Born: abt 1756 in Scotland
Died: 18 Jan 1835 at Ayrfield, his home.
I don’t have a lot of information on John Murphy, the Immigrant. Contemporary sources indicate he was from Ayr, Scotland and was possibly and attorney or other sort of manager of affairs for John Ballantine. Below follows an extract from the Historical Atlas of Westmoreland County:
[Excerpt from “Historical Atlas of Westmoreland County Virginia Patents” by David W. Eaton, 1942.]
p. 39
John MURPHY
John MURPHY, merchant, came from Ayr, Southwest Scotland, and was made and Attorney for John Ballantine and others July 18, 1794. In 1796 he bought 476 acres of land, part of the Maunder’s patent, from Daniel Tebbs, and also other lands adjoining. From him descended the family of that name in the Northern Neck. He named his farm “Ayrfield” for his home town in Scotland.
In the lower part of the Northern Neck is Kilmarnock which is named for a city in Ayr, Scotland. The large brick house at “Ayrfield” was built by John MURPHY, and is set in a large lawn, back from the road. It is now occupied by surveyor F.M. MURPHY.
There are some inaccuracies in the extract. According to Westmoreland County deed books, the estate now known as Ayrfield was purchased by John Ballantine in 1769, not John Murphy in 1796. Also, the land was found to encompass 466 acres, not 476. John Murphy did indeed commission the brick house mentioned here, as there had been an older home on the property before that.
It has been said within the family that he emigrated from Scotland to Virginia first in Alexandria and Dumfries, Virginia and then down the Northern Neck to Westmoreland and Northumberland counties. His association with Robert Fergusson (some accounts list them as half-brothers) seems to provide a link to Dumfrieshire in Scotland.
Murphy married Anne, the daughter of John Ballantine on 8 November, 1787 at Ayrfield. The union of John Murphy and Anne Ballantine produced at least six children:
John Ballantine Murphy (b. 1790, d. 1867)
Robert Murphy (b. 1793, d. 1847)
Anne Ballantine Murphy (b. 1795, d. 1820)
Elizabeth Ferguson Murphy
Jean Crosby Murphy
Sarah H. Murphy
We discover Jeane Crosby Murphy only because she is listed as a niece of Robert Fergusson in his will. Curiously, Sarah H. Murphy is not listed in the will as a niece. It is doubtful she was born after Fergusson’s death in 1812. However, Westmoreland County marriage records show that the marriage of Sarah H. Murphy to Fleet Cox on 28 June, 1822 was conducted with the consent of John Murphy, her father, so I think we are safe to include her as his daughter. Given the marriage date, we can probably conclude she was born sometime between 1798 and 1804.
On John Ballantine’s death, Murphy took over the Ayrfield property and the various farming and mercantile operations there. We know fairly little else about him. His obituary in the Alexandria Gazette states that he died at Ayrfield on 18 January, 1835.
John Murphy’s obituary in the Alexandria Gazette of 3 February, 1835.
Dear Dave,
Have the descendants of John Murphy of Westmoreland County, Virginia participated in DNA project? My father, Randolph Clay Murphey III (now 83 yo) did his DNA, and is descendant of Archibald DeBow Murphey (1777-1832) of Orange (now Caswell ) County, NC. Archibald D. Murphey’s father was Archibald E. Murphey (1742-1801) from York Co.,PA as was his father was Alexander Murphey (b. circa 1715-1759), . Alexander Murphey had a brother James Murphy living in Huntington Township York Co PA. There was also a John Murphy in the area. This James Murphy adopted all of Alexander’s children, (James, Archibald, Alexander, John, Esther, Nancy, Sarah). Interesting, Archibald D. Murphey’s sisters were Mary and Elizabeth and named his daughter Cornelia, who married a John Paine (Payne). Very similar names show up in southern Virginia, then later, York Co. SC. Would love to find a DNA or historical connection among these families.