Sketch of the Musick Family, Audrain County, Missouri >From "A History of the Pioneer Families of Missouri, with numerous sketches, anecdotes, adventures, etc., relating to Early Days in Missouri" by William S. Bryan and Robert Rose, Published by Bryan, Brand & Co., St. Louis Missouri, 1876. ********************************************************************** About the last of the seventeenth century, a small boy was found in Wales who could give no account of his parents or himself, except that his first name was George. George manifested a fondness for music, and his friends surnamed him Musick, as the word was then spelled. He emigrated to Virginia in the beginning of the eighteenth century, where he raised five sons, viz: Daniel, George, Alexis, Ephraim and Abraham. He also raised some daughters, but of these we know neither the number nor names. Ephraim married a Miss Roy, and raised a family in Spottsy- lvania County. He raised two daughters, one of whom married a Jenkins, and one a Cauthorn. He raised four sons, viz: Abraham, John, Thomas R. and Ephraim. Thomas R. Musick was born October 10, 1757. He joined the Baptist Church, and commenced preaching at about seventeen years of age. He went to North Carolina during the Revolutionary War, where he married Mary Nevel. Thomas served a part of the time in the American Army. He removed to South Carolina in the year 1789, and in 1794, he removed to Barren County. He visited Missouri several times while it was under the Spanish Government, and preached in St. Louis County as early as the year 1797. While preaching there he was frequently threa- tened with violence. In the spring of 1804 he removed with his family to Missouri and settled in St. Louis County, one mile north of the pre- sent town of Bridgeton. Shortly afterwards he instituted Fefee Creek Baptist Church, which was doubtless the first Baptist Church west of the Mississippi River, of which he was pastor for many years. In the year of 1823 or 1824 his wife Mary died at home in St. Louis County. After the death of his wife, he made his home at the house of his nep- hew, Ury Musick, a son of Abraham Musick. He continued to preach in various parts of Missouri and Illinois until a short time previous to his death, which occurred on December 2, 1842, at the house of Ury Musick. The family of Thomas consisted of three sons and six daughters, viz: William, Nancy, Lewis, Mary, Charlotte, Sarah, Drucilla, Joyce and Thomas. William died at seven or eight years of age, and Thomas at sixteen; all of the others lived to be grown and married. Lewis Musick was born February 1, 1784. He came with his father to Missouri in 1804, and married Nancy Martin, who died some years afterward, after which he married Mary Fitzwater. Lewis removed to Pike County in the fall of 1819, and from there to Audrain County in the spring of 1839. From Missouri he went to California, starting on April 15, 1849. He died in Sacramento Valley, on October 27, 1849. He was engaged in tra- ding in live stock during the greater part of his life, and in the course of his business was occupied in driving horses and cattle in various directions all the way from Texas to Selkirk's Colony on North Red River, the country over which he had to pass for the most part a savage wilderness. Lewis raised ten children, viz: Lawson T., Elvira, Lafrenier C., Mary Ann, Charlotte M., Sarah T., Thomas R., Ephraim L., James J. and Mandana A. Lafrenier was born in St. Louis County on July 29, 1815, and married Jane D. Hayden. He joined the Baptist Church in March, 1833, commenced preaching immediately afterward, and was ordain- ed in October, 1835. His present residence is in Audrain County. ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Penny Harrell ====================================================================