[Murphys & others from "History of North Carolina Baptists" by George 
Washington Paschal, Vol. I, 1930, Vol II, 1955]
[Mostly about Rev. Joseph Murphy; provided by Beverly White; 
excerpted by Mark A. Murphy, 20 Mar 2002]

[p. 226]
[from Morgan Edward's notebook on NC Baptists, 1772]
Page 4
...Little River [Church]...
They began (about 1759 when Mr. Murphy came to the house of John
Jefferies on little river and afterwards baptized one Mary Nicholas,
John Bowlin & wife, Edmond Nicholas & wife, John Lucas, Wm. Lucas)
1760, when the following pursons were formed into a church before they
removed hither from Deep River, viz: Richard Curtis, Josephs Murphy and
wife, John Lee and wife, William Searsy and wife and Susan Carr.  The 
most remarkable things that may be said of this church are that (1)
That in three year it increased from 8 souls to 500 but is now reduced
low by removal of families to other parts, chiefly occasioned by 
oppressions which seems to them remediless since the Battle of
Alamance.
[note: Murphy preached before he brought the organized church from
Deep River.  The Little River congregation already had a meeting house
in 1758 and were represented at the Sandy Creek Association by its
minister, Joseph Breed.]
The first minister was Rev. Joseph Murphy.
He was born April 1, 1734, in Spotsylvania.  Bred a churchman. 
(Embraced the principles of the Baptists in 1757 and had the) ordinance
administered to him by
Page 5
Shubal Stearns.  Ordained in 1760 at which time he had the care of his
little emigrating church; but resigned in 1768 to go to the Atkin.  His
success is no less surprising than his conversion.  He was once wicked
to a proverb, but now an eminent christian and a useful preacher.
	The vile Col. F__n accused him of aiding and abettin the 
regulation whereof he was as clear as any man whatsoever; yet
[p. 227]
a party of horse was sent to seize him, but could not find him.  He
married a Haley, by whom he has children: Sarah, Ferreby, Eleanor,
Susanna, Elizabeth.

[p. 228]
Page 8
[new churches formed]..Staunton-river, Virg. (William Murphy)....
Page 9
...Shallow-fords, N.C., (Joseph Murphy), &c.
...The ministers...Joseph Murphy, William Murphy,...

[p. 229]
Page 13
Shallow Ford- (separate) [part of Sandy Creek Association formed 2d 
June 1758]  So called from the fords of the Atkin river, in the county
of Surry 30 miles NW from Newburn, and __miles from Philadelphia....
The minister Joseph Murphy, born in Spotsylvania Ap 5, 1734.  ...
Children- Sarah, Ferribe, Eleanor, Susanna, Elizabeth.  The mother's 
name was Haly.

Page 14
Holston Staunton, Virginia
A branch near, another near the head of the Roannoak- one at Staunton
river.  Begun about 1762.  The minister William Murphy.  Baptized at
Deep river by Shubal Stearnes.  Ordained at Staunton in 1763.  He 
married Sarah Barton; his first was one
[p. 230] 
of the Hodges.  He has children by both: John, Keziah, William, Joseph,
Tabitha.

[p. 232]
Page 22
Shallow Ford (probably a 2nd account written by Edwards)
...built in 1769..Ruling Elders...laying on of hands are here admitted,
but stand divided about washing feet &c... The minister is Rev. Joseph
Murphy....
[end Edwards' notebook excerpts]

[p. 294]
Spread of Separate Baptists
Early in the year 1760 another colony went off from the same Deep River
Church.  This was composed of Joseph Murphy and wife, ...Before their
departure they were constituted into a church and Joseph Murphy
ordained their minister.  This Joseph Murphy and his brother William
had come to this section from Spotsylvania County, Virginia, where
Joseph was born on April 1, 1734, and his brother William two years
earlier.  Both were converted and became members of the Deep River
Church in 1757, being baptized by Elder Shubal Stearnes.  Both became
preachers, but William who returned to Virginia did
[p. 295]
a more extensive work.  They were known as the "Murphy Boys."  In the
ordination of Joseph as the pastor of the little traveling church the
venerable old father Shubal Stearns himself had a part, and it was
probably under his direction that the little group were going forth to
make their home and establish a church on Little River in what was then
in the limits of Anson County, but in that part of it which in 1777 was
erected into the county of Montgomery..... In 1772 Morgan Edwards found
the church reduced to a membership of forty-eight.  He tell us that 
"the vile Edmund Fanning" charged Joseph Murphy, their former pastor
with leading in the Regulator movement, but Edwards insists that the
charge was false... 
[p. 296]
...their pastor, Mr. Murphy, [probably] did not cooperate with them
in this [Regulator movement] that he left them in 1769 and went to 
another field of labor in Surry County.  After his departure, the 
Little River church had no ordained pastor....

[p. 299]
..Shallow Ford... established through the labors of Elder Joseph
Murphy, who, as we have seen, had been pastor of the church at Little
River...number of 32 in 1769...Like the former church of Mr. Murphy,
this church also showed much proselyting zeal and in three years time
had increased in numbers to 185 member, and had established two 
branches, one in the forks of the Yadkin and another in what was known
as the the Mulberry Fields, "near the Moravian settlement", in the
service of which Mr. Murphy had three assistants, Messrs. David Allen,
John Cates adn David Chapman
	Grassy Creek in northern Granville was among the earliest
churches constituted by the Separatists in North Carolina.....


[p. 384]
Exodus of the Baptists
...such tyranny as Tryon had displayed in North Carolina...But the war
was not yet over, when the members of one of these churches which had
been located on the Clinch River returned and reorganized as the church
known as Glade Hollows.  About the year 1780 eight Baptist preachers
came and settled in this section.  One of them was William Murphy, a
brother of Joseph Murphy, who at this time was pastor of the churches
on the Yadkin.  He had been baptized at Deep River church, but had
since labored for the most part in Virginia, where he had met with
much success...
[p. 385]
..Sandy Creek Association...relationship was kept up until 1786...
..Thus these churches, situated at the gateway to Tennessee and 
Kentucky and the West of that day, gave character and direction to the
Baptists as they spread to the Mississippi and beyond...From Sandy 
Creek and the Separate churches many went to South Carolina.

[p. 390]
...Congaree group... On November 30, 1766, the converts in this section
were organized into a church by Rev. Joseph Murphy, at that time 
minister of the church at Little River in Anson (Montgomery) County,
NC...

[p. 408]
Elder Joseph Murphy was now pastor of Deep Creek in Surry County, which
had only 25 members, but unlike other churches in this section 
continued with the Sandy Creek Association.  In the year 1793 the 
church at the Forks of the Yadkin in Rowan County was reconstituted...

[p. 409]
Asplund says, further, that in these years the Sandy Creek Association
corresponded only with the Georgia Association.  It was holding only
two meetings a year.  In 1793 the occasional meeting was at Uwharry in
Montgomery County, on August 7.  Elder Joseph Murphy preached the
sermon, and Brother Johh Lawler was chosen Scribe (Clerk).


Volume II
[p. 54]
Baptists and Regulators
The "Records of the Moravians [in North Carolina]" also tell us that 
at the same time other Baptist preachers were active in this territory.
A meeting house was built on the Yadkin, and Utley, at the invitation
of its members and its minister, Rev. Joseph Murphy, preached there on
November 30, 1768, the year after Tryon's visit.

[p. 72]
War Against the Baptists
..."dragoons", who were sent through the settlements to burn, pillage,
rob and round up and bring to camp those charged with being dangerous
Regulators....these horsemen were riding through the settlements just
across the Yadkin to seize Regulators and bring them as prisoners to
Tryon's camp, among them Abraham Creson (Crisson) who was a regular
attendant on the services at Mr. Murphy's church, and who was sent on
to Hillsboro by Tryon to be tried for his life.  Probably several 
others of the prisoners named as being from neighborhoods convenient to
Mr. Murphy's church were Baptists, but the records are not definite.
However, the record is definite and clear that Tryon's chief lieut. on
this unholy expedition against the Baptists, Col. Edmund Fanning, 
planned to seize Elder Joseph Murphy, who had led in the great Baptist
development in this section.  On June 3, the day before Tryon came to
Bethabara, Br. Traugott Bagge, who had charge of the business interests
of the Moravians, noted the presence of Fanning with his corps in the
vicinity of Murphy's home.  The continuation of this story is found in
the two slightly different but complementary statements of Morgan 
Edwards.  The first, already given in Volume I, at page 226 f., reads:
"The vile Col. F...n  accused him (Murphy) of aiding and abettin the
Regulation whereof he was as clear as any man whatsoever; yet a party
of horses was sent to seize him, but could not find him."
The second account, also already published, reads:
"He (Murphy) suffered by the regulation tho' he had no hand in
[p.73]
it; for a detachmen of dragoons entered his house, stole his papers, 
and a new pair of stockings which were the most valuable things, they
saw in his little cot."
It is the general belief of historians that if Murphy had been found at
home he would have been sent to Hillsboro, tried for treason, and 
suffered the same cruel and barbarous death as his fellow Baptist,
Benjamin Merrill, who had been seized by the Governor's forces only a
few days before.  Since Murphy was the best known and most successful
Baptist leader in this section, his removal was probably much desired
by all those who shared Tryon's enmity against the Baptists on the
ground that they were enemies of "Mother Church."  Dr. Hufham's 
statement is: "He could not be found or he would have shared the fate
of Merrill."
	It is uncertain where Murphy found refuge when he escaped
capture.  It has been surmised that he went to Virginia.  More probable
is the generally believed neighborhood tradition that he remained among
his friends along the Yadkin to the south of Shallow Fords, and found
refuge in what is known as Boone's Cave, a cavern under the bank of the
Yadkin near Boone's Ford (later Idol's Ford) and the home of the 
parents of Daniel Boone on the east side of the Yadkin.

[p. 85]
Timber Ridge
.."There were good congregations everywhere, especially at Deep Creek;
the people have had no preaching for a long time, for Murphy and the
Bryants have gone in hiding, and have not yet returned."..[Br. Fritz]
It is probable that Murphy was "in hiding."  It is known, however, that
the Bryants were having considerable trouble with the Committee of
Safety of Rowan County, and that some of them went to Kentucky at this
time, where they bought a large tract of land, to which afterwards 
many settlers went from the section west of Winston-Salem.  It is
possible that Murphy went with them on this trip; many Baptists were
going to Kentucky in these days.  There is no evidence that Murphy had
any reason to be
[p. 86] 
in hiding, though it is possible that some of those who were 
disappointed in their efforts to seize him during the Regulator trouble
were ready to cause him trouble again.  Before the end of the year 1776
both the Bryants and Murphy had returned.  Murphy resumed his work on
Deep Creek and early in 1777 organized the arm of the Timber Ridge 
Church at Deep Creek into an independent church, of which he became
pastor and continued as such until his death about 1816.  He was a
patriot all his life, and never had Tory sympathies.

[p. 104]
Deep Creek
Records of the Moravians in North Carolina, II, p. 791
[Br. George Soelle's account of Deep Creek, 1771 &1772]
"The settlers here are all Irish, a robbed and plundered people, where
poverty makes itself at home...My host received me gladly, and cared
for me as well as he could.  Milk and cornbread was the fare 
practically all the time I was there, and not enough of that." 
"..for they are a forsaken people, to whom no one ever went, and it
was more than sixty miles to the Yadkin... It is distressing to see
men in such terrible darkness; may the dear heavenly Father lighten the
heavy judgement somewhat, so that their eyes may be opened to see the
glory of God?"

[p. 414]
French Broad [Association]
..But the beginning of the first churches which have had a permanent
standing was in the following manner: About the year 1780, William
Murphy, [et al]...moved into what was called the Holston country, when
it was in a wilderness state, and much exposed to the ravages and
depredations of the Indians.  These ministers were all Virginians, 
except Mr. Lane, who was from North-Carolina...

[end of excerpts]