Murphy, Robert

Master

SS Lough Fisher, Mercantile Marine

Killed on Saturday 30 March 1918 (aged 37)

No known grave

Commemorated:

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Tower Hill Memorial, London, England

Ballywalter and District War Memorial

Family grave headstone in Whitechurch Cemetery Ballywalter

BIOGRAPHY

Robert Murphy was born on 18 March 1881 in Ballywalter and he was a son of William John and Susanne (sometimes Susan, sometimes Susanna) Murphy (nee McClement, sometimes McClements) who were married on 29 June 1869 in Ballywalter Parish Church of Ireland Church (Holy Trinity).

The Murphy family lived in Ballywalter.

William John Murphy worked as a fisherman, labourer and carter, Susanne worked as an embroiderer and they had at least 14 children (at least six died in infancy):

William (born 12 December 1869 in Ballywalter)

Mary (born 27 April 1872 in Ballywalter)

Hugh (born 26 July 1874 in Ballywalter)

Elizabeth and her unnamed twin brother who died (born 10 December 1876 in Ballywalter)

Agnes (born 4 December 1877 in Ballywalter; died December 1877)

Charles (born 26 December 1878 in Ballywalter; died of bronchitis 3 March 1879)

David (born prematurely 22 February 1880 in Ballywalter; died 24 February 1880)

Robert (born 18 March 1881 in Ballywalter)

Charles (born 18 May 1883 in Ballywalter)

David (born 19 November 1885 in Ballywalter)

Agnes (born 11 May 1888 in Ballywalter)

James (born 16 August 1890 in Ballywalter)

Andrew (born 1 September 1893 in Ballywalter)

These children were baptised in Ballywalter Parish Church of Ireland Church (Holy Trinity).

After leaving school Robert Murphy went to sea and he and Jane (Jeannie) Henry (nee McKibbin) were married on 20 November 1911 in Glastry Presbyterian Church.  Jane Henry, a widow from Ballywalter, was a daughter of John McKibbin, a labourer.

They lived at 1 Dunleath Terrace, Ballywalter and had at least two children:

Irene (born 30 August 1912 in Ballywalter)

Robert (born 12 August 1914 in Ballywalter)

Both children were baptised in Ballywalter Presbyterian Church.

During the Great War Robert Murphy served in the Mercantile Marine.

Captain Robert Murphy was killed when his ship, the SS Lough Fisher, was shelled and sunk by the German Submarine U-101 some 12 miles South-South-East of Helvick Head, Co Waterford on 30 March 1918.

The SS Lough Fisher was built in 1887 by McIlwaine, Lewis and Company, Ltd., Belfast and was on a voyage from Cork to Garston, Liverpool with a cargo of pit-wood when she was lost.  Thirteen men died.

Captain Robert Murphy was 37 when he died on 30 March 1918 and he is commemorated on Ballywalter and District War Memorial and on the family grave headstone in Whitechurch Cemetery Ballywalter.