Extracted from The Murphree Ancestry of Bill R. Linder

Ransom Murphree, son of David and Jemima Cornelius Murphree was born 8 Dec 1798 in South Carolina.

His parents were living in Pendleton District, South Carolina when Ransom was born, but several years later the family moved to Tennessee. Ransom was married on 12 Mar 1816 in Rhea County, Tennessee, to Mary Walker; and he died 25 Oct 1853 in Calhoun County, Mississippi. Mary was born on 29 July 1800 in Tennessee and died 15 Feb 1870 in Calhoun County. She was a daughter of Thomas Walker and Elizabeth Magill.

The family was in Walker County, Alabama in 1830; Yalobusha County, Mississippi in 1840; Chickasaw County, Mississippi in 1850; and Calhoun County Mississippi in 1860. Ransom Murphree and his wife are buried in Rocky Mount Cemetery east of Bruce, Calhoun County.

The children of Ransom and Mary Walker Murphree were:

1. Daniel Murphree, b. 1817 (he was age 33 in 1850)(of) Rhea Co., TN. The 1840 census has a Daniel 'Murphy' and wife. born 1810-20 with four young daughters, two under five, and two five to ten. [Yalobusha Co., p. 18.]

2. Mary Malinda Murphree b. about 1819 (of) TN or Walker Co. AL, md. Halum Cannon, and d. 25 Feb 1839. One child: Mary M. Cannon, b. 1838 (age 12 in 1850) of Chickasaw Co., MS.

3. Levi Murphree, b. 26 Feb 1820 (of) Walker Co., AL, d. 14 Oct 1887 Calhoun Co., MS. He md. Phoebe Ann Brown (b. 24 Feb 1822 in AL, d. 26 Nov 1893 Calhoun Co., MS) a dau. of Jesse and Nancy Brown. Children: Ransom C. Murphree, b. 1840; Nancy Malinda Murphree, b. 1842; Thomas J. Murphree, b. 31 Jan 1845; James K. Polk Murphree, b. 1847; William Murphree, b. 1848; Jesse Jeptha Murphree b. 7 Jan 1850; Charles Jasper Murphree. b. 23 Oct 1851; Elizabeth Murphree, b. 1855; David Murphree, b. 1856; Sarah Frances Murphree, b. 1857; John ("Jack") Murphree b. 1858; Martha Susan Murphree, b. 1859; Eliza Jane Murphree, b. 1866; and Dick Murphree. This family appears in the 1850 census in Chickasaw Co., MS [dwelling no. 680, p. 400]; in the 1860 census in Calhoun Co. MS [dwelling no. 361]; and in the 1870 census in Calhoun Co., MS [Pittsboro P.O., p. 359]. A family group record was published in The Murphree Quarterly, Vol. III, No.2 (June 1967).

4. Jefferson Murphree, b. 1822 (age 28 in 1850) (of) Walker Co., AL, d. 15 Aug 1851, md. abt. 1841 in MS, Catherine McAdams (b. 1825 [age 25 in 1850] Jefferson Co., AL d. after 1870, a dau. of Merritt and Margaret McAdams). Children: Margaret Murphree, b. ca. 1840-41 (9 in 1850); Mary Ann (“Polly") Murphree, b. 5 Mar 1842; Rebecca Murphree, b. ca. 1844 (6 in 1850); Nancy Murphree, b. 23 Apr 1846; Patty ("Patsy") Murphree b. Sep 1848; and James J. Murphree, b. 20 Feb 1852.

5. Araminta ("Mintie") Murphree b. 18 Sep 1823 AL, d. 30 May 1885 Calhoun Co., MS, md. (Rev.) EIijah Amos Crocker (b. 28 Aug 1820 SC, d. 18 Nov 1880 Calhoun City, Calhoun Co., MS, a son of Amos Crocker and Delilah Pridmore). Children: Rance Crocker, md. Nancy Lawrence? Howell; Elbert Crocker, md. Malinda Rish, and d. 28 Aug 1893; Mary A. Crocker b. 1842 md. (1) John Jackson Patterson md. (2) Gilford Vickery; Delilah Crocker, b. 8 Oct 1844, md. (1) James Hardin, md. (2) Joseph Swaim; Malinda Catherine Crocker, b. 21 Sep 1846, md. George Washington Burt and d. 5 Sep 1917; Sarah ("Sed") Crocker, b. 27 Sep 1849, md. Leroy Guthrie, and d. 3 Nov 1903; James M. Crocker, b. 1850 md. Mary Ivy, and d. 4 Feb 1911; Willis Jefferson (“Bud") Crocker, b. 12 Feb 1852, Calhoun Co., MS, md. 1 Mar 1878 Nannie Chrestman, and d. 19 Nov 1919; Martha Araminta Crocker, b. 7 Sep 1859, md. 21 Dec 1884 Henry Lewis, Mary Frances ("Fanny") Crocker, b. Sep 1862, md. Nicholas lvy, and d. 1946; and Emma Crocker, b. 25 Feb 1865, md. Joe Blount, and d. 3 Sep 1917.

6. James Polk Murphree, b. 22 Jan 1825 (of) Walker Co., AL, md. Sarah Ann Henderson (b. 2 Nov 1829 AL, d. 20 Oct 1897), and d. 29 Oct 1905 Calhoun Co., MS, bur. Rocky Mt. Cem., near Bruce, Calhoun Co., MS. Children: Mary Jane Murphree, b. 1 Oct 1849; Elizabeth Temperance Murphree, b. 14 Jan 1851; Catharine Clementine Murphree, b. 25 Oct 1853; Martha Frances Murphree, b. 2 Apr 1856; Nancy Ann (or Alice) Murphree, b. 13 Nov 1858; William Elbert Murphree, b. 12 Oct 1861; Louisa Murphree b. 5 Feb 1865; Ransom Murphree, b. 1866 (4 in 1870); James Carroll Murphree b. 22 Jan 1867; and Thomas Murphree, b. Oct 1869.

7. Charles ELbert Murphree b. 11 Jan 1827 (of) Walker Co., AL. md. (1) 3 Jul 1845 Elizabeth Eveline Brown (b. 22 Dec1828 AL, d. 29 Apr 1899 Calhoun Co., AL, a dau, of Jesse Brown), md. (2) 4 Jul 1899 Eveline Purdon, and d. 15 June 1905 Calhoun Co., AL. Children: Thomas Tapley Murphree, b. 1 May 1846; Emily Murphree, b. 10 Aug 1847; Martha Jane Murphree b. 22 June 1849; John Quitman Murphree, b. 12 Jul 1851; Son Murphree, b. & d. 31 May 1853; Ransom Jay Murphree, b. 8 Jan 1854; Isom Harrison Murphree, b. 18 Apr 1856; Delphia Ann Murphree, b. 15 Dec1858; Jefferson D. Murphree, b. 21 Dec1859; Samuel Minett Murphree b. 24 Oct 1862; James Caroll Murphree b. 3 Nov 1866; William Walter Murphree, b. 12 Mar 1869; Charles Edmon Murphree, b. 10 Mar 1871; and Lois Murphree, b. 19 Feb 1874

8. David Murphree, b. 1828 (22-1850) (of) Walker Co., AL, md. Eliza Jane Bryant (b. 1832 GA, d. 31 Jul 1897 Calhoun Co., MS, a dau. of Tillman Bryant), and d. 1 Mar 1900 Calhoun Co. MS bur. Rocky Mt Cem, Calhoun Co. Children: Reuben R. Murphree, b. Feb 1849 [see more below]; James Tillman ("Gid") Murphree b. 1853; Nancy Malinda Murphree, b. 1855; Sarah Murphree, b. 1857; Rebecca Murphree, b. 1859; David Clark Murphree, b. 17 Dec1860; Eliza Jane Murphree. b. abt 1864; Zachary F. Murphree, b. 28 Jul 1867; and John Martin Murphree, b. 3 Jul 1871. This family appears in the 1850 census, Chickasaw Co., MS [household 692, dwelling 692, p. 401]; 1860 census Calhoun Co. MS [p. 586];1870 and 1880 census Calhoun Co., MS.

Reuben R. Murphree md. Mary Jane Ward (b. 16 Aug 1856, d. 13 Mar 1908), and d. 18 June 1904, both bur. Rocky Mt. Cem. Calhoun Co. MS. They had five children which included James William Murphree b. 20 Sep 1876 md. 23 Dec 1898 Lillie Ada Witt (b. 29 June 1884, d. II Oct 1980 a dau. of William Russell Witt and Cornelia Frances Keenum), and d. 16 June 1910, both bur. Rocky Mt. Cem.

James William and Lillie Ada (Witt) Murphree had five children, which included Leo Murphree, b. 26 Mar 1907, md. 21 Dec1937 Ida Mae Lanham (b. 16 Sep 1914, d. 23 Dec1977). Leo and Ida Mae were great strengths to MGA during the 19605 and 19705. Leo opened the Murphree Museum in Greenwood, MS, and they once restored the old Spearman home at Airmount, where the writer spent one memorable night on the occasion of an Airmount Homecoming. Another son of James William Murphree was Curtis Murphree who was a survivor of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He was stationed at Schofield Barracks and was in the 35th Infantry 25th Division. Curtis Murphree's daughter Lillye Christine Murphree is a former editor of The Murphree Quarterly.

9. Anderson Murphree, b. 1830 (20-1850) (of) Walker Co. AL, md. Sarah. The 1860 census for Calhoun Co. MS, shows a dau. Leah Murphree, b. 1858 (2- 1860). Mary A. Burget?, age 16, b. in AL, was living with the family and is a clue to the maiden name of Anderson Murphree's wife.

10. Solomon Murphree, b. 1832 (28-1860} (of) Walker Co. AL md. Martha Brashear (b. 1836 [24-1860] AL, d. 1900); and d. 10 June 1864 at Cochran's [Brice's ?] Crossroads, killed in battle, bur. Rocky Mt. Cem. Calhoun Co. MS. Children: John Lawrence Murphree, b. 13 Jan 1856; Martha Murphree, b. 1858; Susie Murphree, b. ca. 1860; William Charles Murphree b. Jul 1861;. Virginia (' Jenny") Murphree, b. ca. 1863; and Mary Murphree, b. 1864. (42nd Miss. Inf Regt., Civil War)

11. Jemima Murphree, b. 1833 (27-1860) (of) Walker Co., AL, md. Flavius Stribbling (b. 5 Oct 1821, d. 5 Aug 1899), and d. 7 Mar 1860 (Note. The same date 7 Mar 1860' is the date of death on the gravestone at Airmount of Jemima (Cornelius) Murphree, this woman's grandmother. This is either a coincidence or a possible mix-up because of the same first name.) Children: Selena E. Stribbling, b, 18 Mar 1852; Jemima ( Mimi Ann' ) Stribbling b. ca. 1854; Tennessee Stribbling b. 18 Nov 1856; and John Stribbling. Flavius Stribbling md. (2) Frances A. Cook and had issue.

12. Martha Caroline Murphree b. 7 Jan 1835 (of) Walker Co. AL md. Benjamin Harrison Stribbling (b. 1824 d. Nov 1863) and d. 24 Sep 1900 near Pittsboro, Calhoun Co. MS, bur. Rocky Mt. Cem. Children: Mary Jane Stribbling, b. 1854; Sarah Frances Stribbling, b. 1856; Martha Caroline Stribbling, b. 10 Apr 1858; Benjamin Harrison Stribbling, b. 16 Apr 1859?; Rebecca Ann Stribbling, b. 1861; and Sanders Stribbling.

13. Margaret Murphree, b. 5 Mar 1837 Yalobusha Co., MS, md. Mathie C. Stribbling (b. 16 June 1832, d. 4 Dec 1913), and d. 15 Aug 1889 Calhoun Co., MS, bur. Rocky Mt. Cem. Children: Ransom M. Stribbling, b. 13 Aug 1854; Polly Stribbling, b. 1858; Margaret Caroline Stribbllng, b. 15 Dec1860; Lucy A. Stribbling b. 16 Apr J866; George W. Stribbling, b. 2 Oct 1874; Kate Stribbling; and Loran Stribbling. Mathie Stribbling md (2) Mrs. Sallie Phillips.

14. William W. Murphree, b. 1840 (20-1860) Yalobusha Co., MS d. 14 Aug 1864.

15. Rebecca Murphree, b. [842 (18 in 1860) Yalobusha Co. md. Ike McCullough.

The above information about the family of Ransom Murphree was obtained largely from Mrs. Leila Murphree Parker of Bruce Mississippi, in the 1960s. Mrs. Parker was the daughter of Jefferson D Murphree and the granddaughter of Charles Elbert Murphree.

A family group record relating to this family was published in The Murphree Quarterly Vol. III No.1 (Mar 1967), pp. 19-20.