| RESEARCH NOTES: |
DAR records of Ima Mew.
Quote from a letter dated June 1, 1770, to John Murphey, Jr. from his sister, Gale Murphrey, at Bear Garden, Dobbs County, NC:
"Dearest Brother: I hope this note finds you and yours in good health and spirits. All here are fine. Papa (John Murphrey, Sr.) is quite busy. He has
given Robin (Robert Hill, Jr.) and sister Martha (Martha Murphrey) the Hurricaines Plantation, and he and Robin are building a new house there. They have enlarge the Hunting Lodge at the Quarters there by putting on a second floor and little short rooms to each side. It is lovely house and sister is excited beyond relief, to get a new house of her own. Brother Hill has sent into Virginia for new furnishings, for he says the makers there have it all over ours here. Mother has already sent over her gardner, Cato, with some clippings to get the grounds in order. The Box Garden there will be larger and more modern than ours, but I think it will never surpass the beauty of Mama's (Elizabeth "Betsy" Harrison Murphrey) garden. (Martha Sugg Dixon Papers 1827-1904 in possession of Wm L. Murphy, Jr. of Raleigh, NC) "The main walk ended in a large evergreen maze that was delight to us all, both young and old."
FUNERAL OF CAPTAIN MURPHREY: Captain John Murphrey was killed across Contentnea from his home plantation when he was thrown from his shay.
According to his manservant, a covey of birds spooked the horse, and he lost control. When the shay turned over, he was thrown clear, but the Captain was thrown against a fence post and cracked his skull. Grandma Nancy (Nancy Hill Sugg) who was a young girl, at the time, remembered going to the funeral, which she said, was an elegant affair. The Priest went before the coffin carried by six slaves who held it on white napkins. A pall was held over the coffin by four of his gentlemen friends, and his wife and family, came next followed by friends and other relatives. It was indeed a high style funeral. Everyone had gathered that morning for tea and cakes and to sit with the corpse and after the service and burial, all went back to the house for a large dinner and great bouts of drinking, in what Grandma called the Virginia style." (MSD)
"The Murphrey Line" by Eleanor Casey 1993, Goldsboro Public Library.
"John Murphrey was a large plantation owner. He was a Captain of Militia, a merchant, a magistrate, and a surveyor. He and Elizabeth, with daughter
Gale, attended the opening of Government House (later called Tryon Palace ) at New Bern. Elizabeth danced and chatted with Governor Tryon with whom she shared many mutual acquaintances from her stay at Williamsburg, Virginia ."
All of John's sons served in the Revolution .
Submitted by Karen Mason
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