USA > New Jersey > The New Jersey coast in three centuries; history of the New Jersey coast with genealogical and historic-biographical appendix, Vol. II > Part 28
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Jos. Stillwell, Just. THOMAS HILL.
Upon this evidence Murray's widow was granted a half-pay pension. In the records and traditions preserved of him, Joseph Murray is revealed
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as a plain, strong, fearless, straightforward patriot-earnest and true. Every moment for years he was exposed to hidden dangers. He openly executed military orders in broad daylight. Even after a ruinous indictment. arrest and the giving of bonds that were very difficult to obtain, and heavy in those days of extreme financial depression; even after the destruction of his private papers and other personal property, and even after a period of imprisonment (undoubtedly ) in the "Old Sugar House," we find him the night before his death, "reconnoitering on the Bay shore near Sandy Hook; no service could be more perilous than this during the whole period of the war. It was ordered that about two hundred and fifty men, especially chosen for their prowess and fidelity, should be picked from the Monmouth and Middlesex militia for that service. Murray never faltered in the open, fearless and faithful performance of his duty. He was respected and trusted by his officers and comrades, and his memory was cherished by those who served with him in the time that "tried men's souls."
One of Joseph Murray's nearest neighbors was the venerable and re- vered pastor of the Baptist church in Middletown, the Rev. Abel Mor- gan. His diary from August, 1779, to August, 1781, written in Welsh, has been translated. It tells of his constant fear, anxiety and danger in the per- formance of his pastoral duties. He officiated at the funeral of Joseph Mur- ray, whom he held in affectionate regard, preaching from Matthew xxiv : 44.
Joseph Murray was buried in a little plot on his own farm, just north of his house, but his remains were moved October 16, 1855, to the Middle- town Baptist churchyard, by his grandson, William W. Murray, and on his headstone is the brief inscription, "Died in the service of his country."
Joseph Murray left a widow and four little children, viz: (2) William, (2) James, (2) Joseph and a (2) daughter. (2) James Murray married a lady named Alice. He went to New York, and there established a business in masons' supplies. His name is to be found in the New York directory if 1812. In 1818 he purchased land of Kontenius Schenck, in Middletown township, on the Shrewsbury river. At the time of his brother William's death, in 1834, he resided at Rossville, Staten Island, where his descendants still reside. Mrs. David J. Tysen, of New Dorp, is his granddaughter. Her mother married a Mr. Ellis.
(2) Joseph Murray, son of Joseph, purchased land "near Poricy brook," on April 14th, 1806, from Moses Shepherd and Mary his wife. He also (about 1810) purchased land of Kontenius Schenck. In 1833 he was in business and residing in New York City.
The second daughter of ( 1) Joseph Murray married a Havens, and moved to the southern part of the state of New Jersey.
(2) William Murray, oldest son of ( I) Joseph Murray, was born Au- gust 16th, 1771. He was but nine years old when his father was killed. He was apprenticed to a mason and worked hard to aid his mother in the care of her younger children. He lived in his father's house on Poricy brook. In 1792 he worked with his team, plowing for William Schenck, and at the same time he studied bookkeeping, mathematics and surveying. On De- cember 2d, 1792, William Murray married Anna Schenck, who was born
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October 9th, 1770, and died August 17th, 1822. Among her possessions was a large heavy silver spoon marked "R. N. S." like other silver in the Schenck family, inherited from Roelif Martinse Schenck, who came to Long Island with his father, Martin Schenck, in 1650. The spoon is in the possession of her great-granddaughter, M. C. Murray Hyde. On April 17th, 1799, William Murray purchased land on Poricy brook from Thomas Stillwell and Phoebe his wife, for £400, "Current money of the State of New York." William Murray superintended and built the cells and other masonry of the courthouse erected in Freehold in 1808. The substantial nature of this work was shown by the manner in which the walls stood the test of the great fire in 1873.
On April IIth, 1815, William Murray purchased his farm in Mid- dletown Village, from John G. Smock, of Woodbridge, New Jersey, and Sarah his wife, for $9,000. (William Murray moved to the old Conover house standing upon this farm. In the same year he opened a store in Middletown and carried on a business under the firm name of "William Murray and Son," which prospered. The old "Ledger" and "Receipt Book" of this date are interesting. They tell the story of local commerce before the coming of the steamboat and the railroad. Between July 26th, 1815, and November 21st, 1816, sixteen months, their "Receipt Book" shows receipts for cash paid to New York merchants on stock for "The Store" amounting to $4.995.90. Wool, butter, eggs, salt meats, etc., were received in large quantities as barter. Clothes were not only sold, but measures taken and tailors and tailoresses were employed to make up the orders. Money exchange and the taking and giving of notes was also a large part of the business, and a very troublesome and difficult part. There were no banks.
William Murray was a progressive farmer of his time. He improved the soil of his farm by the constant carting of marl. His diary shows that few days in the year passed without the carting of at least one or two loads out of "Groom's Hill" by "Jim Drum," the son of a slave. William Murray planted many peach and apple trees, caring for them him- . self. He seemed a man of tireless energy to the last hours of his life even when weak and ill.
William Murray was elected a director of the State Bank at Middle- town Point, on January 2, 1832. It organized in 1830. He was one of the largest stockholders at the time of his death in 1834. He was post- master in Middletown, and for many years was trustee of the Baptist church there. His wisdom and integrity of character made him the re- spected advisor of friends and neighbors.
William W. Murray, his son, thus tells of his death and funeral :
"On Saturday evening, 25th Jany., 1834, my father deceased between II and 12 o'clock. On Sunday, 26th, I sent to the shore to see if I could get any chance to send word to New York, could find none, in the after- noon I got George Carhart, Jr., with my father's team to go on to S. Am- boy, crossed on Monday 27th to Perth Amboy, went to the 'New Blazing Star' and near that there was an opening in the ice; attempted to cross to
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Uncle James ; got about two-thirds across and the ice closed ; they remained there about two hours and it opened again so they got to the Jersey shore and returned to Perth Amboy that evening. Next day, 28th, returned home ; got home about four o'clock. My father was buried on Tuesday, 28th. Funeral appointed at II o'clock. Fair weather, large collection of people. Mr. Roberts preached the sermon, 24 Chapter of Matthews, 20th Verse: But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter season, neither on the Sabbath day."
Among some old yellow papers is the following bill: "The estate of William Murray deseast Dr. to James Dennis for a Black Walnut Coffin $12.00. Ditto a Case $3.00." A grand old walnut tree measuring between two and three feet in diameter had been cut down on the farm, the best part of the trunk was sawed into boards and stored in the loft of the carriage house to season. The wood became like iron. From this the coffin was made by a carpenter according to an old Scotch custom. The writer's ink-stand was made from a piece of that old tree by her father.
A short time before his death, William Murray sold (August 20, 1832) the land back of the Baptist church to that organization for a bury- ing ground, reserving a plot for himself. He is buried there beside the church.
His children were (3) William W., (3) Eliza, (3) James W., (3) Si- sera Ann; and Joseph Washington, born May 8, 1811, and died September 3, 1813.
(3) Eliza Murray, born Sunday, April 10, 1796, married James Lay- ton, and resided on his farm between Chapel Hill and Hedden's Corners. He was descended from William Laiton, or Layton, one of the Middletown patentees. They had several children: Dr. W. Murray Layton, Lydia Ann, who married Mr. Stora, of Staten Island, and others.
(3) James W. Murray, born Saturday, March 29th, 1800, married Maria (?) Lufburrow, and was given the old Murray place on Poricy brook. Of their children, a son, William, married Julia Stout, and two daughters, Maria and Susan, sold the home after their parents' death and moved to Farmingdale, New Jersey.
(3) Sisera Ann Murray, born July 9th, 1805, married Joseph Frost and died March 18th, 1831. They had one son, William, who died "De- cember 4th, 1856, aged 36 years, 4 days." They were both buried beside the Baptist Church in the Murray plot. There were other children.
(3) William W. Murray, the oldest son of (2) William Murray, was born Sunday, November 30, 1794. He received only a country school education, but he was a fine penman, bookkeeper and accountant. In 1815 he went into business with his father under the firm name of "William Murray and Son." On page 32, Book B, of marriages in the Record office, Freehold, New Jersey, is found the following :
"William Murray, Jr., and Mary Crawford was married this 20th day of November, 1817, by John Cooper, Pastor of Baptist Church of Upper Freehold."
"Recieved on record June 25, 1819."
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"Mary Crawford Daughter of George and Eleanor Crawford Were Born the Twelfth Day of January Anno Domini 1800 about Day Break."
Eleanor Crawford was the daughter of Hendrick Schenck and Cath- erine Holmes, and was descended from Roelif Martinse Schenck, of Long Island, and the Rev. Obadiah Holmes, of Rhode Island. She was also de- scended from Sheriff Daniel Hendrickson through his two daughters, Geesie and Tuniche, who were her grandmothers. George Crawford was the son of Richard Crawford and Catherine Shepherd, and was the great-grandson of the first John Crawford, of Middletown.
William W. Murray and his wife lived in a rented house on the north side of Middletown street until their new home beside the Baptist church was finished in 1828. After the death of his father he became the owner of the farm in Middletown and continued the mercantile business, which prospered until steamboats, by developing the towns of Keyport and Red Bank, destroyed all trade in Middletown. The farm was rented and deteri- orated under a succession of renting farmers. He and his wife, who was an educated woman, greatly valued education. They gave their children the best opportunities possible at that time. Their home life was peculiarly happy.
For many years William W. Murray was postmaster of Middle- town, in the days preceding postage stamps, when every one taking a paper or magazine, had a separate account with the government, kept by the postmaster. William W. Murray also succeeded his father as trustee of the Baptist church, and held the office until his death. He was in- terested in all public improvements, and took an active part in their pro- motion. He was respected for his integrity of character and was known as "Honest Billy Murray" among his neighbors and acquaintances. Fow- ler, the phrenologist, wrote of him in 1843: "Perfectly sincere and truth- ful." "Your word is your bond." "Your moral character is spotless." No honest man ever doubted his honesty for one moment. One peculiar- ly strong trait of his character was his unfailing courtesy and gentle kind- ness toward women, it mattered not of what race, color or station in life. He could be very stern toward men or boys, but never towards a woman or little girl. The last years of his life were heavily clouded by the loss of his beloved wife and his beautiful daughter, Eleanor. He died June Ist, 1865. He had three children : (4) Lavinia, (4) Eleanor Crawford and . (4) George Crawford.
(4) Lavinia Murray was born December 17, 1818. She married ( Au- gust 26, 1847), James M. Hoagland, of the Dutch family of that name in Somerset county, New Jersey. He died September 25, 1876. Both are buried in their plot in Greenwood cemetery. They had no children.
(4) Eleanor Crawford Murray was born July 21st, 1823, and married (May 1, 1849) Henry G. Scudder, of Huntington, Long Island. He was descended from Thomas Scudder, son of Thomas Scudder, the first emi- grant of that name in Salem in 1635. They had four children, viz., Will- iam Murray, born May 25, 1850: Mhry Crawford, born June 29, 1852;
George C. Murray
.
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HISTORY OF THE NEW JERSEY COAST.
Nora Jarvis, born March 30, 1854; Henry G., born November 9, 1856, who is the only one living at the present time ( 1902) and owns property which has descended to him from the first Thomas Scudder, of Huntington, Long Island.
(4) George Crawford Murray was born January 3, 1827. He was a very happy, laughter-loving boy. When three years of age he was sent with his sisters to the little old school house which stood in a corner of Dr. Edward Taylor's garden, opposite the east side of the Episcopal church in Middletown. Mr. Austin was the teacher. His dearest interest a few years later was in his Latin class composed of Thomas Arrowsmith and George Murray. When, on April 19, 1836, the "Society for the Promotion of Learning : agreeable to an Act entitled an Act to Incorporate Societies for the Promotion of Learning, passed by the Legislature of New Jersey the 27th day of November, 1794," was organized and John E. Hendrick- son, William W. Murray, secretary, Ezra Osborn, Dr. Edward Taylor, J. T. B. Beekman, Robert Hartshorne and James Patterson were appointed trustees of the Franklin Academy, then Mr. Austin hoped to become its. principal and make it a great seat of classical learning. He was a peculiar character and the boys of his class never wearied in telling of the pranks they played upon him. When only thirteen George Murray entered Wash- ington Institute, on Thirteenth street, New York City, to prepare for Yale College under the care of Timothy Dwight Porter. Feeling himself weak in mathematics, he took up the study himself. When a year later (1841) he entered Yale, he passed a good examination in that branch. On Sep- tember 30, 1843, he received "Professor Playfair's Works" "from the President and Fellows of Yale to George C. Murray, for excelling in the Solution of Mathematical Problems." Signed, "J. Day" (Jeremiah Day.) He graduated in 1845, the youngest member of his class. During his college course his father gave him a competent allowance, from which, by living plainly and economically, he was able to purchase, with the advice of his instructors, many of the fine standard works which composed his. well chosen library. An older classmate wrote to him about the time of their graduation: "My Dear Murray .- An intimate acquaintance with you during the past year has served only to increase the feelings of high esteem which I have always entertained for you, and I regret exceedingly that I am so soon to part with one whose honesty of purpose, integrity of principle, united with real solid worth has won my admiration." The sum of their estimate of Murray's character is expressed by his classmates in a series of farewell autographs, by the words most frequently used- "integrity of character."
Knowing his own predilection, this youth of eighteen chose wisely for himself a career in the new world of science and engineering. He was eminently fitted for it, but his parents would not for one moment entertain the thought. They laid before him the choice of but two professions- medicine or law. He cared for neither, but finally chose law. For nine months he studied with Peter D. Vroom, of Trenton, New Jersey, and then
1
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entered the law office of Hon. George Wood, in New York City and was licensed to practice on January 8, 1849. He then returned to Yale and took a post-graduate course in analytical chemistry in the newly estab- lished scientific department of the college. In August, 1850, he returned home. His sisters had married, and his parents were alone. They wished him to remain with them and become a farmer. This course was most repugnant to one so thoroughly equipped for other more profitable and promising walks of life. His father insisted, and, unable to resist the pleadings of the mother, whom he loved and revered, he yielded, fully realizing the sacrifice that he made.
The farm had been rented, the buildings had been burned, the soil had been impoverished, the fences were decayed and their lines marked by wide hedge rows of weeds and brambles, the finest meadows were un- drained swamps, there was no stock, and there were no implements with which to do the necessary work. Once the choice was made, the young student and promising young lawyer with all the energy and earnestness of his character took up the task of making farming scientific and profit- able, showing no sign of the suppression of every personal wish in the per- formance of many hateful tasks.
On January 17, 1853, his mother died, and he and his father were alone in the home that sadly missed her merry laugh. Two years passed, during which the young farmer took up the duties of good citizenship and became interested in a plank road from Middletown to Port Mon- mouth, in a steamboat company, and in the Monmouth Agricultural Fair Association.
On February 27, 1855, he married Mary Catherine Cooper ( born March 20, 1833), daughter of James Cooper and Rebecca Patterson. James Cooper was directly descended from "Benjamin Cooper, yeoman, late of ye Fresh Kills, Staten Island now ( 1712) of Middletown, Mon- mouth county, New Jersey." At this time he purchased lands from James Ashton "along ye Broad Swamp ( Nutswamp) as ye Broad Swamp runs," Lounded west by Nathaniel Leonard, south, by Henry March and Mary Ashton, east, by John Gob and Mary Ashton, and north, by Thomas Her- bert ; also twenty-four acres bounded north "by ye Branch and ye fork." east, by Richard Davis, south, by 'ye upland' and in part by William Win- ter and Mary Ashton. In the same year ( 1712) James Patterson, from whom Rebecca Patterson was descended, purchased from James Grover the land owned by ex-Sheriff John H. Patterson on Navesink river. These lands have remained in the hands of the Coopers and Pattersons to this time. James Cooper was the son of George Cooper and Abigail Oakley. of Westchester county, New York, and the grandson of James Cooper and Elizabeth Douglas, sister of Alexander Douglas, well known in the story of the battle of Trenton. Rebecca Patterson was the daughter of Judge Jehu Patterson and Hannah Gordon, who was the great-grand- daughter of Charles Gordon, one of the founders of old Tennent church. Benjamin Cooper and his son, John, were among the early supporters of the Episcopal churches of Shrewsbury and Middletown.
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In February, 1858, George C. Murray had one of his feet crushed by the sudden caving in of a mass of frozen earth in the Groom's Hill marl pit on his farm. Dr. Willard Parker, of New York, called in consultation, said, "Young man, your clean, temperate life will save you and prevent the loss of that foot." He spoke truly, but Mr. Murray was very lame, and spent hours, even whole nights of most excruciating pain to the end of his life. For a long time he used crutches- always a cane-and as far as possible moved about his farni on horseback. He was a, large, heavy man, weighing over two hundred pounds. He was always so patient and cheerful that no one could realize how much he suffered from this cause.
During the next three years George C. Murray watched analytically the passing of the events which culminated in the firing upon Fort Sum- ter. In several volumes of notes of speeches which he himself made, of speeches made by others and of his opinion of the acts and principles of the men of his time, he left a local record of the Civil war that has much of interest to the people of Monmouth county. The people of Middletown erected a great flagpole and on May 26, 1861, swung to the breeze a hand- some flag. George C. Murray was the orator of the day, and his address was a splendidly patriotic effort.
It was the custom in the village to celebrate the Fourth of July with a clambake on Dr. Edward Taylor's hill, on the north side of the principal street. An oration was an important item on the program. In 1861 George C. Murray was the orator and he rose to the heights of eloquence in his plea for an undivided Union.
July closed with the shame of Bull Run. Secession, in the mask of peace, dared to visit old Monmouth and so well was her disguise taken that many honest and patriotic men were deceived for the moment. A "peace meeting" was called in Middletown on Thursday, August 29, 1861. Thoroughly aroused, George C. Murray and many others, who detected the deception, determined to meet and resist the danger. A notice was pub- licly placed in the old historical tavern of Middletown that the "peace meeting" had been postponed sine die. In its stead was held an enthusias- tic Union meeting at Ackerson's Grove. George C. Murray was unani- mously elected chairman, and the resolutions which he presented, and which were adopted with tumultuous applause, were at once an eloquent affirmation of patriotic principles and a stinging rebuke to those whose sympathies were with the secessionists.
George C. Murray was in principle a Democrat, in the best and lit- eral meaning of the word, but he was not a partisan, and would never al- low himself to be bound to that which he disapproved in any party or body of men with whom he was associated, even though he knew that opposi- tion to them meant loss and every disadvantage to himself. He was a strong man and able partisan when he had faith in the cause he espoused. He would support no man in what he believed to be wrong. These prin- ciples he avowed and consistently followed. In the fall of 1861 he was elected to the legislature of New Jersey. He took an active part in all
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debates; was chairman of the standing Committee on Education and a member of the Committee on the State Library. During this session the railroad companies were active in their efforts to obtain advantageous legislation for themselves. Many fine dinners were given at Peter Kat- zenbach's in Trenton with satisfactory results. Mr. Murray was fre- „quently invited but would not accept. At length he received an invitation accompanied by the hint that if he did not come voluntarily he would be taken by force. He replied "that he would not accept the invitation; .that he would be in his rooms at the appointed hour, but he wished to inform them that the first man who attempted to lay his hands upon him would do so at his own peril." He was no more molested and no richer at the close of his term as legislator than at the beginning. He ut- terly refused to accept the nomination for a second term in the assembly. It was a trial to him that he could not join the army at the front, but his lameness rendered him unacceptable .. He sought no easy or profitable ap- pointments.
In the many public addresses which George C. Murray made during the years of the war, he deplored violent party spirit and never stooped to the wretched abuse or violent vituperation of the partisan politicians. In debate he never lost his self-control. He despised the wire-pulling, place- seeking and jobbing which became too common and profitable in the con- «duct of the war, and fearlessly expressed his opinions. The declaration of martial law, the emancipation proclamation and the suspension of the writ .of habeas corpus he supported, but when the local wrongs in the enforce- ment of the (see "Division and Rebellion," Woodrow Wilson) draft act of 1863 fell upon the poor men of his neighborhood, his whole soul re- belled against the partisan cruelty displayed by the conscript officers in .. some localities. In Monmouth county the burden of this law fell upon the poor fishermen of the coast and upon the naturalized Irishmen who were generally Democrats. During February, 1864, many of them ap- pealed to him for help. To leave their families meant starvation. At length, about midnight of a day when he had listened to the troubles of several whom he well knew, he sprung up, exclaiming to his wife, "By George, Kate, I can't stand this any longer!" Saddling his horse he went immediately to several prominent men in the township, and upon his own responsibility obtained their endorsement to draw a large sum from the bank at Middletown Point. With this money for the payment of bounties strapped about his body, he went to Washington February 27, 1864, to re-enlist three-year volunteer's then disbanding at Fairfax Court House, thus hoping to fill the quota for Middletown and relieve the poor men with families. He there found James S. Yard, of Freehold township, and Judge Butcher, of Howell, on the same errand. Proceeding to the front they reached Fairfax, Virginia, carrying upon their persons the money which they expected to expend. This became known to the desperate men who had just passed through the demoralizing tuition of three years of terrible warfare. Mr. Murray was alone during a part of this time and as he rode about he could hear the men say, "there goes
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