My Early Ancestor Lodowick Murrah -

Before doing an extensive post on ancestors David Cox and Sabrina "Glanton" Cox,  I wish to explore her (Sabrina) ancestors as to what we know and what we THINK we know.

We know for a fact that her grandfather was Lodowick Murrah which is the subject of this post. Her mother was Margaret Murrah who married Benjamin Glanton

Murrah is not a very common name and is found the most in the deep South with the exception of one branch of the Murrah family that went Midwest and there it is found a great deal in Illinois. No doubt many Murrys are descended from Murrahs. The Murrah surname is very likely Scottish since the "Murrah" is found in southern Scotland and far northern England. There is in the County Cumberland a Murrah township in the parish of Greystoke, Leath ward, former county of Cumberland (now Cumbria) In the Murrah township there is a Murrah Hall. Further the name is found in the name is found in the Orkney Islands, which lie off the north coast of Scotland. There is some thought the name could be Irish "McMurrough" but it's viewed as highly unlikely. Especially considering the lack of Irish immigration to the South we are seeing at this time compared to the great Scottish immigration we see in this time period.

 Almost all the Murrahs entered through Virgina. From Virgina the Murrahs split into two migration patterns One part went West across the Appalachians into Kentucky and eventually into Illinois. The other larger part went South into the the Carolinas and Georgia. This branch later migrated through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and into Texas.

If you meet a Murrah in the Deep South ,or if they hail from there,  it is a good chance they are direct descendants of our Great Grandfather Lodowick Murrah. His descendants include Pendleton Murrah who was the last governor of Texas during the Confederacy. Also there is Federal Judge Alfred Paul Murrah . His name sadly will be linked forever to the unfortunate terrrorst attack on the Oklahoma City Alfred P Murrah federal building that took so many lives. Another famous Lobowick Murrah descendant is the famed Methodist Bishop William Belton Murrah for whom Murrah High School in Jackson, MS is named.

Many family researchers say that the ANN that Lobowick was married too was Mira Ann
Jeter. That very well could be true. Yet I have not seen any proof of documentation of that claim as of yet. Therefore this researcher is not yet ready to make that call.

We do have a very good idea of where Lodowick lived in Virginia. In case you were wondering where "the Neck" is, it's just off the Rappahannock River several miles north west of Port Royal. .


We thankfully know a good bit about Lodowick children because of what appears to be a rather nasty piece of litigation.

From Caroline County Court Records and Marriages, 1787-1810 by William Lindasy Hopkins, Richmond, VA, 1987, p56, Chancery Suits we see the following:

Chancery Suit:


Littleton Jeter, Horatio Jeter, Fielding Jeter, Elisha Jeter, Martha Glanton,
decd. who was Martha Jeter, Zachariah Lewis and Milly Lewis his wife who was
Milly Jeter, James Cash and Susannah Cash his wife who was Susanna Jeter and
Elizabeth Jeter children and heirs of John Jeter and Elizabeth Jeter his wife
who was Elizabeth Murrah against James Murrah, Charles Murrah, George Murrah,
Thomas Murrah, Margaret Glanton, Nancy Glanton and Molly Pickett. The suit
concerns the sale of a tract of land of 104 acres left in the will of
Lodowick Murrah. Land is sold 7 Feb 1800. [Dec. 1799]


The above named Jeter children state that their grandfather, Lodowick Murrah,
left a will in which he gave to his wife Ann Murrah all of his estate during
her lifetime. Lodowick Murrah left the following children viz James Murrah
who now resides in South Caroline, John Murrah who died without issue,
Charles Murrah who now resides in North Caroline, George Murrah who now
resides in South Carolina, Thomas Murrah who resides in South Carolina,
Elizabeth Murrah who married John Jeter, Margaret Murrah who married Benjamin
Glanton, Nancy Murrah who married John Glanton, Susannah Murrah who married
Jonathan Glanton and Molly Murrah who married John Pickett.
[Aug 1799]

It appears that  Lodowick died in 1772 and this litigation was filed after his wife died.

Caroline County (which was part of Essex) is a "Burnt" County. Sadly many Courthouse records are gone after the Courthouse was destroyed during the Civil War. Hopefully I will have more to add later on Murrah.

Who Are These Whittingtons Buried In Claiborne Parish - Joseph W Whittington and More

Just down the road from me in Athens  enclosed in a seperate fence in the Lower Old Athens Cemetery in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana  there are these graves. They  are:

WHITTINGTON, Mary H. 25 Jun 1850 28 Sept 1908
WHITTINGTON, Joseph W. 20 Dept 1841 06 Sept 1893

WHITTINGTON, Juanita 7 October 1925 6 May 1941
WHITTINGTON, T.P. 6 Aug 1885 24 May 1930 ** (note could be Theophalus P.)

WHITTINGTON, George E. 2 Nov 1874 22 Aug 1952
WHITTINGTON, Elmira R. 17 Dec 1893

I wonder if these Whittingtons are have their roots  Whittington clan from Amite and Wilkinson County Mississippi ? I see early indications that they might be and I hope to solve that and update this post later.

Note there are many Whittingtons (Perhaps related to this Family) buried in Claiborne Parish. I have access to those photos. Just leave a comment with contact info if interested these folks

Was My Ancestor Alexander Scott Causey Insane?

Click above pics to enlarge

This is a most curious entry for  my Great (4) Grandfather Alexander Scott Causey in the 1860 Census. He is located at the bottom and the Census person has noted on the side that he was "crazy". There is another notation  there that is hard to read but appears  say "caused by concussion". So did he go insane? Was this insanity by by a blow to the head? Was it temporary or sadly permanent? Dis his wife Nancy "Cox" Causey basically have to run the household?

I would love to find out more on this. At one point some Causey researcher , whom I can't recall, told me he THOUGHT there was court record in Amite in which he was declared insane of incompetent. My memory though could be faulty on this and I really need to get to Amite to look myself.

That would quite a story. My Great (4) Grandmother Nancy " Cox " Cause dealing with a crazy husband on the eve of the Civil War in which her sons are about to go off to war in. Sadly it was not too long after this census was taken that Alexander Scott died. I have a date of death of July 8 th 1860. ( I am trying to poin down why this DODis used.  If that DOD is true he died just days after this census was taken.

The fact that Causey was "crazy" and days later died and with the added notation there makes it likely this might have been a recent condition. Still that is a odd notation to put down if not to try to give some indication that perhaps Nancy Cox was the "actual" head oc household.

I will be touching more on the this family in the next post.

Descendants of Cornelius Whittington Killed In September 11th Terrorist Attack -Leslie Whittington and Family

This is tragic.

Her family line is

John Whittington, b. 1724, Albemarle county, Virginia, USA
Mother Sarah Woodroffe, b. Abt 1724, Surrey county, Virginia, USA ,


Cornelius Whittington, b. 24 Apr 1749, Albemarle county, Virginia, USA , d. Aft 27 Nov 1837, Liberty, Amite county, Mississippi, Mother - Rebecca (possibly a Gilliam but not the Gilliam that many Genealogies have posted in error)


Moses Whittington, b. Abt 1788, Georgia, USA , d. 1850, ? Amite county, Mississippi Mother Elizabeth Jenkins, b. Abt 1789, Amite county, Mississippi, USA ,




William Judson Whittington,b. 16 Mar 1818, Rankin or Amite cty, Mississippi, d. 16 Apr 1891, Gloster, Amite county, Mississippi - Mother -Permilia Eveline "Eveline" Bolin, b. 1 Jan 1822, Jefferson county, Mississippi, d. 4 May 1887, Liberty, Amite county, Mississippi, USA


Thomas Lawrence "Tommie" Whittington,   b. 1 Aug 1858, Amite county, Mississippi, ,   d. 8 Apr 1935, Gloster, Amite county, Mississippi,  other was Olive A. Thompson    b. Jun 1869, Rodney, Mississippi, USA    d. Apr 1905, Itta Bena, Mississippi, USA

Thomas Monroe Whittington, b. 17 Nov 1901, Lexington, Holmes county, Mississippi,  , d. 20 Jul 1985, Lubbock, Texas, USA
Mother Hallie Marie Hobbs, b. 13 May 1902, Waco, McLennan county, Texas,  , d. 31 Aug 1983, Denver, Colorado, 

 Dr. H.G. Whittington and the now  Ruth Koch


From the Pentagon Memorial Site:

Charles Falkenberg, his wife Leslie Whittington, and their daughters, Zoe and Dana Falkenberg, were killed on September 11, 2001, when terrorists crashed their plane into the Pentagon. They lived in University Park, Maryland and were on their way to Australia, where Leslie planned to work for a few months at the Australian National University in Canberra. 

Leslie, 45, was an Associate Professor of Public Policy and an Associate Dean at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. She was known for her excellent teaching and organizational skills, her wit and her research on economic issues affecting children and families. Leslie was equally admired for her work in the PTA, neighborhood babysitting co-op and other volunteer endeavors. Before going to Georgetown University, she served as an assistant professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. She earned her Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Colorado in 1984. 

Charles, 45, was a gifted software engineer and scientist. An expert in developing software for scientific data management, he managed NASA-related databases and served as director of research for ECOlogic of Lanham, Maryland. He was known by colleagues and friends as a devoted father, community activist and energetic volunteer for the PTA and Adelphi Dolphin Swim Club. Charles graduated at the top of his class, with B.S. and M.S. degrees, from the University of Maryland, College Park, where he had served as a faculty research scientist. 

Charles and Leslie were married in 1984 in Denver, where they had graduated from East High School. Zoe, 8, and Dana, 3, were at the center of their lives. Known for her determination, intelligence and ambition, Zoe was a top student at University Park Elementary School. She was active in Girl Scouts, ballet and swim team. She appeared in the school’s production of “Brigadoon” and a local production of “The King and I.” She was greatly loved by her friends, teammates, teachers and her friends’ parents. 

Dana was a robust, curly-haired girl, who was seen as a miracle by her parents. She was intense, funny and a charmer. She celebrated her third birthday on July 21, 2001 with her Falkenberg grandparents; her Grandfather Falkenberg shares the same birth date. 

The girls were the adored focus of their grandparents, aunts and uncles. They were nurtured by their community, their nannies Sola Adeyale and Gloria Henry, and by the teachers of Greenwood Nursery School and University Park Elementary School. 

Charles was the son of Janis and Bill Falkenberg of Denver. His sister is Ruth Falkenberg, also of Denver; his brother, Chris, preceded him in death. Very special family members are Anne Mansfield and Kathy McCarthy. 

Leslie was the daughter of Ruth Koch and longtime stepfather George Koch of Athens, Georgia. Her father is Dr. H.G. Whittington of Houston, Texas. Her surviving siblings are Kirk Whittington of Atlanta, Georgia, and Sarah Guest of Watkinsville, Georgia. Her brother, Greg Whittington, died in 1991. Her half brothers are Michael and Alex Whittington; her stepbrothers are Eric and Jonathan Koch. Her stepsisters are Sara Kochav and Amy Hamilton. She also left loving aunts, uncles, cousins and spouses of siblings. 

Charles and Leslie were hard-working professionals who lived their belief that families come first. All four family members were talented, beautiful people who loved life and other people. They were anticipating their adventure in Australia and their return to a new house in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Their future looked so bright.

There is another article here at Remembering economist Leslie Whittington from CNN

Here is another article that gives more background on the family
Whittington was born in Topeka and lived in Lawrence from 1958 to 1964, Koch said. Her father, H.G. Whittington, was a psychiatrist at Kansas University's Watkins Health Center, and then director of the Bert Nash Mental Health Clinic. He now lives in Houston.
Whittington went to Centennial through fourth grade. She then moved to Denver, where she graduated from high school.

Things You Learn In Genealogy - Matches Were Not Cheap

I am a history buff which of course just fuels my genealogy obsession. It's amazing what one learns everyday. I think at some point  in high school every teacher should have each of their students do a year long genealogy project on their family. They will learn more history ( and perhaps develop a love of it) than any other activity.

I am trying to track down the ever  so elusive Winfield Nelson. He was the brother of  my Great (3) Grandfather James Benjamin Nelson. You can read about them here

The person that wrote that article is Joe Hoff Who lives in the New Orleans area . His is still alive , is over 90 , and  till has a REMARKABLE mind that recalls everything. I talked to him tonight. I told him I believe that he and my grandmother are the only cousin left of that generation.

I am hoping that the descendants of Winfield Nelson might be able to shed light on the what I believe to be Ireland origins of the Nelson family. He told me Winfield had a daughter that married a Parker in amite and in fact that family stayed on the original Winfield Nelson land for a very long time.

While researching Parkers of Amite I found this interesting story about some Parkers in Alabama.:

As a child, I would go to Cullman two or three times a year. There
were a few country stores, but they were widely scattered. I can recall
carrying ten dozen eggs to Bremen and getting 6 cents per dozen for them.
I can well recall how scarce matches were when I was a young man.
A little box of about twenty five sulphur matches cost 10 cents. People
kept some fire in their homes all summer long so as to save the cost
of matches. My grandfather, Thomas Barton Parker, boasted shortly
before his death at the age of 93 that he not only never bought a
match but he never had struck one, either.
When Grover Cleveland was president, I homesteaded 160 acres of
land. It was the south half of the ne quarter, and the north
half of the se quarter of section 34, township 12, range 5 in
Cullman County, Alabama. I still own this land.
My grandfather was Thomas Barton Parker. He and my grandmother
Barbara Childers Parker, moved here from York District.

How interesting. I never knew that.