Murphy, Henry Cruse, 1810-1882

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Henry Cruse Murphy, a New York lawyer and politician; admitted to the bar 1833, prosecuting attorney for King's County, N.Y., owner and editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, mayor of Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1842-43, elected to serve in the U.S. House of Rep. 1843-1845 and 1847-1849, minister in resident to the Netherlands 1857-1861, state senator 1861-1873.

From the description of Short Description of the Discovery and of the more particular fortunes of new Netherland formerly a plantation of the Republic of the United Netherlands in America, 1840. (Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens). WorldCat record id: 714628245

Henry Cruse Murphy (1810-1882) was a Brooklyn lawyer, Democratic Party politician, U.S. Minister to the Netherlands, businessman, editor, and historian. Murphy was the eldest son of John Murphy and Clarissa Runyon, a couple originally from New Jersey who had moved to Brooklyn after their marriage. John Murphy became a leading figure in Brooklyn's public and commercial life; among other notable accomplishments, Murphy, with Rodman Bowne, invented and patented a horse-powered wheel used to propel ferries across the East River.

Henry Murphy, born in Brooklyn on July 5, 1810, graduated from Columbia College in 1830. He studied law under Peter W. Radcliffe of New York, and started his own practice in 1833, with offices in the Apprentices' Library Building at Pineapple and Fulton. Murphy became actively involved with the newly-incorporated city of Brooklyn in several ways, including as corporation counsel and as mayor. Murphy was active in local Democratic Party circles as a partner in the politically influential firm of Lott, Murphy and Vanderbilt. On the national political stage, he served two terms in the U.S. Congress (1843-1848) and was an active supporter of James Buchanan in his successful candidacy for U.S. President in 1856. Murphy's support was rewarded in 1857 with his appointment as U.S. Minister to the Netherlands (1857-1861). After returning to Brooklyn, Murphy was elected to the New York State Senate six times, beginning in 1863. As a state senator in the late 1860s, Murphy was involved in the creation of the New York Bridge Company, the corporate entity responsible for building the Brooklyn Bridge, and later became an officer of the company.

Throughout his adult life, Murphy also pursued an interest in literary and historical matters. He amassed a large library; translated historical works, notably those written in Dutch; and conducted research concerning colonial American history in various archives, including the Dutch Archives while he was in Europe. Murphy authored several works, including monographs on Henry Hudson, Giovanni da Verrazano, and Jacob Steendam, a Dutch poet in New Netherlands. Murphy was a founder of the Long Island Historical Society (now Brooklyn Historical Society), which published his translation of the Journal of a Voyage to New York by Jaspar Dankers and Peter Sluyter.

Murphy died on December 1, 1882, and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery.

(Principal source: Memoir of Hon. Henry C. Murphy, LL.D., of Brooklyn, N.Y. by Henry Stiles. Available in the Brooklyn Historical Society library, call number CT275.M87.S85.1883).

From the guide to the Henry C. Murphy collection, Bulk, 1830-1880, circa 1700-circa 1880, (Brooklyn Historical Society)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Murphy, Henry Cruse, 1810-1882. Short Description of the Discovery and of the more particular fortunes of new Netherland formerly a plantation of the Republic of the United Netherlands in America, 1840. Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens
referencedIn Lenox, James, 1800-1880. [Letter] 1865 June 13th, [New York, to] Charles C. Moreau / J: Lenox. Jenks Library at Gordon College, Jenks Library
creatorOf Le Boulanger, Jean Baptiste, 1685-1740. [French and Miami-Illinois dictionary]. Newberry Library
referencedIn Kearney, Denis, 1847-1907. Denis Kearney letter, 1883. University of the Pacific, William Knox Holt Memorial Library
creatorOf Jasper Dankers and Peter Sluyter journals, 1679-1683. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
creatorOf Murphy, Henry Cruse, 1810-1882. Notes concerning Pierre Boucher [manuscript], n.d. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Compositions, 1882-1912 and undated. Houghton Library
referencedIn King, John Alsop, 1788-1867. John A. King letter, 1857 July 29. Litchfield Historical Society
creatorOf Henry C. Murphy collection, Bulk, 1830-1880, circa 1700-circa 1880 Center for Brooklyn History (2020-)
referencedIn O'Callaghan, E. B. (Edmund Bailey), 1797-1880. Papers, 1830-1876 (bulk: 1845-1860) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Autograph File, M Houghton Library
referencedIn Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866. Jared Sparks collection of American manuscripts, 1582-1843 Houghton Library
referencedIn Henry A. Barnum letters to Senator Henry C. Murphy, 1882 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Houghton Library. Houghton Library printed book provenance file, L-Q. 1942. Houghton Library
referencedIn Famous Brooklynites portrait collection, circa 1870 to 1925 Center for Brooklyn History (2020-)
referencedIn Stengel, Frederick. Translation of the 37th book of Gonzolo Fernandez de Oviedo's Natural and general history of the Indies, ca. 1870. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Rufus F. Andrews letters, 1863-1878 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn O'Callaghan, E. B. (Edmund Bailey), 1797-1880. Papers, 1830-1876 (bulk: 1845-1860) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
creatorOf Old Dutch Burying Ground notes, [ca. 1862]. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
creatorOf Henry Cruse Murphy papers, 1853-1882 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866. Jared Sparks collection of American manuscripts, 1582-1843 Houghton Library
referencedIn Dickinson, Daniel S. (Daniel Stevens), 1800-1866. Daniel S. Dickinson letter, 1857 Aug. 3. Litchfield Historical Society
referencedIn Smithsonian Institution. Office of the Secretary. Correspondence, 1863-1879 Smithsonian Institution Archives
creatorOf Portuguese and Basques discoveries, 1865? New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Translation of the 37th book of Gonzolo Fernandez de Oviedo's Natural and general history of the Indies, ca. 1870 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Bocock, Thomas S., 1815-1891. Papers of Bocock and of the Bocock, Thornhill Christian, Stephens, Flood, Patteson, and Diuguid families of Buckingham and Appomattox counties, 1760-1897. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866. Jared Sparks collection of American manuscripts, 1582-1843 Houghton Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Andrews, Rufus F. person
associatedWith Andrews, William Loring, 1837-1920, person
associatedWith Barnum, Henry A., 1833-1892 person
associatedWith Bocock, Thomas S., 1815-1891. person
associatedWith Bossange, Hector, 1795-1884. person
associatedWith Boucher, Pierre, sieur de Boucherville, 1622-1717. person
associatedWith Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company corporateBody
correspondedWith Buchanan, James, 1791-1868 person
associatedWith Dankers, Jasper, b. 1639. person
associatedWith Dickinson, Daniel S. (Daniel Stevens), 1800-1866. person
associatedWith Ford, Gordon Lester, 1823-1891 person
correspondedWith Henry, Joseph, 1797-1878 person
associatedWith Houghton Library. person
associatedWith Janvier, Thomas Allibone, 1849-1913 person
associatedWith Kearney, Denis, 1847-1907. person
associatedWith King, John Alsop, 1788-1867. person
associatedWith Lambrechtsen, N. C. (Nicolaas Cornelis), 1752-1823. person
associatedWith Le Boulanger, Jean Baptiste, 1685-1740. person
associatedWith Lenox, James, 1800-1880. person
associatedWith Myers, Theodorus Bailey, 1821-1888 person
associatedWith O'Callaghan, E. B. (Edmund Bailey), 1797-1880. person
associatedWith Ritchie, Alexander Hay, 1822-1895. person
associatedWith Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866 person
associatedWith Stengel, Frederick person
associatedWith Stengel, Frederick. person
correspondedWith United States. Army. New York Infantry Regiment, 1st, 1846-1848. corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
New York (N.Y.)
Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) |x Politics and government |y 19th century
Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
France
New York (State)--New York
New York (N.Y.) |x History |y Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
America
Netherlands |x Description and travel
United States
Netherlands
Old Dutch Burying Ground (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
California |x Description and travel
America
Subject
Booksellers and bookselling
Basques
Book collecting
Dutch language
History
History
Labadists
Lawyers
Lawyers
Sepulchral monuments
Smithsonian Publications
Street-railroads
Occupation
Lawyers
Statesmen
Activity

Person

Birth 1810-07-05

Death 1882-12-01

Americans

English

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