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Below is a family biography included in the Biographical Annals of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania published in 1904 by T. S. Benham & Company and The Lewis Publishing Company; Elwood Roberts, Editor.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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ANDREW JACKSON MURPHY, son of John and Tacy (Gillin) Murphy, was born August 18, 1859, on the farm his father rented from the Scarlett estate, situated on the Bethlehem turnpike, near Springhouse, in Lower Gwynedd township.

He attended the public school, at Cedar Hill, and for a time the Friends’ School, at Gwynedd Meeting, then taught by Ellwood Roberts, in the meantime assisting his father on the farm, and working for neighboring farmers. On leaving school he continued in this way until his marriage, which took place October 14, 1882, to Mary Ellen, daughter of David C. and Elizabeth (Cope) Davis, of Springhouse. She was born June 15, 1863. After his marriage Mr. Murphy located on the farm of Andrew J. Hoover, on the turnpike, near Penllyn, in Lower Gwynedd township, from which he removed to the Levi R. Clayton property, at Springhouse, at the same time securing employment from different farmers in the neighborhood. He then purchased the property, containing three acres, of Catharine Beck, at Springhouse, which he soon afterwards sold and purchased the property of Dr. Graham, consisting of 47 acres, on the Gwynedd road, which he operated as a dairy. In 1897 he sold the Graham farm to B. W. Green, of Germantown, who is one of the colony of new residents in that section of the township. Mr. Murphy then leased the farm of Frederick Phander, on the Bethlehem turnpike, in Horsham township, for a year. In the spring of 1898 he leased the farm on which he now lives, belonging to the John Hoffman estate, located on the Welsh road, in Gwynedd. It contains 114 acres of improved land and woodland, which he operated for some years as a dairy. Later he purchased the farm. He has eighteen to twenty head of cows, and is in every respect a successfu1 farmer, attending strictly to business, and neglecting nothing that will contribute to prosperity on the farm. In politics he is a Democrat, and is much interested in party success at the polls.

The children of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew J. Murphy are: Benjamin F., Mary Elizabeth, George Deane, Mabel, Elmira, Edward, and Helen. The family are members of the Episcopal Church of the Messiah, at Gwynedd.

John Murphy (father) was a native of Ireland, but came to this country when he was quite young. He lived for a time in Philadelphia, and then located in Montgomery county, where he was employed in farming. He married Mrs. Gillin, widow of Thomas Gillin, whose maiden name was Deane. She was a member of an old and prominent family in Montgomery county. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Murphy were: John Fitzwater, born October 17, 1853, unmarried, and lives at Springhouse with his brother, George D. Murphy; Benjamin Franklin, born September 16, 1854, married Julia Frances Hoffman, daughter of John and Louisa (Holwich) Hoffman, of Lower Gwynedd, they living in Whitpain township; Andrew J., subject of this sketch; George D., born September 28, 1860, married, September 8, 1892, Emma A. Halberstadt. Mr. and Mrs. John Murphy were married February 19, 1852. Both are now deceased.

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This family biography is one of more than 1,000 biographies included in the Biographical Annals of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania published in 1904 by T. S. Benham & Company and The Lewis Publishing Company.  For the complete description, click here: Biographical Annals of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

View additional Montgomery County, Pennsylvania family biographies here: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Biographies

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