Finding Aid to the John D. Murrell Letters
Text
JONES MEMORIAL LIBRARY
2311 MEMORIAL AVENUE
LYNCHBURG, VA 24501
(434) 846-0501
JOHN D. MURRELL (1854-1918) LETTERS
The collection includes a letter from John D[obbins]. MURRELL, Tally Ho
plantation, Louisiana, 3 September 1879, to his uncle, George MURRELL, describing
crop and building damage from a storm of the previous day. Also included is a letter
from George R[oss]. MURRELL, New Orleans, Louisiana, 12 July 1890, to his father
[George M. MURRELL], about an unnamed distressing situation. Also included is a
letter from John D. MURRELL, Mossy Creek, Tennessee, 22 October 1899, to his
cousins, Lewis [Edward] and Mary [CONNER] MURRELL, Lynchburg, Virginia, in
sympathy for the loss of their daughter, Margaret [Buckner] MURRELL.
MS1494
JONES MEMORIAL LIBRARY
2311 MEMORIAL AVENUE
LYNCHBURG, VA 24501
(434) 846-0501
JOHN DOBBINS MURRELL (1854-1918)
John Dobbins MURRELL, son of John William MURRELL and Mary Ann HART,
was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, 24 March 1854. [Murrell Family Tree, n.p., n.d., FF2372,
Jones Memorial Library, Lynchburg, VA; Marriage of John Dobbins Murrell, Jr., and Millie Powell
Whitehead, 18 February 1880, Marriage Register, Lynchburg, VA, Book 2, p. 171.]
Educated in Lynchburg, John D. MURRELL also attended the Virginia Military
Institute in 1874. [News article, "John D. Murrell In Extremis," Lynchburg News, 4 August 1918, p. 15
c. 5; Register of Former Cadets…Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia, Centennial ed. (Roanoke:
Roanoke Printing, 1939), p. 78.]
MURRELL "spent much of his early life" in Lynchburg "and in Louisiana, where his
father owned a fine farm. [News article, "In Extremis," loc.cit.] On 3 September 1879, he
wrote from Tally Ho plantation in Louisiana to his uncle, George MURRELL, of
Campbell County, Virginia, about damage from a recent storm. [Letter, 3 September 1879,
John D. Murrell Letters, MS1494, Jones Memorial Library, Lynchburg, VA; Lynchburg Daily News, 3
September 1879, p. 3 col. 4; Lynchburg Daily News, 4 September 1879, p. 3 col. 5. The News account of 4
September states "the officers of the Cannon report the destruction of a dozen sugar houses on the coast
below Baton Rouge." In the letter of 3 September, MURRELL writes "the clerk of the Cannon said it was
heavy above [New Orleans], but could give us no particulars."]
John Dobbins MURRELL, Jr., insurance agent, married 18 February 1880, in
Lynchburg, Virginia, Millie Powell WHITEHEAD, daughter of Thomas and Martha W.
WHITEHEAD of Amherst County, Virginia. [Marriage Register, loc.cit.; Murrell Family Tree,
loc.cit.]
John D. MURRELL moved to Richmond, Virginia, ca. 1893. [Letter, Conley Edwards, The
Library of Virginia, 22 February 1995. The obituary of Murrell, in the Richmond-Times Dispatch of 6
August 1918, p. 8, states that he had been in Richmond for about twenty-five years, or ca. 1893.]
On 22 October 1899, John D. MURRELL, then of Mossy Creek, Jefferson County,
Tennessee, wrote a letter of sympathy to his cousins, Lewis Edward and Mary
(CONNER) MURRELL of Campbell County, Virginia, following the death of their
daughter, Margaret Buckner MURRELL. [Letter, 22 October 1899, John D. Murrell Letters,
loc.cit.; Murrell Family Tree, loc.cit.; Burial record, Book 12, p. 223, Diuguid Funeral Home, Lynchburg,
VA, Microfilmed records, Jones Memorial Library.]
John D. MURRELL resided at 811 Barton Avenue in Richmond in 1915, when he was
city editor of the Richmond Evening Journal. [Letter, Conley Edwards, loc.cit.; "Thomas
(Continued)
JOHN D. MURRELL (1854-1918) LETTERS (Contd)
MS1494
JOHN DOBBINS MURRELL (1854-1918) (Contd)
Whitehead Murrell, M.D.," Lyon Gardiner Tyler, Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, Vol. 4 (New York:
Lewis Historical Publ., 1915), p. 123. John D. Murrell "is now a resident of Richmond, Virginia, a
journalist."] In 1918, he was living at "The Hanover" at 100 West Franklin Street. [Letter, Conley
Edwards, loc.cit. City directories of Richmond, VA, were checked for 1915-1918.]
John Dobbins MURRELL died 4 August 1918 in Richmond, Virginia. He was buried
in Hollywood Cemetery. According to his obituary, he had been employed by "the old
Times" as an editor. He also served as editor of the News Leader and the Evening
Journal. [Ibid.] At one time, he had also served as the assistant postmaster for Richmond.
[News article, "In Extremis," loc.cit.]
GEORGE ROSS MURRELL (1861-1918)
George Ross MURRELL, son of George M. MURRELL and Amanda M. ROSS, was
born 26 September 1861, in Lynchburg, Virginia. [Murrell Family Tree, n.p., n.d., F2372, Jones
Memorial Library, Lynchburg, VA.] He was graduated from Virginia Military Institute in
1882, and moved to Louisiana ca. 1885, where he was "engaged in…sugar production."
[Obituary, Lynchburg News, 19 October 1923, p. 9 col. 2; Register of Former Cadets…Virginia Military
Institute, Lexington, Virginia, Centennial ed. (Roanoke: Roanoke Printing Co., 1939), p. 92.]
In 1890, George R. MURRELL, then living in New Orleans, Louisiana, wrote to his
father, George M. MURRELL of Lynchburg, Virginia, concerning an unnamed
distressing situation. [Letter, 12 June 1890, John D. Murrell Letters, MS1494, Jones Memorial Library,
Lynchburg, VA.]
George Ross MURRELL left Lynchburg, Virginia, ca. 1894, to make his home in
Louisiana. He resided at Tally Ho plantation at Bayou Goula, Louisiana. [Register, loc.cit.;
Obituary, loc.cit.]
On 25 January 1899, George R. MURRELL married Margaret GWYNN. [Murrell
Family Tree, loc.cit.]
George Ross MURRELL died 18 October 1923 at his home in Bayou Goula,
Louisiana. [Obituary, loc.cit.]
MS1494
2311 MEMORIAL AVENUE
LYNCHBURG, VA 24501
(434) 846-0501
JOHN D. MURRELL (1854-1918) LETTERS
The collection includes a letter from John D[obbins]. MURRELL, Tally Ho
plantation, Louisiana, 3 September 1879, to his uncle, George MURRELL, describing
crop and building damage from a storm of the previous day. Also included is a letter
from George R[oss]. MURRELL, New Orleans, Louisiana, 12 July 1890, to his father
[George M. MURRELL], about an unnamed distressing situation. Also included is a
letter from John D. MURRELL, Mossy Creek, Tennessee, 22 October 1899, to his
cousins, Lewis [Edward] and Mary [CONNER] MURRELL, Lynchburg, Virginia, in
sympathy for the loss of their daughter, Margaret [Buckner] MURRELL.
MS1494
JONES MEMORIAL LIBRARY
2311 MEMORIAL AVENUE
LYNCHBURG, VA 24501
(434) 846-0501
JOHN DOBBINS MURRELL (1854-1918)
John Dobbins MURRELL, son of John William MURRELL and Mary Ann HART,
was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, 24 March 1854. [Murrell Family Tree, n.p., n.d., FF2372,
Jones Memorial Library, Lynchburg, VA; Marriage of John Dobbins Murrell, Jr., and Millie Powell
Whitehead, 18 February 1880, Marriage Register, Lynchburg, VA, Book 2, p. 171.]
Educated in Lynchburg, John D. MURRELL also attended the Virginia Military
Institute in 1874. [News article, "John D. Murrell In Extremis," Lynchburg News, 4 August 1918, p. 15
c. 5; Register of Former Cadets…Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia, Centennial ed. (Roanoke:
Roanoke Printing, 1939), p. 78.]
MURRELL "spent much of his early life" in Lynchburg "and in Louisiana, where his
father owned a fine farm. [News article, "In Extremis," loc.cit.] On 3 September 1879, he
wrote from Tally Ho plantation in Louisiana to his uncle, George MURRELL, of
Campbell County, Virginia, about damage from a recent storm. [Letter, 3 September 1879,
John D. Murrell Letters, MS1494, Jones Memorial Library, Lynchburg, VA; Lynchburg Daily News, 3
September 1879, p. 3 col. 4; Lynchburg Daily News, 4 September 1879, p. 3 col. 5. The News account of 4
September states "the officers of the Cannon report the destruction of a dozen sugar houses on the coast
below Baton Rouge." In the letter of 3 September, MURRELL writes "the clerk of the Cannon said it was
heavy above [New Orleans], but could give us no particulars."]
John Dobbins MURRELL, Jr., insurance agent, married 18 February 1880, in
Lynchburg, Virginia, Millie Powell WHITEHEAD, daughter of Thomas and Martha W.
WHITEHEAD of Amherst County, Virginia. [Marriage Register, loc.cit.; Murrell Family Tree,
loc.cit.]
John D. MURRELL moved to Richmond, Virginia, ca. 1893. [Letter, Conley Edwards, The
Library of Virginia, 22 February 1995. The obituary of Murrell, in the Richmond-Times Dispatch of 6
August 1918, p. 8, states that he had been in Richmond for about twenty-five years, or ca. 1893.]
On 22 October 1899, John D. MURRELL, then of Mossy Creek, Jefferson County,
Tennessee, wrote a letter of sympathy to his cousins, Lewis Edward and Mary
(CONNER) MURRELL of Campbell County, Virginia, following the death of their
daughter, Margaret Buckner MURRELL. [Letter, 22 October 1899, John D. Murrell Letters,
loc.cit.; Murrell Family Tree, loc.cit.; Burial record, Book 12, p. 223, Diuguid Funeral Home, Lynchburg,
VA, Microfilmed records, Jones Memorial Library.]
John D. MURRELL resided at 811 Barton Avenue in Richmond in 1915, when he was
city editor of the Richmond Evening Journal. [Letter, Conley Edwards, loc.cit.; "Thomas
(Continued)
JOHN D. MURRELL (1854-1918) LETTERS (Contd)
MS1494
JOHN DOBBINS MURRELL (1854-1918) (Contd)
Whitehead Murrell, M.D.," Lyon Gardiner Tyler, Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, Vol. 4 (New York:
Lewis Historical Publ., 1915), p. 123. John D. Murrell "is now a resident of Richmond, Virginia, a
journalist."] In 1918, he was living at "The Hanover" at 100 West Franklin Street. [Letter, Conley
Edwards, loc.cit. City directories of Richmond, VA, were checked for 1915-1918.]
John Dobbins MURRELL died 4 August 1918 in Richmond, Virginia. He was buried
in Hollywood Cemetery. According to his obituary, he had been employed by "the old
Times" as an editor. He also served as editor of the News Leader and the Evening
Journal. [Ibid.] At one time, he had also served as the assistant postmaster for Richmond.
[News article, "In Extremis," loc.cit.]
GEORGE ROSS MURRELL (1861-1918)
George Ross MURRELL, son of George M. MURRELL and Amanda M. ROSS, was
born 26 September 1861, in Lynchburg, Virginia. [Murrell Family Tree, n.p., n.d., F2372, Jones
Memorial Library, Lynchburg, VA.] He was graduated from Virginia Military Institute in
1882, and moved to Louisiana ca. 1885, where he was "engaged in…sugar production."
[Obituary, Lynchburg News, 19 October 1923, p. 9 col. 2; Register of Former Cadets…Virginia Military
Institute, Lexington, Virginia, Centennial ed. (Roanoke: Roanoke Printing Co., 1939), p. 92.]
In 1890, George R. MURRELL, then living in New Orleans, Louisiana, wrote to his
father, George M. MURRELL of Lynchburg, Virginia, concerning an unnamed
distressing situation. [Letter, 12 June 1890, John D. Murrell Letters, MS1494, Jones Memorial Library,
Lynchburg, VA.]
George Ross MURRELL left Lynchburg, Virginia, ca. 1894, to make his home in
Louisiana. He resided at Tally Ho plantation at Bayou Goula, Louisiana. [Register, loc.cit.;
Obituary, loc.cit.]
On 25 January 1899, George R. MURRELL married Margaret GWYNN. [Murrell
Family Tree, loc.cit.]
George Ross MURRELL died 18 October 1923 at his home in Bayou Goula,
Louisiana. [Obituary, loc.cit.]
MS1494
Dublin Core
Title
Finding Aid to the John D. Murrell Letters
Subject
finding aids
Murrell, John Dobbins, 1854-1918
Description
Finding aid to the John D. Murrell Letters held at Jones Memorial Library in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Creator
George M. Jones Memorial Library (Lynchburg, Va.)
Publisher
George M. Jones Memorial Library (Lynchburg, Va.)
Date
2023
Rights
George M. Jones Memorial Library (Lynchburg, Va.)
Format
pdf
Language
English
Identifier
MS1494FA
Collection
Citation
George M. Jones Memorial Library (Lynchburg, Va.), “Finding Aid to the John D. Murrell Letters,” Digital Collections, accessed April 27, 2024, https://digitaljones.omeka.net/items/show/551.