I am seeking the ancestors of George Jacob Murphy who lived in Hornby, Steuben County, NY from 1864 until 1917.

George Jacob Murphy first appeared in the 1850 census as a carpenter living in Orange, Steuben County, NY with his wife Louisa and son John b. 1847. Louisa was the daughter of Parley and Olive (Underwood) Coye who had settled in neighboring Hornby in the 1820s. In 1854 he moved to Amboy, Lee County, IL where Louisa’s brother Alva was established. He had two more sons by that time, Charles b. 1850 and Henry David b. 1855.

Louisa died 31 March 1863 and George Jacob returned to New York, married Catherine Bartholomew in 1864 and settled in Hornby where he lived until his death 2 February 1917. Catherine was the daughter of Daniel and Marilla Bartholomew of Bradford (originally Jersey) Steuben County and that leads me to believe George Jacob had roots in Bradford and knew Catherine before he married Louisa. Catherine had three daughters, Ida Louisa b. 1865, Martha b. 1867 and Mary b. 1869.

Although a great deal is known about the ancestry of his wives and the descendants of his children, nothing is known about George Jacob’s ancestry except that his father was born in Ireland and his mother in New York. His death certificate did not list their names. There were some Murphys in 1820 and 1830 Jersey but they had disappeared by 1840.