Francis Murphy (evangelist)

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Francis Murphy (1836-1907) was an American temperance evangelist, born in Wexford, Ireland. He served in the Federal army during the Civil War. Beginning in 1870 at Portsmouth, N. H., he started temperance reform clubs throughout that State, and was their first president. His headquarters were in Pittsburgh, Pa., and after his first address there in 1876, 45,000 people signed the pledge. He labored also in Britain, and was chaplain in the Spanish-American War. During the course of his temperance labors in America and abroad Murphy is said to have induced 10,000,000 people to sign the pledge.

• This article incorporates text from an edition of the New International Encyclopedia that is in the public domain.