1875, the 9th Lancers were sent to Bombay, but Murphy reattached to the 5th Lancers returning from India. On 1 February 1875, after almost 20 years army service, Murphy was discharged at Colchester. Post-military life and death Immediately following his army discharge, Murphy took up residence in Bellingham, Northumberland. From Bellingham, he moved by early 1876 to become a blacksmith at Scotswood, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland. then by mid-1878 to Murton, County Durham, and, by 1881, back to Heworth, Northumberland. During the 1880s, Murphy's children appear to have left home. In 1889, while staying at Wilton Lodge, Darlington, Murphy's wife was admitted to Winterton Asylum, Sedgefield, where she later died on 3 March 1900. By 1891, Murphy had moved on his own to a cottage on the Blackwell Grange estate, outside Darlington (owned by a benefactor, Sir Henry Havelock-Allan, another Victoria Cross recipient). Murphy later relocated to Darlington to work as a labourer in an ironworks. Murphy died of pneumonia at 22 Vulcan Street, Darlington on 4 April 1893. He was buried in the North Road Municipal Cemetery, Darlington. A gravestone was erected by Sir Henry and comrades from the India campaign. Despite having at least two children still alive but not at home, his sole heir was stated to be his married niece Bridget Mary Anne Dobson, who was caring for, and residing with, him at the end. Murphy's epitaph records that three of his sons were killed in action. Reappearance of medal It is not known where the medal was kept between March 1872 and June 1898, nor who held possession. However, five years after Murphy's death, in June 1898, his Victoria Cross medal eventually resurfaced when it was offered by an anonymous seller at auction. It was bought by Master Sergeant Masterman on behalf of the Royal Army Service Corps, at Aldershot. This medal was presented to the RASC, which has since been subsumed into the Royal Logistic Corps, based at the Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut, Surrey. Murphy's actual medal is now owned by a regimental trust and can be viewed, but only by prior arrangement with the Royal Logistic Corps Museum. Commemoration The 150th anniversary of Murphy's VC occurred on 15 April 2008, and was commemorated at his grave in Darlington by the RLC, with the Mayor of Darlington, numerous family members and the British Legion present. Family Murphy married Mary Fox (c. 1841, Ireland –