Rev William Crajold 'Big Bill' Murphy, Jr

1759 - 1833  (74 years)

• Name	William Crajold 'Big Bill' Murphy  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  Title	Rev
  Suffix	Jr
  Birth	12 Mar 1759	Pittsylvania County, Virginia, USA   [1, 2, 4, 5, 6]
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	1769
  	Founder of Farmington, MO
  Military Service	Abt 1776  [1, 7, 8]
  	Ensign under Captin Christopher Cunningham at Battle of Brier Creek. Private in Captain John Renfrow's company, Colonel Linch's Light Horse, and captured William Terry and his company of Tories. Later, Private, under Captain Thomas Wood and General John S
  		Historical Marker-Battle of Brier Creek Battle of Brier Creek State Historical Marker Located on Brannen's Bridge Rd. at Brier Creek, 11 miles northeast of Sylvania, Ga. In early February, 1779, the Southern Armies of the United States and Great Britain were facing across the Savannah River on a battle line reaching from Savannah to the Broad River above Augusta. The British…
  Census	1830	Farmington, St Francois, Missouri, USA   [2, 5]
  DAR/SAR	Daughters of the American Revolution # A083301; Sons of the American Revolution # P-254369
  		Seal-DAR Daughters of the American Revolution
  		Seal-SAR Sons of the American Revolution
  Obituary	1833
  	Obituary
  		Obituary-MURPHY William Jr Obituary of WILLIAM CRAJOLD "BIG BILL" MURPHY JR
  FSID	LY15-FCJ
  Death	2 Nov 1833	Farmington, St Francois, Missouri, USA   [1, 2, 4, 5, 6]
  Burial	William Murphy Cemetery, Farmington, St Francois, Missouri, USA   [1]
  	Rachel Henderson and Rev William Murphy, buried together
  		Burial-MURPHY Rachel and Rev William Rachel Henderson and Rev William Murphy, buried together -- William Murphy Cemetery, Farmington MO + https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42619670/ william https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42620200/ rachel
  		Murphy Cemetery (also known as William Murphy Cemetery) Farmington, St Francois, Missouri Find a Grave: #2325606
  Person ID	I25946	A Tree Called Smith
  Last Modified	21 Jul 2025

  
  

  Father	Reverend William Francis Murphy,   b. 16 Sep 1722, Dublin, Ireland d. 19 Nov 1799, Warren County, Kentucky, USA (Age 77 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Mary Hodges 'Martha' Fanquoy,   b. 1724, Spotsylvania County, Virginia, USA d. 1765, Halifax, Halifax, Virginia, USA (Age 41 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Marriage	1751	Halifax County, Virginia, USA   [2, 9, 10]
  	Halifax (Silver Creek)
  Family ID	F11062	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Rachel Henderson,   b. 15 Nov 1746, Botetourt County, Virginia, USA d. 20 Mar 1844, St Francois County, Missouri, USA (Age 97 years)
  Marriage	26 Jan 1782	Greene County, Tennessee, USA   [6, 9, 11]
  	on the Nolichuchy River
  Children	1. William Eccles Murphy,   b. 8 May 1790, Tennessee, USA d. 29 Aug 1810 (Age 20 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: unknown]   2. Elizabeth Barton Murphy,   b. 16 Apr 1788, Greene County, Tennessee, USA d. 1868, St Francois County, Missouri, USA (Age 79 years)  [Father: unknown]  [Mother: unknown]   3. Henderson Murphy,   b. 4 Sep 1804   d. 5 Oct 1875 (Age 71 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: unknown]   4. Francis Menifee Murphy,   b. 23 May 1798, Tennessee, USA d. 10 May 1808, St Francois County, Missouri, USA (Age 9 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: unknown]   5. Delilah Sarah Murphy,   b. 14 May 1792, Tennessee, USA  [Father: natural]  [Mother: unknown]   6. James Henderson Murphy,   b. 19 May 1794, Tennessee, USA  [Father: natural]  [Mother: unknown]   7. Mary Hodges 'Martha' Murphy,   b. 22 Jun 1784, Greene County, Tennessee, USA d. 26 Oct 1803, Bledsoe County, Tennessee, USA (Age 19 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   8. David Henderson Murphy,   b. 12 Jun 1802   d. 30 Apr 1865 (Age 62 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: unknown]   9. Dubart Murphy,   b. 26 May 1806, Farmington, St Francois, Missouri, USA d. 30 Dec 1892, Kaufman County, Texas, USA (Age 86 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: unknown]   10. Sarah Barton 'Sallie' Murphy,   b. 4 Jan 1800, Tennessee, USA d. 18 Jun 1882, Farmington, St Francois, Missouri, USA (Age 82 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   11. John Crawford Murphy,   b. 16 Oct 1782, Greene County, Tennessee, USA d. 8 Aug 1843, Jefferson County, Missouri, USA (Age 60 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: unknown]   12. Keturah Beavers Murphy,   b. 9 Apr 1796, Tennessee, USA d. 22 Oct 1877 (Age 81 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: unknown]
  Family ID	F11199	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	21 Jul 2025

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 12 Mar 1759 - Pittsylvania County, Virginia, USA Marriage - 26 Jan 1782 - Greene County, Tennessee, USA Census - 1830 - Farmington, St Francois, Missouri, USA Death - 2 Nov 1833 - Farmington, St Francois, Missouri, USA  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Ancestors

  ~l HOOD-M (SAR) Hood Ancestor - Sons of the American Revolution

  
  

  Arms Icons & Insignia » Slide Show		Arms-Clan Gunn Arms of Clan Gunn -Aut Pax Aut Bellum "Either Peace or War"
  		Seal-DAR Daughters of the American Revolution
  		Seal-SAR Sons of the American Revolution

  
  

  Biographies and Histories		History-Battle of Briar Creek The Battle of Briar (Brier) Creek during the American Revolutionary War -- + https://www.myrevolutionarywar.com/battles/790304-briar-creek/
  		History-Battle of Brier Creek Battle of Brier Creek during the Revolutionary War.

  
  

  Burials

  Burial-MURPHY Rachel and Rev William Rachel Henderson and Rev William Murphy, buried together -- William Murphy Cemetery, Farmington MO + https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42619670/ william https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42620200/ rachel

  
  

  Military Records

  Military-MURPHY William (Service) William Crajold Murphy Military Service

  
  

  Obituaries

  Obituary-MURPHY William Jr Obituary of WILLIAM CRAJOLD "BIG BILL" MURPHY JR

  
  

  Places

  Historical Marker-Battle of Brier Creek Battle of Brier Creek State Historical Marker Located on Brannen's Bridge Rd. at Brier Creek, 11 miles northeast of Sylvania, Ga. In early February, 1779, the Southern Armies of the United States and Great Britain were facing across the Savannah River on a battle line reaching from Savannah to the Broad River above Augusta. The British…

  
  

• Sources

  [S5040] Smith, Clara Twomey, Find a Grave - Ancestor (Hood): MURPHY William Jr 1759-1833, (Name: SmithLC.com;), MURPHY Rev William Jr 1759-1833 (Veteran). The Reverend William Murphy [Jr.] was the son of Rev. William Murphy [Sr.] {of 1720/1725 to 19-Nov-1799} and Martha Hodges Murphy {of 1724 to 1761/1763}. He was the step-son to Sarah Barton Murphy (William [Sr.]'s 2nd wife). William "Big Bill" Murphy [Jr.] along with his brother Joseph {gravestone in Masonic Cemetery} and 1/2 brothers David Sr. {gravestone in Masonic Cemetery}, Dubart {gravestone in IOOF Cemetery} and Richard {burial location unknown} are credited with starting the Murphy Settlement which eventually became Farmington, Missouri. William [Jr.] married Rachel Henderson on January 26, 1782 in Green County, Tennessee. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42619670/william-murphy [S54] Ancestry Family Trees, (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT : Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.;), Database online. [S602] Hatcher, Patricia Law, Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT ; Date: 1999;). [S12] Ancestry.com, Geneanet Community Trees Index, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Lehi, UT ; Date: 2022;). [S509] Sons of the American Revolution - Members, Database online. U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 Database online. [S78] World Family Tree, (Name: Family Tree Maker;), Murphy.FTW. [S2963] American Battlefields: Battle of Brier Creek, (Name: American Battlefield Trust; Location: Washington DC;), REVOLUTIONARY WAR - Battle of Brier Creek. By 1778, it was becoming clear that British attempts to subdue the northern colonies were being met with mixed results. While successful during the 1776 New York Campaign and Philadelphia Campaign of 1777, British fortunes turned decidedly after Saratoga—and the new alliance between the Americans and the French. Thus, the British looked to undertake a "southern strategy," in hopes of subduing the southern colonies and brining the loyalist forces there into the war. After taking the city of Savannah, Georgia, on December 29, 1778, the British then moved inland to take Augusta. By the first week of February, 1779, Augusta was under British control. Recruiting parties were sent off into the backcountry of North and South Carolina in hopes of rallying Loyalists to the cause. As a large group of Loyalists made their way to Augusta, Patriot forces caught wind of their movements. On February 14, 1779, the Loyalist forces came under attack at the Battle of Kettle Creek. The Patriot victory at Kettle Creek convinced the commander of Augusta, Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell, to abandon the city. As the British moved away from Augusta, their retreat was half heartedly pursued by Patriot forces under the command of General John Ashe. To slow the American pursuit the British force destroyed the bridge over Brier Creek. As the American forces camped along the banks of the creek, and attempted to repair the bridge, the British struck. A wide flanking maneuver caught the American's off guard. The battle quickly devolved into a rout—and British victory. The victory at Brier Creek allowed British forces to maintain a foothold in Georgia, and led to the invasion of South Carolina. https://www.battlefields.org/about/contact [S2962] USWars: Battle of Briar Creek - My Revolutionary War, (Name: American Revolutionary War;), The Battle of Briar Creek. The Battle of Brier/Briar Creek https://www.myrevolutionarywar.com/battles/790304-briar-creek/ History-Battle of Briar Creek The Battle of Briar (Brier) Creek during the American Revolutionary War -- + https://www.myrevolutionarywar.com/battles/790304-briar-creek/ [S78] World Family Tree, (Name: Family Tree Maker;), Aaron Hood v16t1644. [S78] World Family Tree, (Name: Family Tree Maker;). [S5037] Smith, Clara Twomey, Find a Grave - Ancestor (Hood): HENDERSON Rachel Murphy, (Name: SmithLC.com;), HENDERSON Rachel Murphy 1764-1844. Rachel (nee Henderson) Murphy was born in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. Her parents' names have yet to be determined. She married the Rev. William "Big Bill" Murphy [Jr.] on January 26, 1792 in Greene County, Tennessee. See her mention at web-link: Rachel Henderson Murphy from the site of Henderson History & Genealogy. Reading this Henderson Web-site, there is high possibility Rachel Henderson Murphy would have been the sister of James Henderson Sr. (same generation) in Greene County, Tennessee who married Hannah Sollars. After James Sr. was killed in an American-Indian conflict in 1793, Hannah remarried to James Tallent and the couple migrated to the Murphy Settlement, which became Farmington, Missouri. Hannah's family had a close connection to the Murphy family. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42620200/rachel-murphy