Person:John Murff (2)

In September 1774 just prior to his marriage to Sophia, John bought 75 acres with a good dwelling, orchards and pastures. Sophia was about 15 years old when she married John. In those days people married young and a girl thought she was an old maid if she wasn't married by the age of 16. John was active in service in the revolutionary War and served on three occasions for about one month at a time. He received an indenture for land for his service which he sold to a Jewish trader who bought indentures at a big discount . Thelma Murff Johnson, a descendant of John Murff through his son Samuel was accepted into the DAR. The register is #395859. John Murff died without a will. His brother-in-law Herman Kinsler and Jacob Turnipseed were granted administration of his estate. An inventory was made of his estate on August 31, 1789. The children were all minors when John died. As the children attained legal age (21) they signed for their share. Sophia signed for her share and the share of the son John Murff, who died on January 23, 1798. (Witness Harris Freeman) Samuel signed for his share on January 23, 1798 (Witness Harris Freeman), Daniel signed for his share on August 3, 1801 (No witness), Jacob signed for his share on May 18, 1804 (No Witness), Nancy  Murff Boney si gned for her share in September 1806 (Witness Mary Smith). Sale of the personal property of John Murff Dec'd. 01 September 1789. Purchasers: widow, William Frazer, John Bartholl Turnipseed, Nich's Wyrick, Felix Turnipseed, Jacob Turn ipseed, Will Kirkland, John Ellick, Henry Sistrunk, Hugh No rrel, George Lewis, Philip Goats, John smith, Ethelred Davi s, Hollingshead, Robert McCants. Receipts from the sale L 1 19.8.9. (South Caroling Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vo l 1, 2 Sophia is listed in the initial South Carolina 179 0 census as head of household with four males under 18 an d two females (one is Sophia). She is listed on both the 18 00 and 1810 Censuses. Between 1807 and 1809 James Mitchell , Thomas Rawls and Samuel Murff left South Caroling for Geo rgia and then to Alabama. It is also said that Christine Mi tchell left South Carolina with her sister Sophia Kinsler ( maybe wife of James Mitchell???) The above information an d sources are from the work of Thelma Murff Johnson, a desc endant, the Mississippi Genealogical Society, records of th e Murff Family bible collected by Jay R. Neff, National Cit y, CA, the Swiss Connection by Gwendolyn Pryor and other so urces with various facts. Malcom Murff from Genealogy Recor ds, Zurich, Switzerland (LDS Library 35 mm film File #11815 07.