The monument dedicated to Don José Murphy y Meade was established in Plaza San Francisco by the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council, following a request from the Tertulia Friends of July 25, on 30th September 2003.
On its sturdy base, his name along with his date of birth and death is engraved, accompanied by a bronze plaque that reads: Trustee of this City Council, who successfully acquired for his hometown, then Villa, Puerto and Plaza de Santa Cruz de Santiago de Tenerife, the designation of the capital of the province of the Canary Islands. The Municipal Corporation is grateful to this well-respected individual.
The bronze sculpture, a full-body piece created by the lagoon artist Roberto Barrera Martín, stands at 3 metres tall and depicts him in a sorrowful and despondent pose on his way to exile.
José Murphy y Meade was born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife on 25th February 1774, in a residence on the corner of San Francisco Street and San Martín, with a garden at the back leading to that of San Juan Bautista. His parents, Patricio and Juana, were Irish traders involved in the ship consignment business.
In 1799, he married his cousin Juana, with whom he had a son named José Patricio. However, two years later, both his wife and parents passed away, compelling him to manage family shipping operations, which required frequent travels to London and Paris.
In 1801, he was appointed a member of the Royal Consulate of the Sea; by 1808, he had taken on the roles of Member and Commissioner of Finance, Commerce, Merchant Marine, General Police, and Public Benefit at the Supreme Government Board of the Canary Islands, serving as the representative in Seville and deputy at the Central Board of Madrid; from 1813 to 1820, he was a provincial deputy; and in 1821, he became the trustee prosecutor for the City Council of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
When the news of the Royal Decree arrived on 12th May 1821, which mandated a new division of electoral constituencies, and which placed Santa Cruz under the jurisdiction of the lagoon, the City Council decided to turn to him for assistance. They appointed him to advocate for the capital status of Santa Cruz in the Courts of Madrid.
Though not an elected deputy in Madrid, Murphy adeptly navigated this unfamiliar and sometimes hostile environment, undertaking the challenging work of garnering support through a diligent personal approach to diplomatic negotiations. By 22nd October 1821, he informed the City of Santa Cruz: “I have the pleasure of informing you that the extraordinary courts, during the 19th session of the current, have designated that most loyal, noble, and undefeated Villa as the capital of the Canary Islands.”
Having initially supported the freedoms declared by the first Constitution, José Murphy became one of the 23 deputies who, in 1823, voted in favour of the temporary incapacity of Fernando VII when absolutism was restored. Consequently, he faced the confiscation of his property and a death sentence, ultimately escaping to Mexico, where he remarried.
In 1834, following his amnesty, he served as the Consul-General of Spain in Mexico without any remuneration. Upon his departure from this position, his second wife sought a pension from the Spanish government, as they faced financial hardship. She included a report from the Spanish ambassador stating that “Don José Murphy was a man of advanced years, with graceful manners, a certain level of education, and a reputation for honesty, who had recently lost his hacienda after being unfortunate.” The request for pension was turned down.
Lamenting the uncertainty of his final resting place, the gathering of the Friends of July 25 resolved that this eminent figure should have a peaceful repose in his native town. They embarked on a search to locate his remains, ultimately discovering that he had died in what is now Mexico City, with his death recorded in Santa Paula, but whose final resting place was lost by the end of the 20th century.
Recognition
In honour of his legacy and to pay tribute to his esteemed contributions, the City Council of Santa Cruz acknowledged his commitment and effectiveness, expressing gratitude for his diligent support of the rights of the community.
However, it was not until 1895 that municipal architect and council member Manuel de Camera y Cruz proposed naming a street after him, which now runs from the castle to Ruiz de Padrón.
In 1903, Mayor Don Juan Martí Dehesa directed that a letter from Don José Murphy, which conveyed the joyful news of Santa Cruz’s capital status, be inscribed in the City Council’s Green Book.
By 1974, coinciding with the bicentennial of his birth, Don Marcos Guimerá Peraza published the texts written by Murphy, which included reflections on customs tariffs, representation on capital, and observations on the bishopric of Tenerife; this followed earlier publications concerning the capital and the division of the Canary Islands as well as the island dispute.
Furthermore, in 1978, a collective of citizens, together with the Municipal Corporation, installed a plaque at the site of the building that now occupies the location of his birthplace and former residence, situated at the corner of San Francisco Street and San Martín.
