Samuel McMurry, Sr. and [Unk] Kelly

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Husband Samuel McMurry, Sr. ¹

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           Born:  - County Down, Ireland
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

       Marriage:  - Ireland

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   Other Spouse: Isabella Morehead (      -      ) 2

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Wife [Unk] Kelly ³

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 1803 or 1804 - ? Butler Co, PA
         Buried: 

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Children

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1 M Alexander McMurry ⁴

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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2 M John McMurry ⁴

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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3 F Nancy McMurry ⁴

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Thomas Seaton (      -      ) 4

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4 F Betsey McMurry ⁴

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Did Not Marry

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General Notes: Husband - Samuel McMurry, Sr.

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Early in life he enlisted in the British Army, but after obtaining what was then considered a handsome bounty, a soldier's life became distaste­ful to him, it seems, for he deserted the king's serv­ice and returned to his home. The English officials at that time punished those guilty of infractions of military rules with great severity; death, indeed, being frequently meted out to those accused of deser­tion, and it behooved the friends and relations of Mc­Murry to smuggle him off to America as speedily as possible. A marriage with the maiden who had al­ready won his affections was secretly consummated, and the young wife at once began her preparations for an ocean voyage. When she boarded an emigrant vessel at Belfast bound for America, there was rolled on board, as part of her luggage, a large cask or barrel, which, it is may be pre­sumed, never escaped her eyesight-or thoughts, at least-until well out to sea; for, when far from land, and at the proper moment, the hoops of the cask were loosened and out stepped Mr. McMurry, smil­ing, and ready to assume his duties as husband and protector.
About the year 1800, he and his wife finally set­tled on Slippery Rock Creek, in the town­ship of Marion, Butler County, PA, where he prospered, became the owner of a vast landed estate, built grist mills, dis­tilleries, etc., dealt largely in live stock, and was widely known, in his time, as one of the most prosper­ous and prominent men in Butler County. He also built an oil-mill (for the manufacture of linseed oil) and a carding and fulling mill on McMurry's Run, in the northwest quarter of Cherry Township.
The coming of Samuel McMurry, Sr., to that part of Butler County, and the prosperity which attended him, induced many other Irish families (who had heard of his wonderful good fortune) to leave County Down and locate near him. [HBC 1883, 429]

1 Editor, History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1883), Pg 429, 432.

2 Editor, History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1883), Pg 430, 432.

3 Editor, History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1883), Pg 429.

4 Editor, History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1883), Pg 430.