William L. Murphy

William L. Murphy

WILLIAM L. MURPHY, farmer, section 9, Big Prairie Township, was born in Hastings Co., Canada West, and is the son of William and Betsy (O'Bryan) Murphy. The father was born in Ireland, 12 miles from the city of Dublin, about the year 1800. The mother was born at Hastings about 1820. They were the parents of three children, of whom Mr. Murphy of this sketch is the eldest.

He came to Michigan in the fall of 1865, first stopping at Grand rapids, and until the year 1874 was exclusively occupied in lumbering, plying his vocation the entire length of the Big Muskegon River. He resided nine years at Big Rapids. In 1874 he purchased his farm of 120 acres on which he has since resided and has 80 acres under cultivation, with good buildings and improvements. He is a Democrat in political principles.

Mr. Murphy was married Sept. 2, 1867, to Mrs. Loretta (Haight) Doyle. One daughter, Sarah Elizabeth, was born of their marriage, Nov. 8, 1868, and died Oct. 31, 1878.

Mrs. Murphy is the daughter of Hiram and Sarah (Swaine) Haight, and was born Oct. 15, 1832, in Bradford Co., Pa. She was married March 13, 1854, to William Doyle. He was born of Irish parentage March 13, 1829, in Canada. He became a citizen of the United States and accepted the responsibilities of his adopted nationality by enlisting in defense of its imperiled flag. He enrolled Aug. 10, 1862, in Co. K, Third Mich. Vol. Inf., was wounded at Fredericksburg May 2, 1863, and died Oct. 15, 1863, in Lincoln Hospital, Washington, from the consequence of his injury. Mr. and Mrs. Doyle became the parents of six children, three of whom are living, as follows: William Edwin, Lillie Loretta and Stpehen Douglas. Mrs. Murphy's mother was born Nov. 8, 1804, in Plymouth, Chenango Co., N.Y., and died March 18, 1877.

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