Yalobusha Historical Society Minutes – July 2012

COFFEEVILLE – Bobby Murphree of Water Valley traced his rich family that started in 1790 with David and Jemima Murphree. His comments came during July’s Yalobusha Historical Society meeting that included 30 attendees.
    In 1790, David and Jemima Murphree were in the Pendleton District, South Carolina.  By 1808, they had moved to Rhea County, Tennessee.  About 1818, the Murphrees moved to Blount County, then Walker and Jefferson Counties.  
    His last move was in 1835 to Yalobusha County.  They traveled in a caravan of 30 oxen drawn wagons and settled in or near Honeycutt, later known as Airmount.  The Murphrees came to the area with the Browns, Brashers, and Collums.  David operated a grist mill there until his death in 1838.      A wheel that was used at the grist mill became the property of Roland Murphree in Coffeeville.  Roland used a stone that was brought to Mississippi from Alabama as a step for a number of years before moving the millstone to David and Jemima’s grave when his old home was torn down.  
    A story has been told over the years that Murphrees came to Yalobusha County because Martin Murphree, David’s oldest son, had seen the area on a mad march back from New Orleans after the War of 1812, and he had yearned to move here and influenced others of his family to come also.                                                                                                          
    David and Jemima had ten children.  
    Their first son, Martin Murphree, according to the 1840 census lived with a good number of family members that included his mother-in-law.  During this time he served as a justice of the peace.  Three years later he moved to Chickasaw County and is buried in Oldtown Cemetery.  
    Their second son, Ransom Murphree only lived in the county for a short time.  He, also, came to the area around the year of 1836.  By 1850 Ransom and family had moved to Chickasaw County, now Calhoun County, to what is called the Rocky Mount Area.      
    Anderson Murphree is believed to be the third son, and there is no proof that he actually existed, and if he did, it’s assumed he died young in South Carolina.          The fourth son, Roland Jenkins Murphree, lived in Yalobusha County from the late 1830s until his death in 1856.  He and his wife Polly are buried out in New Hope Church Cemetery.  Roland probably has the most descendants in Yalobusha County.  The Scobeys that live in the Coffeeville area descended from Roland Murphree, the Robert Murphree Family.  
    Bethania Margaret Murphree, the first daughter of David and Jemima married William Barton.  They lived in the county for a short time before they moved to Texas by 1860 where they died and wereburied.  
    Jemima Matida “Tilly” Murphree, the second daughter did something that was very rare back in the 1800’s.  She divorced her first husband and married Seaborn Davis in Georgia.  Seaborn and Tilly settled east of Coffeeville in the Pilgrims Rest Community.  They had six sons and eight daughters.  Their oldest son, David, learned to play the fiddle, which along with card playing and dancing was a no-no.
    Seaborn found the fiddle hidden under the hay.  He told Tilly and she proceeded to break the instrument into pieces.  David left home, but returned later.  Matilda passed away at the home of her daughter, Margaret Pate in 1896.  Seaborn and Tilly are buried in the Davis Family Cemetery.  
    Solomon Murhphree married Sarah Francis Brown, whose sister Phoebe Ann Brown marred Solomon’s younger brother, Levi Murphree.  Solomon and Sarah spent most of their married life in Yalobusha County, but moved to Franklin County, Texas before their deaths in the mid 1860s.
    Samuel Merritt Murphree married Phoebe Nations.  All of their 11 children were born in Yalobusha County, except two.  Samuel joined Co. K 17th Mississippi Regiment in the Civil War, was lucky enough to survive. After the war, they moved to Smith County, Texas.  Martha Patsy Murphree married Alfred G. Vickery in Alabama.  Alfred and Martha died in Yalobusha County.
    The last daughter, Editha Murphree married John Hellums in Mississippi.  Editha oldest brother, Martin married the two.  They lived most of their lives in Pontotoc County and are buried there.
    Bobby Murphree’s linage in the Murphrees were his father, Wayne Murphree and his grandfather Claude C. Murphree who are buried at Mt. Gilead.
    Other business discussed at the meeting included:
    • Lawrence Litten voiced a prayer.
    • Thanks to Dave Hovey the handicap ramp was finished.
    • Heartfelt sympathy was extended to the family of Tom Bell.
    • Joy Tippit requested items for the Celebrate Coffeeville Day Oct. 6 yard sale in the YHS parking lot.
    • Kay McCulley, the guest speaker for the August 16, 2012 YHS Meeting, will speak on the Civil War Battle of Franklin.
    Attending the July meeting were   Hugh Bell McGuire, Pat Brooks, Dave Hovey, Emma Hovey, Mary Ann Clarke, Betty Miller, Joy Tippit, Julia Fernandez, Carl H. Vick, Cliff Chandler, Mike Worsham, Dot Criss, Opal Wright, Lawrence Litten, Alma Moorman, Tom Moorman, Bob Murphree, Kay McCulley, Debby Hughes, Charles Stribbling, Rommel Cofer Stribbling, Flay M. Summers, Jean M. Scobey, Bobbie Hutchins, Bobby Hutchins, Donna Logan, Harold Spraberry, Dollie Smith, Jimmie Pinnix and James Person.