Rev. William Murrell, Sr. (1814–February 7, 1892) was an American minister and politician. He served as a pastor in the

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

, and was a state legislator in

Lafourche Parish Lafourche Parish (french: Paroisse de la Fourche) is a parish located in the south of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Thibodaux. The parish was formed in 1807. It was originally the northern part of Lafourche Interior Parish, whi ...

, Louisiana.

Biography

William Murrell was born enslaved in Georgetown, South Carolina, and was the son of Rebecca (last name unknown) and his mother's owner Peter Murrell. His ownership was transferred and he was sold on several occasions which moved him to various Southern states, including Alabama. His son was

William Murrell Jr. Col. William Murrell, Jr. (c. 1845–1932) also known simply as William Murrell, was an American newspaper editor, and politician. He represented Madison Parish in the Louisiana House of Representatives from for two terms. Biography William Mu ...

, was born enslaved in Georgia and represented

Madison Parish Madison Parish ( French: ''Paroisse de Madison'') is a parish located on the northeastern border of the U.S. state of Louisiana, in the delta lowlands along the Mississippi River. As of the 2010 census, the population was 12,093. Its parish ...

in the

Louisiana House of Representatives The Louisiana House of Representatives (french: link=no, Chambre des Représentants de Louisiane) is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. This chamber is composed of 105 repr ...

from for two terms during Reconstruction era. Prior to 1865, Murrell Sr.’s ministerial work was performed for the

African Methodist Episcopal Church The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church or AME, is a Black church, predominantly African American Methodist Religious denomination, denomination. It adheres to Wesleyan-Arminian theology and has a connexionalism, c ...

and the

Methodist Episcopal Church, South The Methodist Episcopal Church, South (MEC, S; also Methodist Episcopal Church South) was the American Methodist denomination resulting from the 19th-century split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC). Disagreement ...

denominations. On December 25, 1865, Mississippi Mission Conference was held, hosted by the

. At the conference they invited twelve ministers including Murrell and placed them on missions in one of three states including Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Murrell was placed on his mission in

Thibodaux Thibodaux ( ) is a city in, and the parish seat of, Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the banks of Bayou Lafourche in the northwestern part of the parish. The population was 15,948 at the 2020 census. Thibodaux is a principal city ...

, Louisiana. Murrell Sr. helped establish several churches, including in Houma, Woodlawn,

Napoleonville Napoleonville is a village and the parish seat of Assumption Parish, in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 660 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Pierre Part Micropolitan Statistical Area. The village is best known as the loca ...

, and Pineville. Murrell Sr. served several terms during the

Reconstruction era The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...

representing

Lafourche Lafourche Parish (french: Paroisse de la Fourche) is a parish located in the south of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Thibodaux. The parish was formed in 1807. It was originally the northern part of Lafourche Interior Parish, whi ...

in the

References

1814 births 1892 deaths Members of the Louisiana House of Representatives African-American state legislators in Louisiana American freedmen People from Lafourche Parish, Louisiana 19th-century American legislators African-American politicians during the Reconstruction Era African-American Christian clergy People from Georgetown, South Carolina {{Louisiana-politician-stub