Individual Details

SOME CAROLINA REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS, SAILORS, PATRIOTS & DESCENDANTS Compiled by Joseph T. Maddox & Marcy Carter. No year of publication given but certainly not a new book. This book gave no sources for their information though I suspect it is applications to various hereditary societies such as DAR, SAR, which themselves are often full of errors. On p. 109 was the following:
MURPHY, Roger Jr. [RS-Pvt-SC] 1767 - 1850
m. Nancy Wilson
[It is just possible that Roger Jr born 1767, could have served at age 15 or so in 1782 in the Revolution after the fall of Charleston. There is no authority except a single census for his date of birth so he could be a few years older. His father is known to have earlier been a Loyalist but many men changed their minds in South Carolina after the British atrocities. The question of which Roger served in the militia after fall of Charleston is still an open ended problem.]


1790 Census, 96 District, Laurens: [Have copy]
Roger Murphy Sr 4m over 16 - 2m under 16 - 5f
Roger Murphy Jr 1m over 16 - 0 - 1f [So he was likely married before 1790]

Estimate of marriage year based on birth of son Ezekiel.

PENDLETON DISTRICT SC DEEDS 1790-1806; Betty Willie
Has the following deed as being indexed but unreadable. Deed was found in Andrea's data as he was likely there in the court house in the 1950's and read the original.
14 Dec 1799 Thomas Adams to Roger Murphy. 100 acres on Little Beaverdam Creek of Rocky River. Wit: George & James Anderson, Thomas Ware, John Green. ;DB F, p.132-133.
I believe this may very well be where Roger Jr lived throughout the time he was in Pendleton - in 1810 he was enumerated in the census next to Thomas Adams. On 30 May 1791, Thomas Adams had bought 200 acres on Little Beaverdam from Thomas Elliot. Here in 1799 he sold 100 acres to Roger Murphy & in 1803 Adams sold him another 50 acres. Leaving 50 acres for himself next door to Murphy. The 200 acres bought from Elliot was originally granted John Hunnicutt on 6 Nov 1785 and the survey is in the Abbeville Plat Book B, p.25: John Huneycutt as a Citizen, 425 acres of land above the Line on the head of Little Beaverdam Creek waters of the Savannah River, Bounding N on Joshua Saxon's Land, the other side Vacant when surveyed by Joshua Saxon, DS on 20 Apr last; recorded 13 Jul 1785. R. Anderson, CS.

1800 Census, Pendleton District SC, p.56
Roger Murphee 3m -10 [William, John, Charles]; 1m 26-45 [Roger age 33]
1f -10 [Bridget]; 1f 16-26 [Nancy, but she was abt 29 years old according to 1850 census]
from 1800 CENSUS OF PENDLETON DISTRICT, SC; compiled by William C. Stewart; 1963

3 Aug 1803. Thomas Adams sold Rodger Murphy 50 acres on Little Beaverdam Crk of the Rocky River. Wit: Joseph (X) Ducksworth, Obadiah (X) Ducksworth. Joseph Ducksworth proved deed 12 Mar 1804 DB H, p.11

Andrea Deed Abstacts, Anderson Co:
20 Jan 1806 John Evans and wife Alea/Alice, sold to Roger Murphy. 126 acres both sides Hurricane Creek. Wit: John Murphy, Thomas Waldrop. John Murphy proved it on 13 Sep 1813 and it was recorded 26 Mar 1816. DB M, p.513
John Evans had bought this land from Francis & Mary Nunn of Jackson Co GA in December of 1800. Owen Evans & John Wilson witnessed and Owen Evans proved it to James Welborn on 28 Sep 1805; but it was recorded on 25 Mar 1816, the day before the deed from Evans to Murphy was recorded. Then when Roger & Nancy sold this tract in 1814, it was not recorded until 27 Mar 1816.

This deed could be Roger Sr, however, it is more likely that of Roger Jr, given that he and his family lived on Hurricane Creek, and his son Ezekiel was a witness to the deed.
21 Oct 1809. Stephen Plant to Roger Murphy for $400. 210 acres on Hurricane Crk, part of 1000 acres granted Wm Otwell on 2 Jul 1792. Wit: Ezekiel Murphy & Thomas W. Rawlins. Ezekiel Murphy proved to James Welborn on 21 Oct 1809. DB K, p.11

1810, Pendleton SC [Available online]
p.260
Rodger Murphy 2m -10 [Charles & Moses]; 1m 16-26 [Ezekiel possibly married, so this is John]; 1m 26-45 [Roger age 43]
3f -10 [Mary, Lucinda, likely Elizabeth as I suspect she was closer in age to the other girls];
1f 16-26[Bridget] [Nancy omitted? She should have been 26-45]

Pendleton District Court October Term 1811
The Court there ordered the names of forty-eight persons to be drawn to serve as common Peas and Petit Jurors at the next term and the following were accordingly drawn...
#17 Roger Murphy, Junr.

This is the first purchase of son Ezekiel on Hurricane Creek.
13 Sep 1812 David Clark to Ezekiel Murphy for $300. 200 acres on Hurricane Creek, part of 1000 acres granted Wm Otwell 2 Jul 1792. Adj David Guttrie/Guthrie's old line, Up the creek to the Beaverdam Branch, Grahams old line. Wit: Thos. W. Rawlins, Luke (X) Green. Rawlins proved to George Nash JP, 8 Dec 1812. DB M, p.71
[Notice that this land was part of Otwell's grant as was the tract Roger purchased from Stephen Plant. I would imagine there's some confusion over the names Grimes/Grahams.]

11 Sep 1814 Roger Murphy and his wife Nancy Murphy to Nicholas Rawlins. 126 acres land both sides Hurricane Crk to include a grist mill. Signed: Roger Murphey, Nancy (X) Murphey Wit: Thomas W. Rawlins, James Anderson. Rawlins made oath to Henry Cobb JP on 12 Mar 1816 DB M, p. 519
[Andrea stated that this deed was Roger SR's which was an error. The deed states neither. He also said the land was adjacent that of Ezekiel Murphy which does not appear in the deed.]

18 Nov 1818
Petition from Thomas Adams a citizen of Pendleton District to the House of Representatives. Adams was possessed of a Negro woman who was convicted & executed for murdering her own child about age nine. She was valued at $300 and he is asking for compensation. The Negro woman, Dot, was tried on 17 May 1817. Sam Houston & Henry Cobb were justices; jury members were Benjamin Duckworth, Berry Slaten, Joshua Wisener, Roger Murphey, and Haden Slaten. She was found guilty & was executed by hanging near where the child was buried on 27 May 1817. They did value her aat $300.
Copy obtained from the SC Archives.

1820 Pendleton Census; p.185 [Have copy]
Roger Murphy: 2m 16-26 [Moses & Charles?]; 1m 45+ [Roger]
1f under 10 [Elizabeth], 2 f 10-16 [Lucinda & Mary?], 1f 45+ [Nancy]

Land for which I've found no deeds of sale:
100 acres bought 1799 from Thos. Adams on Beaverdam of Rocky River
50 acres bought 1803 from Thos Adams on Beaverdam of Rocky River
210 acres bought 1809 from Stephen Plant on Hurricane Creek
Total of 360 acres. Ezekiel had 200 acres that was next to or very near the 210 acres that had belonged to Stephen Plant. When Ezekiel Murphy died in 1867, he stated in his will that he had a tract of 580 acres on the Hurricane. If when Roger Murphy left Pendleton, he left all of his lands in the hands of Ezekiel, you can just about add up 560 acres without a problem. It is entirely possible that a deed was drawn up and Ezekiel paid his father, but since it was a family transaction, said deed was never recorded.

There was also a land grant - which I have seen only as an abstract - that seems to support the idea that some or all of this land was in close proximity:
SC Land Grant to Ezekiel Murphy:
3 May 1837. 678 acres of land on the Hurricane Creek of the Saluda River in Pendleton, now Anderson. Surveyed by Matthew Gambrell. Most of the land already granted but resurveyed so as to include a portion of free land within the middle of this tract for which no grant has been found. Adj to Mr. McCallister, Mr. Durham, M. Richardson, David Guthrie, Samuel Maverick.

DB P, p.233 Christiane Owen of Pendleton District for $100 sold to Nathan Bryant, a tract of 150 acres granted John Neil 1812 then in a grant of 250 acres, part conveyed to Joshua Harp and by Harp covey'd to Jesse McCallister and McCallister to said Christiane Owen. On waters of Big Beaverdam, waters of Rockey River. Bounded on the South by John Bryant Senr & Nathan Bryant and on the West by Widow Farmer's land & on the N.E. by Samuel Maverick. 6 Feb 1821. Signed: Christianne (X) Owen
Wit: Roger Murphey, Ezekiel Murphey
6 Feb 1821. Roger & Ezekiel Murphey made oath they were subscribing witnesses.
Rec. 24 Feb 1821.

Found online at "Spell Family History" No longer available.
Deed, Pendleton District SC. 5 Nov 1822, John Wisner sold William Speed Jr, for $175, 150 acres at the head of Big Creek, down the Beaverdam, Joseph Duck's line, conditional corner betwixt Roger Murphy & Adams, and Slatter and sd Adams. Witnessed by Benjamin (B) Duckworth, father-in-law of William Speed.

9 Nov 1822 Online Database of the SC Dept of Archives & History has the following Petition: Inhabitants of Pendleton District, petition asking for the establishment of a certain road. Peter Hall, Thomas Christian, John Merritt, Archibald Nichols, Roger Murphy, James Telford, William Elliott, Joseph T. Rogers, Ezekiel Murphy, David Guthry.
Details from the copy show that the petitioners thought the road would be of benefit in trading with Augusta GA. They suggested a route that left the old Keowee road at Peter Hall's old place where Thomas Christian now lives, intercepting the road from Pickensville to Cambridge near Widow Foster's old place where John Merritt now lives. It would follow a high dry ridge and be easy to maintain. Appointed to survey were: Archivald Nichols, Roger & Ezekiel Murphy, David Guthry, James Telford, William Elliott & Joseph T. Rogers.
Signers of the petition included the above as well as John T. Lewis, J.B.Earle, Jacob Duckworth, Benjamin Duckworth, Patrick C. Duckworth, J. W. Rogers, Nedum Briant, George Slatten, Thomas Martin, Joshua Keyes, Adam Elrod.

Vol. II of A COLLECTION OF UPPER SOUTH CAROLINA GENEALOGICAL & FAMILY RECORDS; James E. Wooley, 1982.
Pact 10, Thomas W. Rawlins, Anderson Co SC.
20 May 1823 Thos. Rawlins of Pendleton Dist to Jeremiah Rogers for $600. 415 acres on waters of Big Creek & Hurricane where Rawlins now lives, adjacent James Simson, Pickens Adams. Wit: Roger Murphy, Moses Murphy. Proved by Moses Murphee on 15 Jul 1823. Polly Rawlings relinquished dower.

Roger and many of the children moved to DeKalb Co GA sometime after signing the November 1822 petition and by 1823. Grown sons that moved were Charles and Moses. Ezekiel and John remained in Anderson Co SC. The log house that Roger & Nancy lived in [with adaptations] was still standing in 1954. [I believe this is actually the house in Cass Co but there are conflicting statements.] One letter in the Andrea file states that nearly all DeKalb records from 1822 to 1842 were lost but there were some Court minutes in 182? showing Roger Murphy as a juror. According to Andrea there is a "History of DeKalb Co GA" that apparently contains bios of Roger and sons Charles & Moses, but he gave no author, publisher, or other information.

DEKALB COUNTY, Vol. 2, "Minutes Inferior Court Beginning 1823"
Jurors for Dec Term 1826 included Roger Murphy

Hardeman Primitive Baptist Church records [the church was in DeKalb Co], First Book: 24 Jan 1829 Roger was received by experience. Other dates in Andrea's notes from this church:
24 Oct 1831 Charles Murphy received by experience
21 Apr 1832 Nancy Murphy received by letter
24 Oct 1832 Mary Murphy received by experience [Andrea assumed this was Mary, dau of Roger & Nancy, but she was very likely already married by this time based on other records. Mary may be unrelated, or she may be the wife of Moses whose wife's name is not known.
22 Jul 1832 Eliza J. Murphy received by experience [prob Charles' wife since her name was Eliza; Andrea assumed it was the youngest daughter of Roger & Nancy but I'm not so sure, particularly since she left the church the same date as Charles.]
9 May 1840 Eliza J. Murphy dismissed by letter
9 May 1840 Charles Murphy excommunicated, joining Methodist.
13 Jul 1844 Mary Murphy dismissed by letter

1830 DeKalb Co GA Census, p.68 [Have copy]
Roger Murphy, 60-70
1f 10-15 [Elizabeth]; 1f 20-30 [Lucinda?]; 1f 50-60 [Nancy]

Apr 1833, Roger Murphy received a draw in the Cherokee Gold Lottery as a resident of DeKalb Co. He was in Says Military District and received Lot #253, District 1, Section 1. [Where was the land from the Lottery?]
Charles Murphey in Latimers Military Distrcit received Lot #1130, Dist 17, Sect 3
John Murphey in Rhodes Military District received Lot #111, Dist 17, Sect 4
[This could be Roger's son Charles. However, the son John was still in South Carolina, so I doubt if John is related.]

Sometime before 1840, the family moved to Cass Co [now Bartow Co] where they lived near Cartersville where Roger and Nancy are said to be buried. [This does not agree with the fact that tombstones for Roger & Nancy are in the Big Creek Church Cemetery in Williamston, Anderson Co, SC.] Son Charles remained in DeKalb Co.

1840 Census, Cass Co GA
Roger Murphy age 60-70, and female age 60-70, 6 slaves

1850 Census, Cass Co GA; p.186b
Roger Murphy, age 83, born NC, Farmer $180 value of property
Nancy Murphy, age 79, born PA
6 slaves [Andrea file]

Agricultural Schedule taken 11 Oct 1850 for Cass County showed son John and Roger listed next to each other. Roger had 50 acres of improved land, 110 unimproved. Estimated value of his farm was $1500 and $40 for farm implements. He had 4 horses, 5 milk cows, 2 working oxen, and 8 other cattle. 22 pigs. Total value of livestock, $336. His farming efforts that year resulted in 69 bushels of wheat, 350 bushels of corn, 50 bushels of oats, 2 bales of cotton, 30 bushels of sweet potatoes, and about 100 lbs of butter (this seemed to be the estimate for most all the farms). He had slaughtered animals worth about $70. Given the ages of Roger and Nancy, this is a rather remarkable harvest.


Roger Murphy's will was dated 16 Feb 1850. Names his beloved wife Nancy - all of estate for her lifetime or widowhood. Daughter Elizabeth wife of James White, to receive a slave. Daughter Lucinda, wife of Berry Harris, slave. Daughter Bridgett who had already received a portion, $5. Son Moses Murphy, $5. Daughter Mary, wife of William Rich, and her two youngest children, Jesse C. Martin and Sarah Martin. - slave & 160 acres in Cass Co, originally Cherokee Co [was this his draw in the Gold Lottery?]. Son Charles Murphy, slave. Remainder to sons Ezekiel, John & Charles. Witnesses: Ely P. Howell, Hugh Gaston Jr. Proved 23 Oct 1854. [Cass Co Will Book A, p.114f]
The estate was closed Dec of 1854; likely Nancy had also died between the time Roger wrote his will and that date.

Cass Co, is now Bartow Co, Georgia.

Roger and Nancy may have been taken back to Anderson Co SC for burial.
Anderson County Cemeteries, Volume One, by R. Wayne Bratcher, has the Big Creek Baptist Church listed. It covers pages 158 - 172. The following graves are all together - right next to each other.

Murphy, Ezekiel A., b. 14 March 1844, d. 28 Jan. 1862
Murphey, Samuel Marion, b. 30 March 1851, d. 17 May 1854
Pickle, Infant, s/o C.W. & E. Pickle, b. 2 Dec. 1851, d. 22 Dec. 1851
Charles P., s/o C.W. & E. Pickle, ;b. 5 Sept. 1850, d. 26 Dec. 1850
Elizabeth Murphey, w/o Crawford W. Pickle, b. 1826, d. 1867
Martin, Thomas, Sr., b. 1767, d. 6 Jan. 1830
Hester Roundtree, w/o Thomas Martin, b. 1770, d. 13 March 1855
Murphy, Charity Martin, b. 11 April 1793, d. 19 Nov. 1884
Ezekiel, b. 25 Dec. 1791, d. 12 July 1867
Roger, Jr., b. 1767, d. 1854
Nancy Wilson, w/o Roger Murphey, b. 1771, d. 1854

I have been told that Roger and Nancy also have graves in Bartow Co, Georgia. It's likely a descendant mistakenly put the markers in South Carolina. A picture of the marker on FindAGrave would indicate it is certainly not old enough to have been place in 1854. this is what it says:
In Memory of the Parents of Ezekiel Murphey
Roger Murphey, Jr. His wife Nancy Wilson
1767-1854 1771-1854
A Revolutionary Patriot Joined Big Creek Church 1803

Ezekiel A & Samuel are probably grandsons of Ezekiel Murphy [William Ezekiel, oldest son of Roger & Nancy Murphy]. Elizabeth who married Crawford Pickle was a daughter of Ezekiel. Thomas & Hester Martin were the parents of Ezekiel's wife Charity.

Birth	1767	North Carolina
Marriage	Abt 1790	Laurens District, South Carolina - Nancy Wilson
Death	Bef 23 Oct 1854	Cass County, Georgia

Spouse	Nancy Wilson (1771 - 1854)
Child	William Ezekiel MURPHY (1791 - 1867)
Child	BRIDGET "Biddie" MURPHY (1795 - 1822)
Child	John MURPHY (1797 - 1858)
Child	Charles MURPHY (1799 - 1861)
Child	Mary MURPHY (1801 - )
Child	Moses MURPHY (1802 - 1870)
Child	Lucinda MURPHY (1804 - )
Child	Elizabeth J. "Betty" MURPHY (1806 - 1860)

Father	ROGER MURPHY (1745 - 1820)
Mother	Nancy Powell ( - 1791)
Sibling	John MURPHEY (1769 - 1839)