Caroline Stafford and Family

Caroline⁴ Stafford  (William¹, Robert² Starling³) Born about 1830^1,2 most likely in Morgan County, Indiana; died on  16 August 1884 in Appanoose County, Iowa.²  Records indicate she was the daughter of Starling Stafford of Morgan Count, Indiana.³ Caroline Stafford married two times.  First to Ebe W. Murry, a native of Delaware, on 19 December 1847 in Des Moines County, Iowa⁴ and second to Alexander M. Elgin of Appanoose County, Iowa.^2,5  The biographical sketch indicates that both Alexander M. Elgin and Caroline Stafford lived in Morgan County, Indiana.³  

Two Indiana court records^3,5 provide further evidence that Caroline Stafford was from Morgan County and that she was the daughter of the deceased, Starling Stafford.  She was named as a minor defendant in the court case filed by Tiffin Davis.⁵  The available documentation indicates that Caroline Stafford and her family left Morgan County and took up residence in in Des Moines County, Iowa some time prior to 1847.⁴

In Des Moines County, Iowa a marriage record documents that Caroline Stafford and Ebe W. Murry were married on 19 December 1847.⁴ They settled in Augusta Township where they were enumerated in 1850.⁷  This enumeration describes E. W. Murrey as a 28-year-old a shoemaker, who was born in Delaware.  It is interesting to note that the census taker listed him in the neighboring household.  It is not known if this was an error by the census taker or if the couple were living apart.  Later census records show that the couple did separate some time after the enumeration of the 1850 record.

By 1860, Caroline Murrey and her children are no longer living with E. W. Murry.  They are enumerated in Kilburn and Clarinda Scott's household in Des Moines County, Iowa.⁸  Additional evidence that this is the same Caroline Murry is the enumeration for her brother, Perry Stafford, who also resides in the same household.⁸  The relationship of Caroline Murray and Perry Stafford to Kilburn and Clarinda Scott is unknown at this time.  Caroline's mother, Mrs. Sarah Holland lived in Des Moines County, Iowa in 1860.⁹  This enumeration also lists two 11-year-old children living in her household.  They appear to be her son, Oscar J. Holland and a granddaughter an:

• Elbina Murray - presumed to be the daughter of Caroline and Ebe W. Murray

• Oscar J. Holland -  presumed to be son of Sarah and Joshua Holland

Further research is needed for Sarah Holland and these children to document her relationship to Caroline Murray nee Stafford.

Rather that assuming that Caroline Murray was a widow in 1860, a search of the 1860 census index on Ancestry produced an enumeration¹⁰ for a man, whose data coincides precisely with the 1850 enumeration⁷ for his household with the exception that his wife's name was Amy.  Although additional documentation is required to draw final conclusions, it appears that Caroline and Ebe W. Murray separated; he returned to Mount Vernon, Posey County, Indiana and established a household with Anney. There are two young children, both 2 years of age or younger, living in Mount Vernon, Posey County, Indiana.¹⁰ Also supporting this conclusion is the listing of a divorce for Caroline Murray and Ebe Murray on the Des Moines County, Iowa Divorce Index.¹¹  [Note:  The Family History Library also has filmed the Des Moines County, Iowa divorces cases (FHL MF 1674795).  Work is in progress to study this film to find further information about Ebe and Caroline Murray's divorce.]

There is information in the biographical sketch about Alexander M. Elgin stating that he married three times.³  The first time he married Elizabeth Elliott, a native of Kentucky; his second wife, Miss Lovina Chantler, a native of Pennsylvania and his third wife was Mrs. Caroline Stafford Murray of Morgan County, Indiana.³  Besides the reference to Morgan County, there is the fact that Caroline Stafford named her own children after her siblings.  Starling and Sarah Stafford nee Elliott were the parents of three children including two daughters, Caroline and Harriett, and a son, Perry.³  Similarly, Caroline Murry Elgin nee Stafford was the mother of three children.  They were Harriet Murray and Perry and Sarah Elgin.³   Also supporting the information in the biographical sketch is the 1870¹² and 1880¹³ census records for Alexander and Caroline Elgin's household.  After their marriage, Caroline Elgin nee lived in Walnut Township in Appanoose County, Iowa until her death.^3,14  Caroline died there on 16 August 1884 at the age of 54 years.  She and Alexander were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.³

Suggested research for further studies:

• Need marriage record for Caroline and Ebe W. Murray (Des Moines County, Iowa) 

• Need marriage record for Caroline and Alexander M. Elgin (Appanoose County, Iowa)

• Need more information about Caroline and Ebe Murray Divorce Case (Des Moines County, Iowa)

• Need to follow her children forward

• Newspaper research is needed to determine if there was an obituary for Caroline Stafford which might provide evidence where she was buried

¹

E. W. Murry household, 1850 U.S. Census, Des Moines County, Iowa, population schedule, Augusta Township, page 454A, dwelling 1135, family 1172; National Archives microfilm publication M432, Roll 183.

²

Biographical sketch for Alexander M. Elgin, Biographical and historical record of Wayne and Appanoose Counties, Iowa: containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States from Washington to Cleveland, with accompanying biographies of each, a condensed history of the state of Iowa, portraits and biographies of the governors of the territory and state, engravings of prominent citizens in Wayne and Appanoose Counties, with personal histories of many of the leading families, and a concise history of Wayne and Appanoose Counties, and their cities and villages. Chicago: Inter-State Pub. Co. 1886, page 633-634  

³

Appointment of Guardian for minor heirs of Starling Stafford, deceased, Morgan County Probate Order Book 1843-1845, Morgan County Probate Court, Martinsville, FHL Film no. 1468479. 

⁴

Murry - Stafford marriage record, Rootsweb Transcription of Des Moines County, Iowa Marriage Records over 100 years old; http://users.rootsweb.com/~iadesmoi/Documents/Marriage/over_100_years_old.htm

⁵

Tiffin Davis vs Sally Stafford, Caroline Stafford, Harriett Stafford, Perry Stafford and Grant Stafford, Johnson County Court Order Book 2:430. 

⁶

Sarah Holland household, 1850 U.S. Census, Des Moines County, Iowa, population schedule, Augusta Township, page 454A, dwelling 1147, family 1183; National Archives microfilm publication M432, Roll 183. 

⁷

E. W. Murry household, 1850 U.S. Census, Des Moines County, Iowa, population schedule, Augusta Township, page 454A, dwelling 1135, family 1172; National Archives microfilm publication M432, Roll 183.

⁸

Kilburn Scott household, 1860 U.S. Census, Des Moines County, Iowa, Flint River Township, Middletown post office, page 221, dwelling 1576, family 1483; National Archives micropublication M653, roll 319. 

⁹

Sarah Holland household, 1860 U.S. Census, Des Moines County, Iowa, population schedule, Augusta Township, Augusta post office, page 242, dwelling 1895, family 1817; National Archives M653, roll 319.

¹⁰

Ebe W. Murrey household, 1860 U.S. Census, Posey County, Indiana, Mount Vernon post office, page 5, dwelling 27 family 27; National Archives micropublication M653, roll 290.

¹¹

Murray, Caroline vs Murray, Ebe Divorce Case 291 (26 June 1861, Box D-34) Des Moines County, Iowa Index of Loose Divorce Cases; Iowa State Historical Society microfilm number DES 173 MF; Des Moines, Iowa.

¹²

Alexander M. Elgin household, 1870 U.S. Census, Appanoose County, Iowa, Walnut Township, Walnut City post office, page 14, dwelling 92, family 93; National Archives micropublication M593, roll 375.

¹³

Ebe W. Murray household, 1870 U.S. Census, Posey County, Indiana, Mount Vernon post office, page 52, dwelling 410, family 414; National Archives micropublication M593, roll 352.

¹⁴

Alexander Elgin household, 1880 U.S. Census, Appanoose County, Iowa, Walnut Township, ED 18, SD 3, page 27, dwelling 228, family 235; National Archives micropublication T9, roll 326. 

Contact Information

If you have information about these families and would like to correspond please feel 

  free to email me at smiller@stjoelive.com or by writing to me at the following address:

Sharlene Miller

20788 Orchard Lane

St. Joseph, Missouri 64505

816-233-7241

Others researching these families:

If you would like to be listed here please let me know and I will add your contact information