William H. Murtha (January 3, 1841, in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, Kings County, New York – April 15, 1891, in Brooklyn, Kings Co., NY) was an American merchant and politician from New York.

Life

He was born on January 3, 1841, in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, to James Murtha. He began to study law, but abandoned his studies in 1859, and became a merchant. Murtha was a member of the highly rated amateur Enterprise Club of Brooklyn baseball team, who played in the early pre-professional years. He married and had two children, Regina Murtha and Rene Murtha. At the beginning of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, he was appointed as a clerk in the mustering bureau at the

Brooklyn Navy Yard The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex located in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a semicircular bend ...

, but retired to establish a coal yard, and made a fortune out of this business. He was a member of the Board of Education of Brooklyn from 1869 to 1872; an Alderman in 1877; and a member of the New York State Senate (2nd D.) in

1880 Events January–March * January 22 – Toowong State School is founded in Queensland, Australia. * January – The international White slave trade affair scandal in Brussels is exposed and attracts international infamy. * February � ...

and

1881 Events January–March * January 1– 24 – Siege of Geok Tepe: Russian troops under General Mikhail Skobelev defeat the Turkomans. * January 13 – War of the Pacific – Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos: The ...

. He was elected Register of Brooklyn in 1885. He died on April 15, 1891, at his home at 132 Joralemon Street, in Brooklyn, of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

References

Sources

''Civil List and Constitutional History of the Colony and State of New York''
compiled by Edgar Albert Werner (1884; pg. 291)
''BREWSTER—DOUGHERTY''
in NYT on November 23, 1892 is daughter's second wedding {{DEFAULTSORT:Murtha, William H 1841 births 1891 deaths Democratic Party New York (state) state senators Politicians from Brooklyn Deaths from pneumonia in New York City 19th-century American legislators