entucky: A History of the State, Battle, Perrin, & Kniffin, 5th ed., 1887, Jessamine Co. JAMES HOWARD MURPHY is descended from an old Virginia ancestry. His paternal and maternal grandfathers were natives of Greenbrier County, Va., and were descendants of Scotch-Irish Presbyterians, who settled in the valley of Virginia in 1741. In 1787 a branch of his family settled in Madison County, Ky. Charles Murphy, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was united in marriage to Sallie Pepper, daughter of Elisha Pepper, in the year 1798. He lost his life in crossing Kentucky River in 1814; was a man of extraordinary will force; and was humane and tender in his feelings, slow to anger, but a man of lion-like temper when aroused. He was a good citizen, and reared a large family. The following are the names of the children born to Charles and Sallie Pepper Murphy: Mary, Stephen, Elisha, James, Elizabeth, Sallie and Charles. Charles was the youngest of his father's children. He was born in Madison County, Ky., in 1816, and married Elizabeth Wylie, daughter of John Wylie and Elizabeth Reynolds Wylie in 1842. When the civil war was inaugurated in 1861 between the States, he enlisted in the Twentieth Federal Kentucky Infantry as a private soldier on the 18th of November, 1861, and died in Louisville, July 22, 1862, from fever brought on by exposure on the battle fields of Pittsburgh Landing and Shiloh, in April, 1862. He left a wife and two children: James Howard Murphy, the subject of this sketch, and Almeda J., now the wife of Moses Reynolds. Mr. Murphy was born in Madison County, Ky., August 25, 1844, and removed to Jessamine County, with his parents in 1858. After the death of his father he took charge of his widowed mother and sister. He engaged in the business of farming until 1867 when he became a country merchant. By his accurate and honorable dealings he gained the confidence of all who knew him. His clear, practical sense, his conversance with business, and his fidelity in executing it, made him serviceable to his neighbors in associated trusts. His interest in whatever aimed at the public good combined with excellence of personal character secured him the respect of the people of Jessamine County. In 1870 he was elected surveyor of Jessamine County, and in 1873 and 1874 he was deputy sheriff; was elected sheriff in 1874 and served two years, 1875 and 1876. In 1878 he was defeated for county judge by only three votes, the political odds being largely against him at the time. He was married to Miss Mary A. Horine, eldest daughter of Margaret and Joshua Horine of Jessamine County, Ky., February 23, 1871. Their children's names are as follows: Charles Manfred, born April 9, 1872; Eudora, born October 26, 1875, and Francis J., born November 14, 1878, and died October 4, 1879. Mr. Murphy was engaged in the hardware business in Nicholasville, Ky., from 1878 to 1883, and is now engaged in farming and merchandising at Ambrose, Ky., where he has resided since 1870. He is a strict member of the Christian Church, and it was mainly through his efforts that the new church was erected at Ambrose in 1886. He was superintendent of the building and contributed his means and influence liberally in establishing one of the most commodious church in Jessamine County. Murphy Pepper Wylie Reynolds Horine = Madison-KY Louisville-Jefferson-KY Greenbrier-VA http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/jessamine/murphy.jh.txt