Extracted from The Murphree Ancestry of Bill R. Linder

Levi Murphree, son of Daniel and Sarah Murphree, was born about 1753 in Bertie County, North Carolina. He later lived in Orange, Chatham, and Sullivan Counties, North Carolina, and in South Carolina. His wife's name was Mary (Collins?) and he died 29 Jan 1798, as recorded in the Brown Bible, likely in Anderson County, South Carolina.

Levi Murphree was born when his father Daniel's family was located in Bertie County. About ten years later the family moved to Orange County. Levi was about 18 years old when his father died leaving him half the land that had been bought from Dempsey Rauls and his wife. The other half of this land went to Levi's brother John. Chatham County was cut off from Orange, and the land was in Chatham County. This is likely the county where Levi Murphree met and married his bride.

The Brown Bible [the Brown family Bible in the possession of Buren Brown, Madison, TN] does not give a death date for Mary, unless she was the one Mary recorded there who died 12 Sept. 1842.

The children of Levi and Mary Murphree have been determined to be the following, but there may have been others:

1. Elijah Murphree, b. 10 Feb 1777, Chatham Co., NC, md (1) 7 Nov 1795 Iredell Co., Anna Robens (d. 5 Feb 1799).

Children of Elijah and Anna Murphree: Betsy S. Murphree, b. 22 Jan 1796, md. 6 Sep 1809 John Brown, and d. 9 Nov 1847; and Elisha Murphree, b. 1 Feb 1799, d. 1 Sep 1799.

After Anna Murphree's death, Elijah Murphree married (2) 1 Jan 1801, Iredell Co., NC, Margaret Ann ("Peggy") Groves (b. 27 Sep 1780 d. 18 Feb 1852).

Children of Elijah and Peggy Murphree: Levi G. Murphree, b. 7 May 1802 SC, md. 9 Mar 1823 Polly Bradley; Mary ("Polly") Murphree b. 16 Dec 1806 SC; and Austin W. Murphree, b. 17 Sep 1810 SC, md. 1 Sep 1836 Margaret Carnes.

2. Levi Murphree, Jr., abt 1780 Chatham Co., NC, wd 22 Oct 1836, wp 20 Feb 1837 Pickens Co. Sc. He md. Theresa (Thursey) Hudgins (b. 1779 Chatham Co., NC, d. intestate ca. 1861, est. adm. 12 Aug 1861 Pickens Co., SC, a dau. of John Hudgins and Ruth (Rutha) Davis).

Children: Jemima Murphree, b. abt 1804/06 SC, md. Jeremiah Looper (or Cooper); Elisha Murphree b. abt 1806 SC, md. Minerva __ Hudgins Murphree, b. abt 1808 SC, rod. Modenia ,. Elias Murphree b. abt 1810 SC; Ruth Murphree, b. abt 1812 SC, rod. Harper Haynes (Hains); Margaret Murphree, b. abt 1813 SC, md. Harrison Dillard; Delila Murphree, b. abt L 816 SC, md. Charles Roper; Rhoda Murphree, b. abr 1821 SC, rnd. Josh Hendricks; and Enoch Murphree, b. abt '1823 SC.

3. Frances Murphree b. abt 1785 Chatham Co. NC, d. after 1860 census, bur. McAdoo Cem., Huntingdon, Carroll Co., TN. She md. William Barnett McAdoo.

Children: William McAdoo; Mary ("Polly') McAdoo, md. Lewis Demoss; Stephen M. McAdoo: James G. McAdoo; Ephraim L. McAdoo: Levi Pinckney McAdoo: Robert E. McAdoo; Austin McAdoo; Charlotte McAdoo, md. John C. McClain; Enoch Valentine McAdoo; Rhoda McAdoo, md. William Malrigin (or Melugin); and Barnett A. McAdoo? Other names given of children are: Louisa McAdoo, Frances McAdoo, and Sally McAdoo.

4. Daniel Murphree, b. 26 Nov 1786 (likely) Chatham Co., NC, d. 8 Apr 1828, age 41, 4 mos. 12 days, bur. Murphree Cem., Only, Hickman Co., TN. He md. abt 1807 Elizabeth Brown (b. 29 Jan 1792 SC d. 23 May 1859 Brown's Bend, Hickman Co., TN, age 67, 3 mos. 25 days, bur. Murphree Cem., dau. of Dr. William Brown).

Children: Rebecca Murphree, b. 7 Mar 1808, md. James McCollum; William Benson ("Red") Murphree, b. 27 Jan 1810, md. Naomi L. Flowers; Jesse Redden Murphree, b. 17 Feb 1812, md, (1) 11 May 1837 Martha Ann Epperson md. (2) 30 May 1854 Elizabeth Jane Toland; Rhoda Murphree, b. 19 Dec 1813 md. James Jefferson Sparks; Caleb James Murphree, b. 21 Dec 1815 md. Mary Elizabeth Lancaster; Mary Ann Murphree, b. 21 Jan 1818; David D. ("Dee") Murphree, b. 19 Oct 1819, md. (1) 9 Sep 1874 Chassis Martin, md. (2) Martha ("Molly") Knight; Levi Murphree b. 3 Apr 1822 md. 4 Mar 1843 Hannah Sparks; Charles Stephen Murphree, b. 3 Jan 1824? md. 18 Jan 1846 Therina Chandler; Daniel Brown Murphree b. 11 Dec 1825, md. (1) Loucinda Warren md. (2) Jane Harris; and Elizabeth Murphree, b. 21 Sep 1827, md. Matthew Massey.

Daniel's widow Elizabeth md. (2) Solomon Jones and they had one son: James George Jones.

5. (Female) Murphree b. before 1790, md. __ Alexander.

6. Caleb Murphree, b. abt 1794 Pendleton Dist., SC, d. 15 Mar 1870. He md. 9 Dec 1820 Blount Co., AL, Martha ("Patsy") Bynum (b. 6 May 1796 [or 1798?], d. after 1880, a dau. of Jesse Bynum and Jane Benefield).

Children: Mary Ann Murphree, b. June 1826 Blount Co., AL, md, James Trooper Mead; Jesse Bynum Murphree b. abt 1830, md, Amanda Griffin; Sarah Murphree, b. 1834; and Daniel Levi (or Lee Daniel?) Murphree b. 1838 md. Mary Ann ("Polly") Shelton.

Caleb Murphree was Sheriff of Blount County in the mid-l820s.

7. Elizabeth ("Betsy") Murphree, b. 22 Feb 1796 Pendleton Dist., SC, d. 10 (or 19?) Jan 1798 SC.

8. Elisha Murphree b. 1 Feb 1798 Pendleton Dist. SC, d. 12 Feb 1799

According to researcher Mary Taylor, there are four good sources of material on Levi Murphree: the will of his father Daniel; the Brown family Bible in the possession of Buren Brown, Madison TN; the research of the late Kathleeen (Mrs. John) Murphree of Wichita Falls, TX; and the various government records, particularly county records.

Daniel, John, William Levi, and James 'Murphy' were all members of Capt. Isaiah Hogan s Company in the Chatham Co. NC militia in 1772.