General Family Information
A reference work you may not be aware of is “The Phelps of Lawson’s Bottom and Most of Their Relatives.” It was compiled and privately published by Col. Harry H. Ellis (U.S. Army, Retired) in 1986. A copy is in the Library of Congress and may be in other libraries.
It’s main emphasis is on some particular PHELPS and MORGAN families, but it has significant information on the MURPHY, MACKEY, McCAFFREE, and WINFREY families as they relate to these Phelps or Morgans. Yes, there are many groups of these families in these United States, these just may the ones YOU need.
Don’t let the subject of “Lawson’s Bottom” - which is on the Cumberland River in Kentucky - deter you here. The families of Col. Ellis’ interest were in this area, but his research covers the families in many areas.
If you have an interest in one of these families, I urge you to review this book. It is not without flaws (as Col. Ellis says, those are "....errors of the hand and not of the heart”), but may knock down a brick wall in your journey - it most assuredly did in mine!
Good luck, Jim Morgan