Thomas Murphy (1821-August 1901) was a Collector of the Port of New York from 1870 to 1871.
Murphy was born in Ireland in 1821.[1] He emigrated to the United States as a young man and entered the fur business.[1] He became interested in politics joining first the Whig party and later the Republicans.[2] In 1848, he married Mary Gibbs of Boston; they would be married forty-nine years until her death in 1897. Murphy and his wife had five children. Their son, Edgar Gibbs Murphy, became well-known as a champion pigeon-shooter.[3]
Murphy made his fortune selling equipment to the Union Army during the American Civil War, and soon thereafter became involved with the Republican political machine run by Roscoe Conkling.[1] In 1866, he was elected to the New York State Senate.[1] In 1870, Conkling arranged for President Ulysses S. Grant to appoint Murphy to the job of Collector.[2] Murphy antagonized other New York Republican factions by firing their members from Custom House jobs and replacing them with men loyal to Conkling. He became sufficiently unpopular that Grant was forced to replace him, nominating Murphy's friend, Chester A. Arthur, to the post in his place.
After his resignation, Murphy ran for Congress from New York's 9th congressional district, but was defeated.[2] He owned a horse farm in Deal, New Jersey.[1] He died at his home in 1901 of a disease of the kidneys, and his funeral was held at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.[2]
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