James Patrick Murphy was born in 1894 in Battersea, London, the third of the four children of Patrick Murphy (b. circa 1857) and Jane Murphy (b. circa 1864). His birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1894 in the Wandsworth Registration District, London.
In the 1901 census he is shown as aged 6 years and living at 55 Sabine Road, Battersea, with his mother and two elder siblings: Louisa Jane Murphy, aged 10 years and William Jordan Murphy, aged 8 years.
In November 1910 he was appointed as an assistant postman in the London Postal Service.
In the 1911 census return form he was described as aged 16 years and a G.P.O. boy messenger, still residing in the five roomed property at 55 Sabine Road, Battersea, with his parents and three siblings: Louisa Jane Murphy - a shorthand and typewriting student; William Jordan Murphy - a G.P.O. boy messenger and Kathleen Elizabeth Murphy, aged 8 years and at school. His father showed himself as a builder's plasterer.
He enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps, service number 18390 and was serving in the No.4 Kite Balloon Section as an Air Mechanic 2nd Class when he died, aged 22 years on 24 November 1916 in St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London. His death was registered in the 4th quarter of 1916 in the Paddington Registration District. His body was buried in Plot H, Grave 424, in Morden Cemetery, Lower Morden Lane, Morden, SM4 4NU.
He is shown as 'MURPHY, P. J.' on the Western Postal District war memorial in Mount Pleasant, London, WC1. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First Word War website, on the A Street Near You website, on the Royal British Legion's Every One Remembered website, on the London Borough of Merton's Carved in Stone website, on the Surrey County Council's Surrey in the Great War website and on page 268 of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance 1914-1920.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them