PHILLIP TRAPNELL MUSGROVE was a son of WILLIAM T. MUSGROVE and NANCY TATE who were on the 1790 US Census in Newberry Co., SC, and the 1830 US Census in Walker Co., AL. PHILLIP TRAPNELL appears to have been named for an early Justice of Peace in North Carolina, who was named PHILLIP TRAPNELL, a name that probably came down through the TATE family, since during that period (early 1700's) the MUSGROVEs were living in Virginia. That is the only TRAPNELL family I have thus far been able to find. It appears the male line died out, only to reappear as the middle name of PHILLIP TRAPNELL MUSGROVE.

Both WILLIAM T. MUSGROVE and NANCY TATE had a brother named PHILLIP. Because of WILLIAM's brother, PHILLIP, was known by researchers who tended to ignore the female lines. This has confused some researches in thinking the name came through the MUSGROVE line. Some even presented WILLIAM T's middle name as being "TRAPNELL" as an absolute, based solely on this being a middle name of his son. Other descendents state his middle name was THOMAS, and some were named for him, as THOMAS. We have nothing concrete on a middle name for WILLIAM, only his middle initial.

ROSANNAH PATTON was a daughter of SAMUEL J. PATTON, one of the earliest settlers in Walker Co., AL, representing that county in the Alabama State Legislature. Both WILLIAM T. MUSGROVE and SAMUEL J. PATTON held the position of County Court Clerk as well as WILLIAM's son, EDWARD GORDON MUSGROVE in the earlist history of this sparcely populated county. This is known by State of Alabama records. Unfortunately, the Walker County Court House was burned during the Civil War and also had severala other fires so most ot the old records were destroyed. However, State and Federal records hold some morsels of information on this family.

PHILLIP TRAPNELL MUSGROVE entered federal land in Walker Co., AL, but by 1840, he and Rosannah were in Itawamba Co., MS, and by 1850, they had moved to St. Francis Co., MO. R. G. Musgrove has published some helpful information on this family after they reached Missouri.

A word of advise. Be sure to verify information that you read on this family. There has been much confusion published, a compilation of contributors, some well researched and some not verified or researched very well. Also, as all researchers know, it is easy to make an "educated guess" but one should not present it as fact only as a supposition.

There are some old family histories, but they too contained many errors because they were written many many years after the event. However, some of it has been verifiable. This is a facinating family. My favorite to research. I have not rushed to publish because so much new information is still comint to light and I am interested in quality, not a rushed "me first" publication. I recommend that each of us publish our own work and get permission from your provider before you pass it on to others who intend to publish it as their own work.