******************************************************************************************

According to the information supplied on his headstone, as well as two US Censuses (1860 & 1870), Thomas Murray King was born in 1790. While his burial marker provides the year of his birth, it unfortunately does not provide the date. That info is unknown.

Attached to this memorial is an 1870s (?) cabinet card photograph of a gentleman that is thought to have been Thomas Murray King. However, this identification can not be verified as there is no name on the card, front or back. The reasons as to why it is "thought" to be a picture of Thomas is explained at the bottom of this memorial.

Thomas Murray King is thought to have been the son of Kirby King (abt 1752/55?-1795/96) and Uroth Murray (abt 1752/55?-abt 1806?), the third of their seven known (?) children. Some family trees show his father's first given name as "William" (William Kirby King). While there are no official documents to conform this additional given name there is some circumstantial evidence to this effect. Thomas named his first known son William T. (Thomas?) King (1815-1877), possibly after himself and his father. So it is possible (unproven) that the father of Thomas had the 1st given name of William.

Thomas himself was named after his mother's father (maternal GF), Thomas Murray (1725-1805). His given middle name of "Murray", as well as the surname of his illiterate (defined as unable to read & write) namesake, was sometimes spelled "Murry" by others.

Illiteracy (the inability to read/write) was quiet common in those days. Also, the spelling of names (actually, all words) was rather fluid and was dependent on the person who was doing the writing. Many words and names were spelled as they sounded to the writer. And as mentioned earlier, illiteracy was not uncommon. Some individuals, who could not read and write, did not even know how their their name was spelled (made their mark for their signature) or the year in which they were born. The ability to read and write was just not that important in those days, especially in the very rural locations.

While we definitely know the year of Thomas' birth, the location of his birth can be somewhat confusing. The US Censuses for 1850, 1860 and 1870 all show Thomas as having been born in the state of Tennessee. However, Tennessee did not become a state until June 1, 1796, at least five 1/2 years after his recorded birth. The U.S. Mortality Report for 1880 shows Thomas as having been born in North Carolina. The difference in regard to Thomas' birth states (TN & NC) in these records can be easily explained.

The geographical area of present day Tennessee, which had previously been claimed by North Carolina as it's "Western Territory", was ceded by North Carolina to the U.S. Federal Government on May 26, 1790. It was then officially renamed the "US Territory South of the Ohio River" (1790-1796) but was commonly known as the "Southwest Territory". Since we do not know the day and month of Thomas' birth, we'll just agree with the 1880 Federal Mortality Schedule and say that he was born (1790) in what was then western North Carolina, knowing that he was probably born in what is now present day northeastern Tennessee.

Again, we know Thomas' birth year as 1790. Since several US censuses indicate that both he and his wife were literate (able to read & write) we can reasonably assume that they would have known the year in which they were born, as well as how old they were. Consequently, the birth years (1790 & 1800) on their headstones are thought to be correct.

If Thomas was born prior to May 26 in 1790 in what is now present day Tennessee, he would have been born in North Carolina (NC's Western Territory), just as the 1880 Mortality Report shows. If he was born on/after May 26 in the year 1790, he was born in the Territory South of the Ohio River (aka Southwest Territory), the area that became the state of Tennessee about 5-6 years later. Thus, the 1850, 1860 & 1870 censuses were correct in regard to the area of his birth, which by that time, was called "Tennessee". That explains the difference in birth states.

Whether born before, on, or after May 26, 1790, it is thought that Thomas was born in an area that was to become part of northeastern Tennessee when it became a state in 1796. Some believe him to have been born near Knob Creek in Washington Co. (est. 1777). Knob Creek was one of the earliest settlements (1789) in east Tennessee. However, the surname of King is not mentioned in the names of early settlers in that area.

The aforementioned 1880 Mortality Report tells us that both of his parents were also born in North Carolina. If that information is correct, to have been born in North Carolina they obviously would had to have migrated from somewhere in present day North Carolina to western NC (now eastern Tennessee) prior to Thomas' birth in 1790.

Kirby King, Thomas Murray King's father, is thought to have been born in the 1750s (abt 1752/55?) in the British Province of North Carolina (Rowan Co.?, est. 1753) and to have died in 1795/96 in Washington Co., Territory South of the Ohio River (aka Southwest Territory) which became the state of Tennessee on June 1, 1796, the 16th state to be admitted to the Union. It's neighboring state, Kentucky, had become the 15th state admitted to the Union in 1792.

Thomas' father, Kirby (sometimes spelled Kerby, Kerbie, Curby, Kurby, etc.)was probably illiterate (unable to read or write), which was, again, not that uncommon in those days. Many men signed documents with "their mark", often an X. Spelling of various words/names was quite fluid (spelled different ways). As mentioned earlier, the written spelling of his name by others would have depended on the writer.

Kirby named his first known son, Burwell King (1780-bet 1850/60). Burwell was Thomas' oldest known brother and consequently, he and/or brother, William, may have helped raise Thomas and his sister, Nancy Ann King (1792-1961), when their mother, Uroth (abt 50), died around 1806 or not long thereafter. Burwell who was about age 26 at that time, was married and living in Washington Co., TN. William was about 21 and probably unmarried. William is thought to have married around 1807-08. Thomas was about 16 and Nancy 14 when their mother (Uroth) died. John (B. 1791 ?), Elizabeth (B. 1794 ?) and Mary (B. 1795 ?), their 3 other siblings (?) may not have been living at this time. Nothing is known about them.

Kirby's second known son, William T. (Thomas ?) King (1785-1819), would have been named after his paternal grandfather if his grandfather's first given name was actually "William", as thought by some. Kirby's son, William, named his first known son, William King (1810-bet 1880/90?) as well, so that son was obviously named after his father. However, IF his grandfather's first name was William he may have been named after him as well. Unfortunately, there is currently no known documentation to support this logical assumption, that Kirby's first given name was actually William. Possible, but unproven. If you know of any official documentation or happen to locate an official document that proves his first given name was William, please contact me. Thanks.

Thomas' father, Kirby, along with his wife and children, migrated either with his wife's family (surname Murray) or followed the Murray clan there shortly thereafter from Halifax Co., NC to Washington County in NC's Western Territory (now Tennessee) in the mid-1780s. Although there were already a few King families in the Washington County (est. 1777) & Sullivan County (est. 1779) areas, Kirby is not thought to have been related.

King was a relatively common surname in those days, as was the given name of Thomas. It should be noted that the city of Kingsport (settled 1771), located mostly in Sullivan Co., was NOT named after the Thomas Murray King family, as claimed by some. In addition, King College (established 1867), located in Bristol, was not named after a member of Thomas Murray King's family.

There is much conjecture (opinions or conclusions based on incomplete information) as to the parents of Kirby and the origin of his ancestors. There currently seems to be no documentation to substantiate some of the individuals (Edward King, George King, William King, Valentine King, etc.) that are or were at least at one time were, shown in several King family trees as Kirby's father. In addition, there has been no proven relation to the Isaac Newton King family of Williamsburg, Whitley Co., KY. Again, King was a common surname in those days.

It is quite possible that Kirby's father was Richard King (abt 1700-abt 1785 ?), who once lived in Halifax Co., NC. Some family lore has it that he was of Scot-Irish ancestry, however, some believe him to have been of English descent. As to who Kirby's paternal grandparents were (if Richard was indeed his father), there is much speculation.

The American "Scot-Irish" were originally Scots who had immigrated from Scotland to Ireland and then on to America. They were greatly persecuted by the English in Scotland and they migrated to Ireland. Consequently, they disliked the English immensely. Not liking the British, the American Scot-Irish were great patriots during the Revolutionary War. At the time of the Revolution, the Scot-Irish actually made up one-seventh (1/7) of the population in America.

Emby Luster King (1905-1987), a GG-grandson of Thomas Murray King, lived his entire life nor far from Thomas' old home site in the present day community of Whitley Co. (became McCreary Co. in 1912), KY. Emby told me in 1983 that the first "known" King in his King family line was a "Richard King", who had lived in Halifax, NC. He thought that his ancestors were Scot-Irish. Possible, but as mentioned earlier, Richard's ancestors may actually have been from England.

Emby Luster King knew his ancestry well. He had known his father, Rev. Burel King (1875-1943), for 39 years. Emby Luster King was named after his grandfather, Emby King Sr. (1852-1937), and lived just a short walk from his home. He knew him well (32 years).

Emby King Sr's father, "Dipen" Burl King (1826-1917), was the son of Thomas Murray King (1790-1880). Consequently, Thomas (TMK) was Emby Sr.'s grandfather. They too, lived not far from near each other and definitely would have known each other well. Emby Sr. knew his father, "Dipen" Burl King (1826-1917) for 65 years and his grandfather, Thomas Murray King, for 28 years. Living near each other and having overlapping life spans, they no doubt had several conversations in regard to their family's ancestors.

As you can see from the above paragraph, the King family generations overlapped considerably. Early on, the King, Murray, Angel, Cox and Douglas families all lived relatively near each other in Washington Co., TN and later, several in Claiborne Co., TN. Some of the families (King, Murray and Cox) may even have migrated together in the mid-1780s from present day North Carolina to North Carolina's Western Territory (present day Tennessee).

Since Thomas was only about five when his father (Kirby King) died, he obviously would have remembered very little about him. However, it is reasonably safe to assume that his mother, Uroth, who he would have known until he was at least 16, would have told Thomas and his siblings about their father. Thomas' two older brothers, Burwell King (1780-bet 1850/60) and William King (1785-bet 1841/50), ages 10 & 15 when Kirby died, could also have told their younger brother, Thomas information about their father.

The King family line was probably passed down verbally from Uroth (Murray) King (abt 1755-1806?) to her son, Thomas Murray King (1790-1880), to his sons, including "Dipen" Burl King (1825-1917), who passed it to his son, Emby King Sr. (1852-1939), who passed it on his son, Rev. Burel King (1875-1945), who then passed it on to his son, Emby Luster King (1905-1987). The grandfathers probably would have told their grandsons about their ancestors, as well. Remember: In those days there was obviously no radio, television, no electronic games, no telephones, no computers, etc. Consequently, after a hard days work there was considerable time for conversations with fathers, grandfathers and older relatives, especially in the evenings after supper.

The mother of Thomas Murray King was Uroth Murray (abt 1752/55?-abt 1806?), probably born in Baltimore Co., British Colony of Maryland. A Kentucky Mortality Report for 1880 shows Thomas' mother to have been born in NC where she had lived as a youth. Possible, yet unproven.

The spelling of Thomas' wife, Uroth Murray, unusual given name as been the topic of much discussion. Her father could not read or write (signed his will with "his mark") and in all probability neither could Uroth or her mother. Consequently, there may NOT have been a correct way to spell her name. The spelling of her name would have depended upon the person writing her name.

Consequently, in this memorial and others it will appear the same as it was as it appears in her father's will, Uroth. Again, her father's hand written will, dated 1802, was written by someone else. Consequently, her given name may have been actually spelled Uroth, Ureth, Urouth, Uretha, etc. Most likely, we will never know the correct spelling of her given name IF there was a correct spelling.

Uroth's great-grandfather, James Murray (1665-1704), it thought to have immigrated from Scotland to the British Colony of Maryland as a youth in 1676. He came with someone (a Nathaniel Heathcote) other than his parents, possibly as an apprentice or indentured servant. In addition, he may have been orphaned at the time of his migration.

Uroth's parents were Thomas Murray Sr. (abt 1725-1805) and Margaret Jones (1723-abt 1780?), both thought to have been born in Baltimore County (est. 1659), British Colony of Maryland (1632-1778). They married in Baltimore County about 1745. Thomas was about 20 years old, Margaret about 22.

About 1784-85, Uroth's then widowed father, Thomas, migrated to the area of Sinking Creek (present day community of Gray) in Washington Co., NC's Western Territory (now Tennessee). He died in Washington Co., TN in 1805 and in his will, dated Sept. 5, 1802, he named all nine of his living children, including Uroth. In that will (written in 1802, proven in 1805) Uroth is referred to as "Uroth King" and is obviously still living. However, she is not referred to as the wife of Kirby King so he appears to be deceased (1795/96).

As mentioned earlier, Thomas Murray King, was named after his mother's father, Thomas Murray, the third of the seven known children thought to have been born to Kirby King & Uroth Murray. We know quite a bit about three of Thomas' siblings: Burwell King (1780-bet 1850/60), William King (1785-bet 1841/50) & Nancy Ann King (1792-1861).

In regard to the other three siblings, however, we know very little, only their names and their supposed birth dates. They are John T. King (1791- ?), Elizabeth King (1794- ?) and Polly (Mary?) King (1795- ?). Nothing else is known about them. If they were actually children of Kirby and Uroth, they may have died at/near childbirth or did not survive childhood. Due to the two 5 year intervals between the sibling birth years, Thomas may have had other brothers and/or sisters who died at birth, in infancy or who died young.

NOTE: Thomas's sibling, John T. King, is sometimes confused with a John Turner King (1793-1876) who was born in Chapel Hill, Orange Co., NC, lived in Lincoln Co., TN, and later migrated to Nacogdoches Co., Texas. Not related. Also, the death date of Aug. 10, 1877 shown on many family trees for John T. King is actually thought to be the death date of Thomas' oldest known son, William T. King (1814-1877). There is no official documentation to support an Aug. 10, 1877 death date for John Turner King.

In 1814, probably early in that year, Thomas (24) married 14 year old Mary Rebecca "Polly/Becky" Cox (1800-1881), most likely in Jonesborough (closest town), Washington Co., Tennessee. It was not uncommon in those days for girls to marry quite young. Since the Cox surname is English in origin it is quite possible, even probable, that her ancestors had immigrated from England to America.

Mary, often called "Polly" (an old-time nickname for Mary) and sometimes called "Becky" (short for Rebecca), was born in present day North Carolina in 1800 (Ashe Co.?). It is currently uncertain as to who her parents were. Some believe them to have been Elisha Cox and Mary Litler (Quakers or former Quakers), who migrated from the British Colony of Pennsylvania to North Carolina. However, this proposal has some major problems that are discussed at length in Polly's memorial. Consequently, this assumption appears to be incorrect.

Thomas' wife, Mary, may actually have been the daughter of William Cox (abt 1762-1820s?). He too, had a farm on Sinking Creek in Washington Co., NC (now Tennessee), not far from the King family farm where Thomas Murray King lived as a youth. Mary's mother and siblings are currently unknown.

An interesting piece of King family information is that Thomas's younger sister, Nancy Ann (King) Douglas (1792-1861), had a son she named Kirby King Douglas (1819-1889), apparently named "Kirby" after her father. His middle name was his mother's maiden name "King" and also the surname of his grandfather. As mentioned earlier, it was not uncommon to use a mother's maiden name as a middle given name for a child.

In the 1860 census, Nancy's son (Kirby King Douglas) is shown living in Whitley Co., KY close to his uncle (Nancy's brother), Thomas Murray King. The younger Kirby owned/operated a mill on Paunch Creek on land that he may have obtained from his uncle. He is buried in the nearby Troxell Cemetery (aka 1st Otter Creek Church Cemetery, only about three miles from where Thomas and his wife, Mary, were living when they died (1880/1881 respectively).

Thomas and Mary were married about 65 years and had 15 known children. In the probable order of their birth, the children of Thomas Murray King and Mary Rebecca "Polly/Becky" (Cox) King were William T. (Thomas?) King (abt 1815-1877), Enos King (abt 1816-bet 1892/00), Jackson H. King (abt 1817-bet 1865-69?), Elizabeth King (abt 1818-1896), Mary "Polly" King (abt 1820-1893), Nancy Jane King (abt 1822-1878), Mathew King (1824-1901), "Dipen" Burl King (1825-1917), Rachel King (1829-1962), Daniel "Dan" King (1830-1899), Thomas M. (Murray ?) King (1832-abt 1863), Sarah Drucilla "Sally" King (1834-1892), Lucinda Narcissus "Lucy" King (1835-1904), Elisha S. King (1837-1892) and Thomas Braxton "Brack" King (1839-1918). Most of their offspring was illiterate as schools in the isolated rural areas were far and few in between. Neither Thomas or his wife, Mary, would have had time to teach them reading/writing skills. In those days reading and writing was not considered that important. What was important was learning how to stay alive (keeping house, putting up food, farming the land, etc.).

It is interesting to note that 12 of Thomas' 15 children were given Biblical names, also, that Thomas' wife, Mary, is thought to have had brothers named Elisha and Braxton. Obviously, Thomas and Mary are also Biblical names.

For about the first 4-5 years (1814/15-19) of their marriage, Thomas and Mary lived in the present day area of Capuchin in NW Campbell Co. (now NE Scott Co.), TN, not far from present day Angel Valley (near present day Ketchen). For several years his siblings, Nancy Ann (King) Douglas and William King, had adjoining farms near present day Wooldridge, not too far from the Capuchin area. They are thought to have migrated to Campbell County about 1812-14. Much of NW Campbell Co. (excluding the Newcomb & Wooldridge areas) became part of NE Scott Co. when it was created in 1849.

About 1819 (?), Thomas and his family migrated to the Marsh Creek area of lower Whitley Co., KY. Some believe that he did not migrate to Kentucky until about 1825-28. Possible, however, censuses and official records for the known children born 1819-28 show conflicting birth states. Some show Kentucky, some Tennessee. At that time there was still confusion regarding the KY/TN state line due to the Walker Line controversy. The places that Thomas and his family lived in over the next 50/60 years, once located in lower Whitley County (formed in 1818), are now located in McCreary Co. (formed in 1912), the last county to be formed in Kentucky.

Family lore has it that in 1819 (1825-28?) Thomas moved his family's belongings from northeastern Tennessee (Capuchin) to southeastern Kentucky (lower Whitley Co.) in a wagon pulled by a team of oxen, Thomas walking along side the wagon with a prod the whole way. A prod was used to guide the oxen as well as to keep them moving. Oxen were slower than horses and mules but were stronger and considered to be more reliable, especially when traversing mountainous terrain. It is not known if he used the same method while migrating from Washington Co., TN to Campbell Co., TN. It would have been at least 165 miles of bad (at best) road.

Although located in different states, Campbell County (TN) and Whitley County (KY) adjoined each other. However, there was some considerable mountainous terrain that had to be crossed during Thomas' later migration (1819 ?) to Kentucky. Their trip would have been a slow one, as mountain roads (using the term "road" rather loosely) in those days were nothing more than wagon & horse trails. When passable, they were still rough.

The 1840 US census does not show names but shows age groups instead. That census shows Thomas and Polly with 11 children (ages 1-23) living with them in 1840. Three children have married and are apparently not living with them. Consequently, since they had 15 children before 1840 there seems to be one child (male) left out of the census.

In 1841, Thomas and his wife, Mary (often referred to as Polly), were two of the founding members of the Upper Marsh Creek United Baptist Church of Christ located in the Marsh Creek area of lower Whitley Co., KY. While the original log building is long gone, the Church still exists today and is now called the Upper Marsh Creek Baptist Church. It is located on Highway 1470 in McCreary County (then Whitley Co.). The current building stands next to the church cemetery and near the previous site of the original log building.

Nearly 80 years later (1920), Thomas' grandson, Emby King Sr. (1852-1937), and Thomas' great-grandson, Rev. Burel King (1875-1945), would be founding members of another church. At the time they were members of the original Otter Creek United Baptist Church, now called the 1st Otter Creek United Baptist Church, established around 1865 (?). The newly organized 2nd Otter Creek United Baptist Church was located in an area that came to be called Kingtown in the 1910s.

The new church was established so that the local residents would not have to drive their wagons so far. It was a church close to where they lived. Today it still serves the community and the surrounding area. It was, and still is, called the 2nd Otter Creek United Baptist Church, & is located on Kingtown Road next to the Kingtown Cemetery.

Emby King Sr., provided the land for the present day Kingtown Cemetery in 1891. Later (1920) he donated the land for the new Kingtown church. His son, Franklin Asberry King (1887-1891), had been the first burial in the cemetery. The land was part of Emby's farm and had once belonged to his grandfather, Thomas Murray King. Being in the lumber business he probably donated the lumber, as well as the labor, to build the church's

small building.

Emby's farm was located next to the cemetery. He had once lived near the Duncan Cemetery where his paternal grandparents, Thomas Murray King & Rebecca Cox, are buried. Emby is thought to have moved in the 1880s, to the area that eventually (1910s) became known as Kingtown. The name was due to the number of King families who eventually lived there, many of whom had obtained their land from Emby King Sr.

Emby King Sr.'s son, Burel (TMK's great-grandson), was the first pastor of the 2nd Otter Creek Church. Burel had been ordained in the old Otter Creek United Baptist Church around 1910. Many of the residents who lived in the present day Kingtown area would have attended this church before one (2nd Otter Creek) was built closer to their homes.

Emby King Sr. was obviously a generous and community minded man. He also donated (mid-1880s ?) the land and lumber for the first Kingtown school, often referred to as the "Emby King School". It burned about 1921, but was soon rebuilt. Located near the corner of Baity Rd. (now Kingtown Rd) and Emby Road, it was just a short walking distance from Emby's home. Many of his descendants attended the school. Three of his granddaughters, all daughters of Rev. Burel King, later taught in that one room school. They were Opaline "Opal" (King) Daughterty (1916-1984), Myrtle Mae (King) Daugherty (1908-1993) and Effie Marie (King) Creekmore (1913-1998).

Some King family trees mistakenly show Thomas Murray King as a minister, confusing him with another individual with a similar name (Thomas M. King), who was born about the same year(1790) and was married to a woman named Mary. That individual is shown as a minister in the 1897 History and Genealogy of the Gurley Family by Albert E. Gurley of Connecticut. Absolutely, no relation. Thomas Murray King (1790-1880), was probably a religious man but was NEVER a minister. He was a full time farmer and part-time surveyor/helper for the US government in the Whitley County area. It should be noted that Thomas King was, and still is, a t rather common name. At least nine Thomas Kings are known to have fought in the Revolutionary War.

Thomas was apparently able to acquire land rather cheaply as it became available and may have received some land from the government in exchange for his part-time surveying services. It is thought that at one time he owned over 2,000 acres, much of it being hilly and covered with trees, located in the present day areas of Strunk, Marsh Creek, Pine Knot, etc. This was prior to the railroad coming through the area (abt 1880) and the resulting timber and coal boom. As most of the land he owned was hilly and not suitable for crops, it was not not considered to be very valuable. While definitely not poor, Thomas was not a wealthy man. He did own a considerable amount of land at one time however, so he is probably best described financially as having been "land poor".

By the time of his death he had disposed of his land. Most of his land was divided up among his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They farmed and raised their families for decades in the same areas. After 1880, many of his male descendants, in addition to part-time farming, worked in the timber/lumber business and eventually for the coal mining companies .

It is erroneously thought by many that the community of Kingtown was named by Thomas Murray King or that it was named after him. Actually, Thomas died (1880) long before the community of Kingtown ever developed. As mentioned earlier, the area eventually became known as Kingtown years later (mid-1910s), after his grandson, Emby King Sr., moved (mid 1880s ?) from his home next to the Duncan Cemetery to land next to the present day Kingtown Cemetery (est. 1891). It was in the 1910s that Emby started parceling off portions of his land to members of the King family and thus, the little community of Kingtown gradually evolved.

Kingtown was never really a town, just a small community. I've was told by a cousin, who grew up on Kingtown Road and attended the Emby King School, that the community had a church (1920), a small store, a school, a blacksmith, a tavern and a cemetery (1891). Today, all that remains is the church and the cemetery. Brenda's father was Emby Luster King (1905-1987) and Brenda's family lived just a short walk from the school, church and cemetery.

Thomas, referred to as "Old Tom" in his latter years, died in Whitley Co. (now McCreary Co.) on Feb. 26, 1880 at the age of 90. The 1880 census, taken just a few months after his death, shows his wife, Mary, living with their son, Elisha. I was told by a cousin, Brenda Joyce (King) Cambron Boswell (1942-2019), herself a genealogist, that Thomas and his wife, Mary, both being of advanced age (90 and 80), were living with their son, Elisha, & his family at the time of Thomas' death.

Elisha had obtained his land from his father in 1860. His farm was located on present day Ross Road near the farm of my GG-grandfather, Enos King, who eventually gave part of his farm to his son (my G-Grandfather), Jackson "Jack" King (1846-1919). This was the land on which my grandfather, Thomas Lester King (1881-1973), was born and raised.

Ironically, twenty years earlier (1860), Thomas and Mary's son, Elisha, and his new bride, Rosa "Rosey" Duncan (1842-bet 1880/1900?), were living with Elisha's parents in their home on what is now called Emby King Road. It was located on Emby King Road on the right hand side headed down the hill toward King Valley Rd., not too far from where the Emby King School was located near the corner of Emby King Road and Baity Road (present day Kingtown Road).

Thomas is buried in the Duncan Cemetery in McCreary Co., KY and was actually just the second King to be buried there (1880). His daughter, Nancy Jane (King) Ross, in 1878 had been the first known member of the King family to be buried there. Thomas' wife, Mary Rebecca (Cox) King, was the third in 1881. An Albert King (1885 death date only, an unknown child?) was the fourth known King while Thomas' son, Elisha, was the fifth known King to be buried (1892) in the Duncan Cemetery. It is thought that Elisha's wife, Rosanah "Rosie" (Duncan) King (abt 1842-bet 1880/1900), who probably died a few years earlier, is buried next to him, originally with a small marker that is no longer present. There are several other descendants of Thomas Murray King that are now buried in this cemetery.

Thomas' friend, Angus Ross (1757-1862), an immigrant from Scotland, and his wife, Elizabeth (Haws) Ross (1877-1840), have the oldest known readable (just barely) burial markers in the cemetery so the land was probably owned by Angus around the time of his death. Thomas, who eventually owned the land, may have acquired it shortly before Angus' death in 1862 or not long thereafter.

Duncan Cemetery is located on a hill about half a mile off King Valley Road on land that Thomas once owned. Years later, his grandson Emby King Sr., owned the property and named the little cemetery the "Duncan Cemetery", in honor of his wife's family (Duncan). Eventually his son, Rev. Burel King, owned the land. After Rev. Burel's death, the land passed on to his son, Emby Luster King (1905-87). Emby's children inherited the land last and not living in McCreary County eventually sold the farm and cemetery in the 1990s.

Ironically, neither Emby or his wife, Rosa "Rosie" Duncan (1855-1915), are buried in the Duncan Cemetery. Both are buried in the Kingtown Cemetery on land they set aside to be used by members of the King family. Their three year old son, Franklin Asberry King (1887-1891), was the first burial in the cemetery. Again, it was originally a King family grave yard, located next to Emby's home/farm. The King family burial ground (now called Kingtown Cemetery) was there nearly 30 years prior to the establishment (1920) of the the 2nd Otter Creek Baptist Church located next to the cemetery. A great-grandson of Thomas and a son of Emby, Burel King (1875-1945), was the church's first Pastor.

Thomas' wife, Mary (81), died about a year and a half after Thomas, on Sept. 28, 1881, in Whitley Co. (now McCreary Co.), KY. She too, is buried in the Duncan Cemetery, next to her husband, Thomas. The original name (if it had one) of the burial ground before Emby King Sr. named it the Duncan Cemetery, is currently unknown.

In the 1880 census Mary, then an 80 year old widow, was living with her son, Elisha, and his family and was probably still living with them at the time of her death. Elisha had a farm about 3 miles "up the hill" from the original (1st) Otter Creek United Baptist Church. As mentioned earlier, my G-grandfather, Jackson "Jack" King (1842-1919) and my GG-grandfather, Enos King (Elisha's older brother), had property located nearby. In fact, Enos, 21 years his senior, had a farm adjacent to Elisha. Both had received their land from their father, Thomas Murray King, in 1860. All three of their farms were located on/off present day Ross Rd (Hwy 1047).

The Duncan Cemetery headstones for Thomas and wife, Mary, are very similar but not exactly identical. They lie side-by-side, directly behind their son, Elisha S. King (1837-1892), near the center of the little cemetery. Elisha's headstone is centered in front of his parents.

*****************************************************************************************

*****************************************************************************************

*************************************WARNING******************************************

There is a great deal of misinformation on the internet in regard to Thomas Murray King and the King family. The information contained in the above memorial for Thomas, as well as the information in regard to his wife, family members, ancestors & descendants, is thought to be correct. It should be noted, however, that there are few family trees that are 100% correct, including this one. Some family trees are just more correct that others.

This memorial is revised/corrected as new information becomes available. Thomas' memorial, and that of his wife, Mary, has been updated numerous times since originally written over a decade ago. Please-please-please let me know of any mistakes I've made or of any additional information you may have. Please remember to provide your source and documentation, not just family lore. Thanks.

*******************************************************************************************

*******************************************************************************************

*****************************************NOTE********************************************

Again, the attached picture of a 1870s cabinet card photograph is widely shown as being of Thomas Murray "Tom" King (TMK). He would have been in his 80s at the time of this photo card being made. Unfortunately, the identity of the man pictured has yet to be proven. It's possible, even probable, that it is TMK, but there is no name on the card, front or back. It came from the possessions of a newly deceased grandson of TMK who had years ago moved far away (out of state) from Whitley Co. (now McCreary Co.), KY. The new owner, a relative, knew for sure that this was not the father of the deceased and supposed it to be the decease's grandfather, which would have been TMK.

Moving far away from Kentucky, the grandson knew that he would probably never see his aged grandfather again and may have taken the original black & white cabinet card photograph with him to remember him by. Thomas would have had enough money to have had a "few" pictures made of himself. Again, very possible. Until proven otherwise this picture will to be used as an image of Thomas Murray King.

***************************************************************************************************Many thanks to Theresa Stephens for the transfer (2010) of this memorial.********

****************************************************************************************