Sir William Lindsay Murphy (1887-1965), colonial administrator, entered the Ceylon Civil Service in 1910, rising to the rank of Principal Assistant Colonial Secretary, 1928 and Chairman, Municipal Council and Mayor of Colombo, 1932-1937. He was posted to Bermuda as Colonial Secretary, 1942-1945 and became Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Bahamas, 1945-1949. He retired briefly in 1949, then served as Acting Governor of Southern Rhodesia, 1954 and Acting Governor of Southern Rhodesia and Acting Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief, Rhodesia and Nyasaland, 1957. Awarded the KCMG and a Knight of the Order of St. John, he was Director of Rhodesian Selection Trust Ltd., Mufulira Copper Mines Ltd. and other companies in the same group from 1953. In 1922 he married Betty Mary Ormsby, with whom he had three sons and two daughters.

• Letters, diaries and other papers relating to Ceylon, 1911-1942
• Photographs and press cuttings relating to Ceylon, c1910-1961
• Letters and photographs relating to Bermuda, 1941-1947
• Press cuttings relating to Bermuda, 1942-1945
• Diaries kept in the Bahamas, 1945-1948
• Correspondence relating to the Bahamas, 1945-1949
• Appointments as Governor, awards of decorations, and photographs of the Bahamas, 1935-1959
• Photographs relating to the Bahamas, 1941-1949
• Printed materials and press cuttings relating to the Bahamas, 1945-1983
• Album and scrapbook relating to the Bahamas, 1945-1949
• Diaries, correspondence and speeches relating to the Bahamas, and to the journey to Southern Rhodesia, 1945-1949
• Correspondence and printed material relating to Southern Rhodesia, and to pensions, 1942-1968
• Diaries written in Rhodesia, 1951-1957
• Correspondence relating to Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, 1949-1983
• Invitation cards; papers concerning the Capricorn Africa Society, 1951-1958
• Papers relating to the United Rhodesia Party, the Advisory commission under Lord Monckton for the review of the Constitution of the Federation of Rhodesia, and to Church affairs, 1958-1972
• Correspondence, memoranda, etc. on education in Rhodesia, 1957-1979
• Reports, lists and accounts relating to Kiltullagh School, Rhodesia, 1971-1976
• Correspondence relating to Kiltullagh School, 1964-1983
• Reports and correspondence on children being supported at various schools in Rhodesia, 1970-1977
• Printed material relating to the new hospital in Jerusalem, and to special services in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, 1952-1981
• Printed material relating to Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, 1951-1983
• Press cuttings relating to Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, 1949-1983
• Correspondence and printed material relating to Lady Murphy's move back to England, to holidays in England, and to Ireland, 1922-1983
• Photographs of copper mines in Rhodesia, c1950s
• Editions of Rhodesian/Zimbabwean newspapers, 1964-1980

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No reproduction or publication of personal papers without permission. Contact the library in the first instance.

Listed as no. 604 in Manuscript Collections in Rhodes House Library Oxford, Accessions 1978-1994 (Oxford, Bodleian Library, 1996). A handlist is also available in the library reading room.

Murphy | William Lindsay | 1887-1965 | Sir | Knight and Colonial Governor

Great Britain | Colonies | Administration

Sri Lanka | History | 20th century

Bermuda Islands | History | 20th century

Bahamas | History | 20th century

Zimbabwe | History | 20th century

Capricorn Africa Society"

United Rhodesia Party

Advisory commission under Lord Monckton for the review of the Constitution of the Federation of Rhodesia | 1959

Education | Zimbabwe | History | 20th century

Copper mines and mining | Zambia | History | 20th century