Individual Details

Eleanor's name is also seen as Elizabeth.

One of John Echols’ daughters married a Murphy, possibly William Murphy, one of the “outlandish men.”
A man of this name appeared briefly in Amelia County lawsuits in the 1730s and was a tithable there in 1736-38. “They had 2 Sons Joseph & William that was Called the Greatest Baptist preachers that ever was Known in Virginia of their Day… they were Called… Murphy Boys as they were so young & so Very eminent.” Both William and Joseph were converted as youths, trained for the ministry under Shubal Stearns, and became active ministers of the Gospel. William was the more prominent. They lead to Christ one of Virginia’s most celebrated Baptist ministers, Samuel Harris who was born in Hanover County in 1724 and as a boy moved with his parents to Pittsylvania County where he rose to political and military prominence. Around 1757, on one of his military rounds, he came to a house near Allen Creek where people were assembling. “What is to be done here, gentlemen?” he asked. “Preaching, Colonel,” he was told. When he asked “Who is to preach?” they said “The Murphy boys, sir.” Harris stayed to listen and they said afterwards he cast aside his sword and military insignia. Baptized the next year, Harris devoted the rest of his life to the Baptist ministry.

Following William’s death, Eleanor married Gideon Smith and her two sons, Joseph and William, appeared in his household in Lunenburg County in 1750. Smith purchased 253 acres on the Dan River in Lunenburg (later Halifax) County from Maria Byrd and Charles Carter in 1746. Gideon was married to Eleanor two years later when they sold 330 acres on Turnip Creek. Gideon and Eleanor were parents of Keziah and Peninah Smith. Smith Mountain and Smith River in Pittsylvania County were named for Gideon and his brother Daniel Smith. Gideon was dead by 1751 when the Lunenburg County court granted Eleanor administration of his estate. That year William Murphy appeared in the tithe list on his own. Eleanor was likely dead by August 1760 when William Murphy failed to render an accounting as guardian of Keziah and Peninah Smith. He corrected the omission at the September Court 1760.
Known sons of William and Eleanor (Echols) Murphy
3› Rev. Joseph Murphy [838.8.1] (1 April 1734 -1803) was born in Spotsylvania County and ordained at Deep River, North Carolina, in 1760. He served churches in North Carolina until his death in Surry County, North Carolina.
3› Rev. William Murphy [838.8.2] (1732-c.1800), a Baptist minister, was said to have been born in Spotsylvania County in 1732, a son of William Murphy.
An abbreviated résumé of his life has him ordained in Staunton, Virginia, 1763, and serving for seventeen years as a missionary in Southwest Virginia.
He went to Tennessee in 1780 and was installed in Washington County 2 April 1783.
Murphy married Mary Hodges and they were the parents of five.
He married second Sarah Barton (18 May 1748 - Mar. 1817), sister of Isaac Barton. William Murphy was a resident of Orange County, North Carolina, when he sold 100 acres on the north side of the Banister River to Thomas Smith and 200 acres to George Watkins 8 July 1756. On 11 June 1785, he and Tidence Lane organized “Bent Tree Church,” now known as Whitesburg Church.
On 14 September 1798 William Murphy and his son-in-law Isaac Barton helped organize the “Church of Christ on Lick Creek,” which is now known as Warrensburg Church. Rev. Murphy died in Eastern Tennessee.
Daughter Mary Murphy (c.1736) was twelve by 2 August 1748 when she chose Joseph Echols her guardian.

Father	John Echols (1650 - 1712)
Mother	Mary Cave (1670 - 1712)
Sibling	Ann Echols ( - 1746)
Sibling	Mary Echols (1696 - )
Sibling	John Echols (1698 - 1750)
Sibling	Abraham Echols (1700 - 1749)
Sibling	William Echols (1702 - 1771)
Sibling	Joseph Echols (1704 - 1766)
Sibling	Richard Echols (1706 - 1786)