Catherine Harrison Murchie

According to the family Bible, Scottish immigrant John Murchie (1750-1831) of Manchester, Virginia, married Catherine Harrison, a daughter of William Harrison of Virginia, in 1782. This oil portrait and its companion of John (currently on view in This Is Richmond, VA) are attributed to the artist John Durand. An English tradition, wedding portraits were commissioned by the colonial gentry class not only as a symbol of status but also to illustrate family connections.

John and Catherine produced five children beginning with the birth of Martha in 1783. In 1791, Catherine died following the birth of their youngest daughter Catherine (d. 1792). John Murchie remarried to Susanna Temple in 1804.