Murray for himself his heirs executors & administrators the said bargained premises unto the said Thomas J. Robins his heirs & assigns will warrant & forever defend the right & title thereof against themselves and against the claim of all other persons whatever In Witness whereof the said William Murray hath hereunto set his hand and seal the day & year above written, Signed Sealed & delivered in the presence of

John Calvin Johnson Wm Murray {seal}
Wm. Dicken J.S.C.

        Recorded & certified for this 20th day of November 1848
        Robert McCamy Clk

_____________________________
[End of Transcript]

History notes: From at least 1831 to 1832, the territory now in Murray County was part of Cherokee County, Georgia. Murray County (and several other counties) were formed out of Cherokee County during the 1832 Cherokee land lottery. Prior to 1831, the territory was transitional, as it had been part of the Cherokee Nation and was usurped by the State of Georgia at the time of the Indian Removal Act of 1829. Many Murray County deeds use terminology such as “…formerly Cherokee now Murray County” or “…Murray County, formerly Cherokee.” The above deeds originated in Clarke County, but refer to land in Murray County, formerly Cherokee.

Transcription Notes: Transcribed by D.K. Pritchett on 28 December 2015 from handwritten record on file in the Superior Court of Murray County, Georgia, Deed Book G, page 457. Writing is somewhat compressed. Old style of leading “s” written as “f” is used within the document (transcribed herein as “s”). There is yet another deed beginning at the bottom of page 457, not transcribed here. That deed is from Charles Silas to D. I. Rials, for Lot 294 in the 12th District, 3rd Section, originating in Wilkinson County and filed in Murray County. It appears to be unrelated to the above deeds. In the first deed, the names “?Test” Ranson and “Daken” are hard to read—it could be some other name. In the second deed, the second set of names is actually placed in the right-hand column, but cannot be done here because of space and layout considerations.

Deed: John R. Harris to Nancy C. Murray, Murray County, Georgia, Deed Book T, page 419

Deed from John R. Harris to Nancy C. Murray

Murray County, Georgia

Deed Book T, page 419

[TRANSCRIPT BEGINS]

_______________________________________________________

Deed from

John R. Harris

To Nancy C. Murray

40 acres of #168-10&3

State of Georgia,

Murray County.

This indenture made and entered into this the 9th day of November Eighteen hundred and Eighty five (1885) Between John R Harris and Nancy C. Murray both of the County and State above written. For and in consideration of the sum of Two Hundred and fifty Dollars ($250) the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged does hereby sell and convey unto the said Nancy C Murray, here heirs and assigns a certain tract or lot of land situated in the State and County aforesaid to-wit:

Forty acres more or less of land in the South East corner of lot of land No. 168 in the 10th. District & 3rd Section of Murray County State of Georgia. The premises hereby conveyed being ¼ part of said lot of land situated in the South East corner of said lot and in the form of a square, with all the rights and appurtenances thereto belonging in fee simple, and the said John R. Harris his heirs executors and administrators the title to the premises aforesaid will forever warrant and defend to the said Nancy C. Murray her heirs and assigns against the lawful claim of all other persons. In witness whereof the said John R. Harris has hereunto set his hand and seal, the day and year above written.

Signed sealed and }

delivered in presence }

of  W.D. Petty } M.S. Hall } J.H. Oneal J.P. }

J.R. Harris (Seal) Recorded March 25, 1903. J.H. Arrowood     Clerk S.C.

________________________________________________

[END OF TRANSCRIPT]

Transcription notes: transcribed from a hand-written (fairly easy to read). Transcribed by D.K. Pritchett on 25 December 2015.

Genealogy note: Nancy C. Murray is also known as Nancy C. Petty (maiden name). She is Nancy C. (Petty) Murray. Her father was Elijah Petty. Her husband was Winfield Scott Murray, of Fannin County, Georgia. After his death, Nancy lived for a time in Fannin County, then moved to Murray County, Georgia.

Nancy (Petty) Murray and Family

Elias Murray (left), Nancy Petty Murray (mother, center), and Jane Murray (right)

Nancy (Petty) Murray

Nancy Petty married Winfield Scott Murray of Union County, Georgia. After Scott's death, Nancy is found in Fannin County, and later, in Murray County, Georgia. Some time after 1910, Nancy moved, with her grown sons and daughter, to Oklahoma. This wonderful photo shows Nancy with Elias & Jane (her offspring) on a farm northeast of Elgin, Okla. in 1916. This photo was migrated from my old Family Tree Maker site, Families of North Georgia and Alabama ~ so this is the best quality digital image I have of it right now. One day, I'll try to do a new, larger scan from my hard copy.