Harry W Murphy

[Val in Oz]

Clearing through books at my parents house I have come across an interesting postcard written in 1905 to a celebrity, by Harry W Murphy who lived at 45 Nightingale Place in Woolwich

He is no relation to us, but the card was tucked inside a biography of the celebrity.

I wonder if it would be possible to find out if anyone is researching this particular Murphy branch.

I have no other details except to add that the writer would be an adult I would think by the writing.

Do you FH sleuths have any suggestions please

[kiterunner]

Nightingale Place, Woolwich, on the 1911 census only goes up to number 42, as far as I can see. Are you sure about the address, Val?

[kiterunner]

Ah, there is a number 45 in 1901 but no Murphys there.

[Val in Oz]

Thankyou KR - that would be typical wouldn't it? - they were there in 1905, but had moved on by 1911 then, and I don't know anything more about them to follow up with the census. Murphy is a fairly common surname and he could have been any age.

[kiterunner]

The number 45 on the 1901 census had riding masters living there, and looking at the 1906 electoral roll, there is a Henry Murphy listed at 1 Riding-masters quarters, Nightingale Place, Woolwich. Still there in 1907 and 1908 but seems to disappear after that. On the 1910 electoral roll, an Oscar Marr is shown at 45 Nightingale Place.

[kiterunner]

On the 1911 census there is an Oscar Marr in Woolwich but not at Nightingale Place, and he is a retired army quartermaster, also a William Thomas Cusheon who lived next door to Henry Murphy on the e roll is "Lieut Army Retired Pay" on the 1911 census, so I wonder whether Harry Murphy was in the army. Not that that is likely to help much since there must be loads of Henry / Harry Murphys in the army!

[Val in Oz]

I wonder what company they were Riding Masters for.........a brewery maybe?.....or the army perhaps.

[Val in Oz]

Oops cross posted there...........that is interesting, but I do wish he had a surname that was a little different............and if he were in the army then he could have been posted anywhere after 1908

It could be like looking for a needle in a haystack.....:d

[kiterunner]

Ooooh, in fact it does help a lot! I've found some "British Army Pension Records" on ancestry for a Henry William Murphy, and looking through them, when you get to the next of kin part there are several entries, some of which are crossed out, and one of those is for father Lieut ??? Mr H Murphy, ASC 46 Nightingale Place. Henry jr was number 25614 in the ASC (=Army Service Corps), born Aldershot, Hampshire, about 1886.

So I suppose the postcard could be written by either H Murphy, jr or sr. Unless we find that sr wasn't a Henry or Harry!

[Val in Oz]

Well KR - he signed the card 'your sincere admirer' - so more the type of message a 19 year old might write

[kiterunner]

Okay, so this is (part of ) the family in 1901, at 19 St Michaels Road, Aldershot:
Winifred Murphy Wife M 44 Sussex Lewes
Winifred A Do Daur S 20 Hants Portsmouth
Henry W Do Son S 14 Do Aldershot.

Hopefully it should be possible to see if these people are on anyone's tree now, back in a minute.

[kiterunner]

Can't see them in the public or private trees on ancestry, nor on Genes Reunited.

[Val in Oz]

Thankyou KR, that is a shame though as I thought someone might be pleased to see a postcard written by their ancestor.

[Mary from Italy]

This is the marriage; Winifred was about the right age, and born in Lewes according to the 1871 census, and there's a son Henry F Towner living with her and daughter Winifred Murphy in 1881:

Marriages Mar 1881
Brooke John Mortimer Portsea 2b 684
HERLEN Gertrude Theresa Portsea 2b 684
>> Murphy Henry Portsea 2b 684
>> TOWNER Winifred Portsea 2b 684

[Val in Oz]

Thankyou Mary, I'm going to keep working on this one for a while, I can't believe how much info was collected about him in such a short space of time.