Spurr Family History

Spurr Family History

 

Family histories, passed down through the generations either orally or written, tend to have inaccuracies and often even myths associated with them. Hopefully such inaccuracies and myths have been minimized in the following account.

The Spurr surname is English in origin, derived from the Middle English spore or spure, the occupational name for a maker of spurrs. Some alternate spellings are Spur, Spoor, Spore, and Spure.

Tradition says that the family was associated with Richard I, king of England, who was called Couer de Lion or Lion-Hearted and who led the first crusade to the Holy Land. Tradition also says that the family was associated with the Stewarts and Campbells of Scotland. Some present day researchers do not believe that the Spurr family originated in Scotland.1

The earliest Spurr ancestor on record is James Spurr2 of Loudoun Co., Virginia. Some researchers list him as being born in Scotland in 1700 while others have him being born in Virginia in 1700. Immigration records have not been found to substantiate the claim that James Spurr was born in Scotland.

James (I) Spurr, b abt 1700, d abt 1760 in Loudoun Co., Virginia, married Judith Williams in 1735 in Maryland. Children of James (I) Spurr and Judith Williams are:

1. Richard (II) Spurr, b abt 1737, m 1772 Frances Cotton

2. Judith Spurr, b abt 1740, m abt 1760 Zachariah Davis

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Will of James Spurr3

In the name of God Amen, I James SPURR of Loudoun County....make appoint and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following.

... Give and Bequeath to my loving wife JUDATH, one Negro Woman named SARAH, during her natural life and after her decease the said Negroe and her increase to go and descend to my son RICHARD SPURR.


In presence of JOHN OWENS, ORIGINAL WILLIAMS, WM. HANCOCKE


... Item; I desire that all my stock and Household Goods may be equally divided between my Wife and two children RICHARD SPURR, and JUDATH SPURR

and appoint my Wife JUDATH SPURR and my son RICHARD SPURR executors of this my last will and Testament. Oct 10, 1759.

At a Court held for Loudoun County, Aug 12, 1760

Will proved by Oaths of ORIGINAL WILLIAMS, and WILLIAM HANCOCKE witnesses ... recorded on motion of RICHARD SPURR one of the Executors therein named, who made a oath according to Law Certificate is granted him for obtaining a Probate thereof in due form giving Security whereupon he together with THOMAS LEWIS and JAMES WHALEY his Securities entered into and acknowledged their Bond in the penalty of five hundred pounds with condition as the law directs and liberty is reserved JUDITH SPURR widow and other Executor therein named to join in the Probate thereof when she shall think fit.

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Although Dr. Richard J. Spurr4 thought Richard to be the only child of James Spurr, the above will clearly shows that he had a sister named Judith.


Because of a reference to Original Williams, son of Noteley Williams, in Richard Spurr's will as my brother, several researchers have assumed that Judith Williams had been previously married to Notely Williams and that her maiden name was Taylor. Therefore Original Williams was the supposed half-brother of Richard Spurr, James Spurr and Judith's only son. However, several bodies of evidence strongly suggest that this is an erroneous assumption:

1. The reference to Original Williams as my brother in Capt. Richard Spurr's will is written "my brother", perhaps indicating deep emotional feelings for someone whom he had been so close to and gone through so much with.

2. Noteley Williams is mentioned in Henry Taylor's will of 1771. Noteley could hardly have died prior to 1735 and be mentioned in a 1771 will.

3. Original Williams was born in 1740. If Noteley Williams had died prior to 1735 Original Williams could not have been born in 1740.

4. Henry Taylor had no daughter named Judith.

The most likely explanation for the above is that Noteley Williams and Judith Williams were brother and sister.5 Noteley Williams was married to Virginia Taylor, hence his mention in Henry Taylor's will. Therefore, Richard Spurr and Original Williams were first cousins instead of half brothers.

Richard (II) Spurr, b abt 1737, d May 1791, married abt 1772 Frances Cotton, d/o of William Cotton and Mary Taylor. Children of Richard Spurr and Frances Cotton are:

1. James Spurr, b 25 March, 1773, m Susannah Winn, d/o of Owen Winn and Mary Cotton

2. William Cotton Spurr, b 10 April, 1775, m Lydia Winn, d/o of Owen Winn and Mary Cotton

3. Mary Spurr, b 3 July 1776, m John Cooper

4. Richard Spurr, b 27 February, 1778, died unmarried

5. Frances Spurr, b 10 December, 1779, died unmarried

6. Judith Spurr, b 15 April, 1781, m John Embree

7. John Spurr, b 3 November, 1783, believed to have died young

8. Daniel (III) Spurr, b 28 August, 1785, m Barbara Beatty

Capt. Richard (II) Spurr was probably a planter. He lived near Leesburg on Broad Run near the end of a runway of present day Dulles International Airport. He is said to have entered the Revolutionary War at an early date and probably fought with the Loudoun Co. militia. He is said to have been present at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, the final battle of the Revolutionary War.

Before the Revolutionary War, Lord Fairfax was said to have been a frequent visitor at Capt. Richard Spurr's home, spending much time there engaged in fishing, hunting and drinking wine. Capt. Spurr was an excellent horseman and enjoyed following the hounds..

In the fall of 1785 Capt. Spurr along with about thirty other families packed up their possessions and traveled to a place on the Monongahela River in the vicinity of Redstone. There they set about building flatboats for the journey to Kentucky. As the river was too low they had to wait some time for rains to sufficiently fill the river for the journey. The trip down the Monongahela and Ohio Rivers was uneventful until the party reached the mouth of the Muskingum River. There they were attacked by Indians in canoes. Having seen the Indians in advance of the attack, the settlers prepared for the attack by placing their household and other goods on the side of the flatboats from which the attack was to come. The Indians were allowed to approach the boats closely and slaves cut off several of their hands with axes. The order was given to fire and the Revolutionary War veterans aim was devastating. The remaining Indians took to the water but these too were dispatched in quick order. Injuries to the settlers were minor. Two or three horses that were injured had to be shot to keep from sinking the boats.

The settlers disembarked at Limestone (now Maysville) in Mason Co., Kentucky and traveled overland to Athens Pct., Fayette Co., Kentucky, where they settled on the land that had been granted to them, presumably for their service in the Revolutionary War.

Capt. Richard Spurr fell ill after returning from a business trip to Virginia on horseback by way of Cumberland Gap and died shortly thereafter in May of 1791. His widow Frances is said to have remarried to a man named Williams and had a son by him. She died in 1817.

The purported association of Capt. Richard Spurr with Daniel Boone as early as 1779 is, in the opinion of the present author, nonsense. This was added by a librarian at the Kentucky State Historical Society as an afterthought, which in itself renders the association suspect. It is highly unlikely that Capt Spurr would have stopped fighting the British in 1779 to come to Kentucky to help Daniel Boone fight Indians. There is no real evidence that he was in Kentucky before 1785-86.

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Land Grant

11 Feb 1788 Richard Spurr and wife Franky (signed as Frances) of Loudoun County deed to Thomas Gorham of Loudoun County, 100lbs, one-third of 800a tract in Fayette County, District of Kentucky (then part of Virginia). Witness: William Cotton III, Eliza Cotton, Ann Cotton. (Bourbon County, Kentucky Deed Book A, p 196. Gorham and Spurr were brothers-in-law.

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Daniel (III) Spurr, b 28 August, 1785, d 14 October, 1832, m 1 April, 1807, Barbara Beatty, d/o of James Edward Beatty and Elizabeth Raymer. Children of Daniel Spurr and Barbara Beatty are:

1. Richard (IV) James Spurr, b 5 March, 1808, m Susan Jewell/Jewett

2. Elizabeth Frances Spurr, b 24 February, 1810, m John M. Delph

3. Lydia Beatty Spurr, b 21 January, 1813, m Benjamin Blincoe

4. Mary Ann Spurr, b 30 June 1815, m William P. Morris

5. William Potts Spurr, b 13 November, 1817, m Sarah E. Higgins

6. Martha Ann Spurr, b 6 January, 1820, m Matthew P. Sanburn

7. Daniel Spurr, b 17 August, 1822, m Sarah Ann Kirkpatrick

8. Beatty Raymer Spurr, b 16 August, 1825, m Mary A. Delph

Very little is known about the life of Daniel (III) Spurr. He, like his father, was probably a planter. He probably moved at some point in time to the estate known as Masterson Park, which was owned by his wife’s parents, James Edward Beatty and Elizabeth Raymer.

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Richard (IV) James Spurr, b 5 March, 1808, d 8 March, 1897, m1 Susan Jewell/Jewett 10 January, 1830, m2 Eleanor Payne “Bettie” Curtis 12 August, 1880. Children of Richard (IV) James Spurr and Susan Jewell/Jewett are:

1. Estelle Spurr, b 1832, m John Howard

2. Martha F. Spurr, b 1843

3. Sarah (V) Malinda Spurr, b Dec. 22, 1843, m 1866 John J. Curtis , b 9 Feb.1844

4. Mary S. Spurr, b 1839, m Col. Thomas Hawkins

5. Jane P. Spurr, b 1852

6. Ethelbert Spurr, b 1854

Richard (IV) James Spurr was a graduate of Transylvania College where he received a degree in medicine. He lived in Sandersville Pct., Fayette Co., Kentucky, most of his life and practiced medicine in partnership with his brother, Beatty Raymer Spurr. He was also interested in agricultural pursuits. Dr. Spurr was elected for three terms to the State Legislature and afterward served as Justice of the Peace in his precinct.6

His first wife, Susan Jewell/Jewett, who was born in Louisville, died January 14, 1866. He married Eleanor Payne “Bettie” Curtis August 12, 1880.

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Sarah (V) Malinda Spurr, b Dec. 22 1843, m 1866 John J. Curtis, b 9 Feb.1844

The children and descendents of Sarah M. Spurr and John J. Curtis will be given under the Curtis genealogy section.

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Related Spurr lines

James Spurr, s/o Richard Spurr and Frances Cotton

William Cotton Spurr, s/o Richard Spurr and Frances Cotton

Mary Spurr, d/o Richard Spurr and Frances Cotton

Judith Spurr, d/o Richard Spurr and Frances Cotton