Chat
|
Daily Search
|
My GenForum
|
Community Standards
|
Terms of Service
|
|
|
Biography of Frances "Fanny" A. (Alston) Murchison
Prepared by Karen J. Matheson
Frances A. (Alston) Murchison was born 5 Sept 1832 in Jackson, Madison County, Tennessee. She was the adopted daughter of John R. and Lydia A. Alston. Frances married Dr. Murdock Murchison on 8 May 1851 in Madison County, Tennessee.
Murdock Murchison was born 23 June 1823 in Manchester, Cumberland County, North Carolina and migrated with his parents to Madison County, Tennessee in 1839. Murdock studied medicine at the Philadelphia College of Medicine from 1850-51 and graduated in 1851. Murdock and Frances located in Denmark, Madison County, Tennessee where he set up his medical practice. Murdock died there on 9 September 1889 and was buried in the Denmark Presbyterian Church cemetery. A stone was also prepared for Frances at that time, upon which her birth date was engraved; however, the death date was left blank.
Murdock and Frances A. (Alston) Murchison had five children, only two of whom survived to adulthood: William M., born in February 1856, and Duncan, born in 1867.
After Murdock's death in 1889, Frances moved to Texas by 1 December 1889 where she lived some time with her son William M. and his family in Colorado County. However, Frances was a resident of St. Joseph's Infirmary in Houston, Harris County, Texas when she applied 25 May 1908 for a pension based on her husband's Civil War Service in the 51st Tennessee Infantry under Col. Browder. This application was disapproved 25 September 1908 for reasons not evident from papers in the application file.
In spite of the pension application having been rejected, Frances Murchison was accepted to the Confederate Women's Home in Austin, Travis County, Texas shortly after it opened in June 1908. She met their requirements of being at least sixty years old and without financial support. Frances was listed in the 1909-1910 Austin City Directory as "Murchison, Frances A. (widow M.) h. Confederate Woman's Home." She was subsequently enumerated in the 1910 census living in the Home on 38th Street with fourteen other women, a cook, and the head of the Home.
According to Texas State Cemetery records available online, Frances would have been the first women to die and be buried in the Cemetery under the auspices of the Confederate Women's Home. The Home provided the tombstone which marks her final resting place; however, the given death date of July 9, 1909 is obviously incorrect as she was enumerated in the 1910 census dated 16 April 1910. Frances likely died 9 July 1910, and the tombstone was placed sometime after the State of Texas assumed control of the Home in 1911. Her birth date on the tombstone is also incorrect. No death certificate for Frances A. Murchison has been found in Texas State records.
Frances A. (Alston) Murchison outlived all five of her children and survived her husband by twenty years. Her husband, Dr. Murdock Murchison, lies buried in Denmark, Madison County, Tennessee with three of their children, while Frances' final resting place is far away and alone in the Texas State Cemetery.
Sources: Household of John R. Allston, 1850 District No. 6, Madison County, Tennessee federal census, p. 263; Household of M. Murchison, 1860 District No. 3, Madison County, Tennessee federal census, p. 91; Household of Dr. M. Murchison, 1880 District No. 6, Madison County, Tennessee federal census, p 182B; M. Murchison, MD biography, The Goodspeed Histories of Madison County, Tennessee (orginally published 1887: reprint Columbia, TN: Woodward & Stinson Printing Co,1972), p. 889; Denmark Presbyterian Cemetery, Madison County Tennessee Genweb <http://www.tngenweb.org/madison/cemetery/dnpres.htm>; Household of William Murchison, 1900 Pct 4 Weimar, Colorado County, Texas federal census (ed 20 sh 3B); Confederate Pension Application (rejected), Mrs. F. A. (Murdock) Murchison, Texas State Archives; Austin City Directory 1909-1910, Texas State Genealogy Library (Lorenzo de Zavala), Austin, Texas; Confederate Women's Home, 1910 Justice Pct 3/Ward 4 Austin, Travis, Texas federal census (ed 74 sh 3A) address 301 38th Street; Texas State Cemetery, 909 Navasota Street, Austin, TX 78702.
Notify Administrator about this message?
Followups:
|
| http://genforum.genealogy.com/murchison/messages/435.html | ||
 |
Link to GenForum Add Forum |
|