The African-American Story
In 1850, William Law Murfree owned over 100 enslaved African-Americans at Grantlands plantation, along with over 60 slaves on his cotton plantation in Mississippi. It is unclear what life was like for the slaves at Grantlands since extremely few documents have been found that record their history. However, the stories of former slaves of the Murfree family become more apparent following the Civil War, as they married, had children, sometimes acquired property, and rekindled family connections. Government records reveal those stories through marriage licenses, birth and death records, court records, and property records. Here are some of those stories:
The Story of Sarah and Robert Murfree
Sarah Murfree was born between 1830 and 1835 in North Carolina. She was a slave on Mathias Brickell Murfree’s plantation in Murfreesboro, TN. Mathias was a son of Col. Hardy Murfree and brother-in-law to David Dickinson. In 1853 Mathias willed Sarah to his young daughter, Anna, as her personal servant. Sarah and Anna must have had a very close relationship as Anna later sold a house to Sarah on Maney Avenue in Murfreesboro in 1874.
Sarah Murfree married a man by the name of Robert Murfree on August 19, 1865 in Rutherford County, TN. Both Robert and Sarah took the last name Murfree at the end of the Civil War, but it can only be assumed that they may have lived and worked on the same plantation. After the Civil War, former slaves were granted the rights of full citizenship in America. Many former slaves traveled to the courthouse in Murfreesboro beginning in August 1865 to receive their legal marriage certificate. It is very possible that Sarah and Robert had previously been "married" while enslaved.
Sarah and Robert had six children and lived together in Murfreesboro until Robert's death in 1904. In September 1908, their daughter Harriet and her husband tried to assume ownership of Sarah’s house on Maney Avenue, claiming that Sarah was too elderly and feeble-minded to care for the house. However, Sarah and her other children attempted to defend the house from Harriet by taking her to court. In the end, Sarah lost the house. She died sometime after 1910.
The Story of Carrie Murfree and her family
Under a tree in Evergreen City Cemetery in Murfreeboro stands a lone gravestone that marks the burying place of Carrie Murfree. The tombstone simply records her dates, January 5, 1875 – January 17, 1921, but the records at the Rutherford County Archives reveal more. Carrie was born to Nathaniel Murfree and Adeline Murfree following the Civil War. Nathaniel was the son of Tom and Ellen, “married” slaves who were willed from Mathias Brickell Murfree to his wife Mary Ann Murfree in 1853. Nathaniel married Adeline Jordan on September 6, 1870, and they had at least four daughters including Carrie. At some point between 1900 and 1910, Carrie married a man by the last name of Billingsley. However by 1910, Carrie was living with her mother on Sevier Street in Murfreesboro, and both women were listed as widows. By 1920, Carrie and Adeline moved to East State Street in Murfreesboro and both ladies were working as private cooks. Carrie passed away in 1921 of unknown causes at the age of 38. It is not clear where the rest of her family were buried or why she returned to her maiden name before her death.
The Amazing Painting of Luke Murfree
On a rainy day in the summer of 2002, local Murfreesboro resident Mary Watkins discovered an old painting signed “L. Murfree.” The painting was resting against a discarded couch, which was waiting on the curb for the next trash truck to pick up. The painting came out of an old house, which had once been owned by some of Mary’s relatives. As her curiosity got the best of her, Mary was able to rebuild the story of the mysterious “L. Murfree” using records found at the local library and the Rutherford County Archives.
In 1842, David W. Dickinson deeded a slave woman, Judy age 27, and her daughter, Amelia age 7, to his father David Dickson. When the father, David Dickinson, passed away in 1848, Amelia and Grantlands plantation were part of the “property” that he willed to his daughter, Fanny Priscilla Dickinson Murfree. Amelia later gave birth to Luke, who was born into slavery sometime around 1860, most likely on the Grantlands plantation. By 1880, Luke was boarding with several white professionals in the home of J. E. Scoby. Mr. Scoby was serving as president of a white, private female institute at the time located on Bell Street in Murfreesboro. Luke was listed as a painter on the 1880 census. Luke held various occupations other than “painter” during his lifetime including farm laborer, cook, and pool room manager. He was married twice before his death in 1918. He is buried in the old African-American section of the Evergreen City Cemetery. If it was not for the painting that Luke left behind, maybe we would never have made the connection between the black and white Murfrees at Grantlands Plantation.