Michael Murphy (VC)
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Michael Murphy, born (Cahir, County Tipperary September 5, 1831[1]- Darlington April 4, 1893) was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross ("VC"), the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
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[edit] Early life
Murphy was born to John Murphy and Hanora Sheehan and had at least one sibling, a younger sister named Mary. Little is known about his early life until 1854, when he married Mary Anne Walsh in Cahir.
[edit] Army career
[edit] Early career
On August 27, 1855, Murphy enlisted in the 17th Lancers at Cork. Since the 17th Lancers were in India at the time, Murphy started his training with the 16th Lancers at the Portobello Barracks, Dublin. On May 22, 1856, Murphy joined the 17th Lancers, who had returned from Ismid. On October 18, 1856, he joined the 2nd Battalion Military Train (later the Royal Army Service Corps). In March 1857, Murphy left the Curragh Camp and boarded the steamer Calypso at Dublin bound for Woolwich. On April 28, he embarked for Hong Kong. On reaching Indonesia, the battalion was diverted to Calcutta on news of the Indian Mutiny. They arrived in Calcutta on August 27, and after a series of moves were deployed to relieve Lucknow. On March 29, 1858 the battalion was subsumed into the Azimghur Field Force.
[edit] Victoria Cross
On April 15, 1858, Murphy was in position at Nathupur, near Azimgurh. During the fighting, Murphy and Samuel Morley were severely wounded while defending an injured comrade, a Lieutenant Hamilton, adjutant of the 3rd Sikh Cavalry. Hamilton died from his injuries the next evening, but for his actions Murphy was awarded the Victoria Cross.[2] Queen Victoria presented Michael Murphy with his Victoria Cross at the Quadrangle, Windsor Castle on January 4, 1860. Recognition for Morley did not come until later.
After his injuries at Nathupur, Murphy was invalided to Calcutta and returned to the United Kingdom and the Invalid Depot, Great Yarmouth. On May 14, 1859, Murphy resumed his duties at the Depot, at Aldershot and returned to the 2nd Battalion on October 1, 1859. In 1860, his wife joined him at Aldershot, and Murphy was soon promoted to Farrier Sergeant. In January 1862, Murphy was attached to the 1st Battalion and served 5 months in Canada, returning on June 14, 1862 to Woolwich and then onto Aldershot. On March 21, 1865, Murphy transferred to the 6th Battalion and moved to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. On September 6 of the following year, Murphy rejoined the Military Train at the Curragh in Ireland. By 1868, he was back at Woolwich with his wife and two children. By the time the Military Train became the Army Service Corps in 1869, Murphy had achieved the rank of Farrier-Major and was stationed in Aldershot. On July 1, 1871, Murphy transferred from the Army Service Corps to the 7th Hussars.
[edit] Forfeiture
On January 26, 1872, a civilian, James Green, was stopped by Farrier-Major Knott at Aldershot with a wagon containing sacks of oats and hay. Green stated that Murphy had given him permission to remove these goods. Murphy and Green were then arrested for the theft of these goods. At the trial at Winchester, Green was acquitted and released, but Murphy was convicted and sentenced to nine months' hard labour at the House of Correction for the county of Hampshire. On March 5, an order was issued for the forfeiture of Murphy's VC. His wife Mary Anne and their child soon disappeared, although they returned to Murphy in December 1873. After Murphy was released from prison on November 30, 1872, he returned to his regiment at Hounslow.
Although Michael Murphy had worn his Victoria Cross during his trial, the medal could not be found after the forfeiture order. The medal resurfaced in June 1898, when it was bought at auction by Master Sergeant Masterman on behalf of the Royal Army Service Corps. This medal was presented to the regiment and has moved from Aldershot to the Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut, Surrey. Murphy's Victoria Cross can be viewed, but only by prior arrangement with the Royal Logistic Corps Museum.
Murphy was one of only eight men who forfeited their Victoria Crosses. The rules for the award were later changed so as to avoid further forfeitures.
[edit] Later career
During 1873, Murphy's battalion moved to Wimbledon and then Maidstone. Murphy was in hospital and did not move with his battalion when it moved to Norwich in June 1874. On December 7, 1874, Murphy was transferred to the 9th Lancers. In January 1875, the 9th Lancers were sent to Bombay, but Murphy reattached to the 5th Lancers returning from India.
On February 1, 1875, Murphy was discharged from the Army at Colchester. He took up residence in Bellingham, Northumberland.
[edit] Post-military life
From Bellingham, Michael Murphy moved to Scotswood, Northumberland, Murton, County Durham, and, by 1881, Heworth. By this time, Murphy's family had either died or left him. By 1891, Murphy had moved on his own to a cottage in Blackwell, outside Darlington (owned by Sir Henry Havelock-Allan, another Victoria Cross recipient). Murphy later relocated to Darlington.
Murphy died at 22 Vulcan Street, Darlington, on April 4, 1893. Murphy was buried in the North Road Municipal Cemetery, Darlington. A gravestone was erected by Sir Henry and comrades from the India campaign. His sole heir was Bridget Mary Anne Dobson, a niece.
[edit] Family
Murphy married Mary Walsh at Cahir, County Tipperary, on February 26, 1854. They likely had one son, Michael, likely born in Cork in 1855. After separating from Walsh, by 1864 had Murphy married Mary Fox. Together they had five children: Thomas, John, Edward John, George, and Mary Ann.
Murphy's epitaph records that three of his sons were killed in action and the fourth was serving abroad at the time of his death.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Army records indicate a date of birth of about 1831-1832; the parish records indicate a birth / baptism of September 5, 1831 and his marriage in 1854. However, in later life, Michael Murphy underreported his age, eg 40 in the 1881 census; 53 at his death in 1893, indicating a date of birth of 1840.
- ^ Announced in the London Gazette on May 27, 1859.
[edit] References
[edit] Civil records
- Lieutenant-Colonel D J Owen MBE, Regimental Treasurer, The Royal Logistic Corps
- 1871 UK Census - Staff Sergeant, Army Service Corps, aged 40, of Aldershot - RG10/819 f.118 p.5
- 1881 UK Census - Horsekeeper, aged 40 (50?), of 8 Double Row West, Heworth, County Durham - RG11/5030 f.47 p.33
- 1891 UK Census - Blacksmith, aged 51 (60?), of Blackwell, Darlington, County Durham - RG12/2043 f.61 p.14
- General Register Office, Register of Deaths, JUN 1893 10a 1 DARLINGTON - Death of Michael Murphy, aged 53 (62?), at 22 Vulcan Street, Darlington
[edit] Bibliography
(Listed in order of publication year )
- The Register of the Victoria Cross (1981, 1988 and 1997)
- The Irish Sword (Brian Clarke 1986)
- Irelands VCs ISBN 1-899243-00-3 (Dept of Economic Development 1995)
- Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
- Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)
