Alexander McPherson of Jura, and his wife Elizabeth Murray Baker McPherson

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According to his tombstone at McPherson Presbyterian Church in Cumberland County, Alexander McPherson was born in 1754 on the island of Jura in Scotland. It is not known when he immigrated to the province of North Carolina but, by the identification of his signature (at left), he was in the province in 1777. Until the death of Old John McPherson's eldest son Alexander in 1801, Alex of Jura was identified in most records as "Alexander McPherson, Jr." There were other Alexander McPhersons in Cumberland County (I have counted four, most of whom lived their adult lives in the early 19th century Cumberland) and they have created quite a confusing trail of facts. I have suspected Alexander of Jura was the brother or close relative of Malcolm McPherson, Sr., but have found nothing of fact to substantiate this idea.

Alexander McPherson of Jura married Elizabeth Baker, the widow of John Baker, Sr., of Cumberland. Elizabeth Baker's maiden name was Murray according to McPherson family Bible records, and I often heard as a boy that she was the comely daughter of the Duke of Argyll in Scotland. I have seen no records in Cumberland to support this tradition, and admittedly I have not searched for any such records to date; nor have I seen immigration records for a Murray or Murray family bound for North Carolina. Moreover, casting further doubt upon a noble background, Elizabeth could not write her own name as is evidenced by "her mark" on existing Cumberland County deeds signed by her.

Elizabeth is recorded in McPherson family Bible records to have been born in Cantyre, Scotland, in 1760, though the Bible entry says nothing about her having been married to anyone before Alexander McPherson of Jura. Her first husband John Baker died in 1783, the date of his estate in Cumberland records, and so their marriage was not a lengthy one. A Daniel Baker makes his mark on one of the two extant estate papers for John Baker, and Daniel may have been his brother or father. Elizabeth and John Baker appear to have had at least one child, John, Jr., about whom I have no further information beyond his being named an orphan in 1803. In 1804, Elizabeth and her second husband, Alex of Jura, sold to an Archibald Baker for five shillings "my Dower in the lands of John Baker decd" (meaning presumably John Baker, Sr., since a dower was the legal right of a widow). Whether this Archibald Baker is a second child of Elizabeth and John Baker is unknown at this time; however, a meager sum of five shillings paid for any amount of land at this time suggests more of a formality than a profitable enterprise, and a close, perhaps even familial, relationship between Elizabeth and Archibald. The Baker family was well seated in late 18th- and early 19th-century Cumberland County and individuals from other local McPherson clans married into the Baker family. More research is needed on the Baker clan of Cumberland County, North Carolina.

According to the papers of Mrs. Sue McPherson Tillinghast, Alexander McPherson of Jura married Elizabeth Murray Baker in 1790. Alexander McPherson of Jura died 21 January 1821 and Elizabeth Murray Baker McPherson died 29 March 1841. Both are buried at McPherson Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville, NC. Three children survived from their union, and it is interesting that the eldest is not born until 1794, four years after their recorded marriage. Perhaps they had other children who did not survive.

Alexander and Elizabeth McPherson's children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are listed below, and are bolded and color-coded accordingly:

  1. Flora McPherson. Born 1794 in Cumberland County, NC, presumably on Beaver Creek. Flora never married. She and her sister Mary bought some of Colin McPherson's property after his death in 1835. She died 24 Jan 1873 in Cumberland County, and is buried in McPherson Presbyterian Church cemetery.

  2. Mary McPherson. Born 22 August 1799 in Cumberland County, NC, presumably on Beaver Creek. She died in Cumberland County, NC, 3 August 1872 and is buried in McPherson Presbyterian Church cemetery. Mary never married. There is a Mary McPherson who can be found in many deeds in Cumberland County, purchasing many tracts of land within the county. This Mary may have been the widow of one John McPherson who died in 1823 on Blounts Creek in Cumberland and the two might be easily confused.

  3. Alexander McPherson II. Born 12 January 1804 in Cumberland County, NC, presumably on Beaver Creek. He married 14 December 1836 to Catherine Buie, daughter of John Buie and Mary (nee McPherson) Buie. John Buie was the son of Duncan and Sarah Buie of Raiford's Creek in Cumberland County, NC. Mary McPherson Buie was the daughter of Alexander McPherson (wife unknown, though she may have been one Emily McGill, according to Sue McPherson Tillinghast of Fayetteville, NC), who was the son of Old John McPherson of the Argyll Colony. Alexander II and his wife Catherine Buie McPherson lived at "Buena Vista," the home he built around 1845 near Beaver Creek. Alexander McPherson II died 8 September 1881 and is buried in McPherson Presbyterian Church cemetery. Alexander McPherson II and Catherine Buie McPherson's children:

    1. John Alexander McPherson. Born 16 February1838 at "Buena Vista" in Cumberland County, NC. Married 10 January 1865 to Sarah "Sallie" Buchanan McNeill (January 14, 1842 – 26 July 1901), daughter of Major John McNeill and Elizabeth Buchanan (Major McNeill's second wife), at their home "Knapdale" in Richmond County, NC. John A. McPherson and his wife lived at John Alexander McPherson served in the Confederacy and attained the rank of Captain. He fought with the Company E, 6th North Carolina Infantry at the Battle of Bethel, and around Richmond, Virginia, and fought at Gettysburg. Capt. McPherson died 19 April 1905 and is buried in McPherson Presbyterian Church cemetery with his wife. Children:
      1. Elizabeth Avery "Lizzie" McPherson. Married John G. Shaw.
      2. Flora McPherson (twin). Married 27 October 1903 to Robert Bailey Evans. Children:
        1. Mary Evans. Married John Church of Montréal, Canada. Children:
        2. Flora Church. Married David Stewart. Children:
          • Mary McPherson Stewart
        3. William Church. Married a Munro.
        4. Robert Bailey Evans, II. Married Flora Lemmon. Children:
        5. Susan Murphy Evans. Died young.
        6. Robert Bailey Evans, III.
        7. Hunter Evans.
        8. Richard Lemmon Evans
        9. Mary McPherson Evans.
        10. Erasmus Harvey Evans. Married Katherine Underwood. Children:
        11. Ellen Haigh Evans. Married Carl Jourdan.
        12. Erasmus Harvey Evans, II.
      3. Mary McPherson (twin). Married October, 1906 to George McNeill, son of James D. McNeill and Elizabeth Strange. Children:
        1. George McNeill. Died young.
        2. James Dobbin McNeill. Died young.
        3. Flora McNeill. Married Judson Dilleyhey. Children:
        4. Harold Judson Dilleyhey. Married Judy _____.
        5. George McNeill Dilleyhey. Married Jan Rouzer.
        6. Elizabeth Strange McNeill. Married Howard Simpson Yost.
        7. Sarah McNeill. Died young.
        8. Frank McNeill. Never married.
      4. Jane Gibbs McPherson. Married Clarence Lytch.
      5. Katie B. McPherson. Never married.
      6. John A. McPherson. Never married.
      7. Frank McPherson. Married Clement Scott Marks. Moved to Montgomery, Alabama. Children:
        1. Lee McPherson. Born Montgomery, Alabama.
        2. Frances McPherson. Born Montgomery, Alabama.
      8. Leighton Wilson McPherson. Married Louise Bullard. Moved to Columbus, Georgia.Children:
        1. Myra Elizabeth McPherson. Married Brig. Gen. Joseph Warren Stillwell, Jr. Children:
        2. Major Joseph Warren Stillwell, III.
        3. "Kiki" Stillwell
      9. James Murray McPherson. Never married.
    2. Elizabeth Murray McPherson (twin). Born 15 June 1840 in Cumberland County, NC. Married Joseph Allan McArthur. Died 5 April 1921.Children:
      1. Joseph Alexander McArthur. Born 11 December 1864 in Cumberland County, NC. Died 1937. Married __________.


    3. William Harrison McPherson (twin). Born 15 June 1840 in Cumberland County, NC. Confederate soldier and Ruling Elder in McPherson Presbyterian Church. Married Elizabeth Whetmore Holmes (16 May 1842 – 5 April 1924), daughter of Theophilus and Laura Holmes. Died 3 January 1881. Children:
      1. Fannie Broadfoot McPherson. Born 24 September 1874. Died 16 September 1956. Married Archibald W. McIntyre.
      2. Elizabeth Hinsdale McPherson. Born 7 April 1877. Died 29 Oct 1965.
      3. Theophilus Hunter Holmes McPherson. Born 31 January 1883. Died 2 April 1948. Married Kate Hill, daughter of William Ezekial Hill and Jennie Kyle Pitzer.
      4. Samuel Hinsdale McPherson. Born 2 September 1886. Died 7 May 1967. Married Mary McQueen.


    4. Duncan Buie McPherson. Born 15 June 1840 in Cumberland County, NC. Died 7 May 1844 in Cumberland County, NC. Never married.