Benton County Bible Records
McMurtry Bible Records provided by Brian McMurtry
Abstract of the Family Bible of the McMurtry family of Humphreys Co, TN
The origin of this Family Bible is as yet unknown, although it is quite probable that it once belonged to John Harrison McMurtry (CF-110 of the American McMurtry Clan) of Humphreys, Benton, and Henry Co, TN, given the content. It was at the end of a trip that I made to Humphreys County in the Spring of 2005, when I met with a distant cousin, the great-grandson of John Harrison McMurtry at the library. Sharing my passion for family history, he pulled this wonderful gem of a document from his research, as he had been in possession of a photo static copy since the 1960s. Many thanks to Pherrell Lee Breeden for providing it for the family to see! Also, thanks to John Rochelle, who assisted in identifying the Cooleys and Carters found in the Bible. Care has been taken to copy the text as closely as possible to the original document, with no spelling corrections. At times the text is difficult to decipher. Endnotes give clarification to the identity of individuals. This document is for many researchers of this family, the "missing link" that fills in so many previously unsolvable relationships. For example, Johns first wife was only known as Mariah, with no other known marriage record. Yet this document gives us her last name, Cooley, and ties her as a daughter of Woodijah Cooley. It provides names of other McMurtrys not documented by the federal census, and it is the only source for the definitive dates for the deaths for several family members. It strongly confirms the hard work set forth by family researcher Otis McMurtry. Its also full of surprises. On the fourth page, four deaths are listed in a 12-day span in the John H. McMurtry household- three children and his first wife, Mariah. It may never be known the exact cause of death, but needless to say, it was devastating for John. In the end, only two of six children of his first marriage survived past the age of 14. Equally surprising, we see a case of the intermarrying of Cooleys and McMurtrys. John Harrisons first wife was the daughter of Woodijah Cooley. His second wife was the daughter of Nancy Cooley Carter, sister of Woodijah. Two of Johns children married two children of John W. Cooley, who was Mariah B. Cooleys brother- a case of first cousins marrying. Regards, |
Abstract of the Family Bible of the McMurtry family of Humphreys Co, TN
Marriages
John H.
Mcmurtry & Mariah B. Cooley was married March the 17,
1842. W.R. Matheny and M.A. Mcmurtry was married August 12, 1864. A.W. Cooley and A.M. McMurtry was married December 23, 1874. |
J.H.
McMurtry and S.A. Carter was married the 19 of April
1863. D.T. McMurtry and R.K.B. Cooley was married November the 22 1883. W.F. Marcum and S.D. McMurtry was maried October the 2 1884 |
Births
Dossa
Thomas McMurtry was Born January the 7 1861 Emon A. McMurtry was born February the 3 1864 Sidnera davis McMurtry was born June the 14 1865 John Jefferson Carter was born August the 30 1865 John D. Metheny was born July the 27 1867 |
Charles
Couplen McMurtry was born January the 29 1867 Sarah A. Carter was born feb the 22 1840 Margret A. Forest was born August the 12 1817 James M. Carter was born July the 13 1838 Alen F Carter was born January the 22 1842 |
Births, 2nd page
John H.
McMurtry was born december the 30 1819 Mariah B. Cooley was born September the 28 1819 Sarah J. McMurtry was born December the 26, 1842 |
Malisa A.
Mcmurtry was born December the 17 1844 James A. Mcmurtry was born April the 8 1848 Mary E. Mcmurtry was born October the 13 1850 on Sunday Francis V. Mcmurtry was born July the 16 1853 Amanda M. Mcmurtry was born february the 15 1857 |
Deaths
Sarah J.
Mcmurtry departed this life the 17 of July 1842 Mary E. Mcmurtry departed this life april the 13 on sunday 1862 Francis V. Mcmurtry departed this life the 20 day of April 1862 Mariah B. Mcmurtry departed this life the 24 of April 1862 J. A. Mcmurtry departed this life April the 25 1862 |
T.B.
Mcmurtry departed this life may the 23 1853 Jane Mcmurtry departed this life January the 4 1856 W.J.H. Cooley departed this life June the 24 1857 Jane Mcmurtry departed this life January the 4 1856 John D. Matheny departed this life August the 17 1867 |
Births
Isem H.
Carter was born on the 27 of May 1869 Armeda Alen Mcmurtry was born on the 17 of August 1869 William E. Mcmurtry was born on the 11 of February 1871 Richard N. Mcmurtry was born August the 15 1873 Adia A Matheny was born August the 29 1868 Rosalie B Mcmurtry |
Emarintha
Carter was born September the 10 1845 Marion H Carter was boren June the 3 1878 Hettie B Cooley was born feb 29th 1879? John A Mcmurtry was born April the 17 1885 Rosalie B. Mcmurtry was born August the 22 1877 |
Deaths
Eliza
Mcmurtry departed this life March the 25 1885 James Mcmurtry departed this life December the 5 1886 Isham H. Carter dide Oct the 1 1888 D.T. McMurtry departed this life January the 27 1902 Malisa A. Mathena departed this life January the 12 1897 Sallie Amandy McMurtry departed this life May 5 1917 J.H. McMurtry departed this life January the 5, 1905 Ida McMurtry departed this life July 2 1898 |
R.N.
McMurtry departed life Jan 5 1946 Martha M. McMurtry died Feb 14- 1957 |