To those of us who are deeply engaged in Sherlockian research there is a tendency to delve into subjects which, frankly, do not offer much of a challenge to the true scholar. As a result, learned papers are published and read which are nothing more than warmed over versions of subjects that have been gone over many times before. This is a deplorable situation and a wicked waste of keen minds. It is tantamount, I think, to Niels Bohr or Albert Einstein researching long division or the nine times table rather than the theory of quantum mechanics or relativity.
My purpose then, in presenting this paper, is two-fold: to encourage Sherlockian scholars to select subjects from the Canon worthy of research; the more obscure the better! And to set an example I hope others will follow.
I have long been intrigued by Gallant Murray! Visualize, if you will the battlefield of Maiwand. Watson struck down by a Jezail bullet, and "lying in some corner of a foreign field", when out of the smoke and general pandemonium comes this fearless fellow with a packhorse upon which he threw the good doctor's prostrate form and returned him to the British lines.
By this unselfish act, Murray, saved the life of Sherlock Holmes' future chronicler. Without Murray, the world would have been a poorer place. Murray is never again mentioned in the Canon. No paper, that I have found, has ever been presented or published on this man who must surely rank as one of the great stalwarts of Sherlockian lore. Why not? I determined to learn all I could and present my findings.
What was his physical and mental make up? What prompted him to act as he did? The man was obviously of great physical stature. Packhorses used by the Indian Army ranged from fourteen to seventeen hands and Murray picked up Watson and threw him over the horse's back! No mean physical feat which could only have been accomplished by a man of outstanding physique.
What was his mental capability and what prompted him to risk his own life to bring in a lowly Assistant Surgeon? The answer appears to lie in Scottish history for Murray was a Scot.
The year 1878 was only a hundred and twenty years or so after the ill-fated Jacobite Rebellion of 1745. Two of the great Highland clans who came out in the '45 were the Murrays of Atholl and the Buchanans. The Watson are a sept of Clan Buchanan so there was a common bond of kinship between these two sons of the heather which prevailed, even on the dusty plains of India.
The motto of Clan Murray is "Tout Pret" (Quite Ready) and the motto of Clan Buchanan is "Clarior Hinc Honos", Brighter Hence the Honour. Watson having been born and raised in England was probably out of touch with the loyalty and traditions of his forebears but Murray as a native Scot was not. In addition, he probably realized that Watson with his Anglified speech, coupled with a quick temper, would bear some cuckolding! He isn't the first Englishman who has fallen afoul of a native dagger because of his dandified airs and graces.
Quite Ready, as I mentioned, is the Murray motto and quite ready was Murray to oversee the welfare of his charge. It is readily apparent that Watson was very fortunate to have a man of such fortitude at his side.
When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains
And the women come out to cut up what remains
Just roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
And go to your God like a soldier
Mercifully, Murray prevented Watson from committing this extreme act. But, what became of Murray after Watson was safely taken to the hospital? Here, there is some conjecture in the research.
A search of Indian Army records shows a Corporal John Murray of the 5th/6th Battalion of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders was attached to an expeditionary force which was sent up the Helmand River to reconnoitre and make contact with the advancing armies of Ayub Khan. Is this our Murray? If so, why was he detached from his own regiment, which at that time was in cantonments at the hill station of Meerut?
Did Corporal Murray have some special talent which was needed by the Berkshires? What was it? Why was he made Watson's batman? So many questions. Only one thing is clear. He was the only Murray on the army list of personnel at Maiwand on that momentous day.
Assuming the army records to be correct, this is our man. It was also learned that he stayed with the Berkshires for a time before returning to his own regiment. After rising to the rank of Sergeant he exercised his option to buy himself out of the service and was discharged in India.
Tea was becoming increasingly popular as a beverage and he was next heard of in Assam where he became an overseer and eventually the owner of one of the largest tea plantations in the state.
At this juncture he apparently 'went native' because there is on record a marriage certificate recording the nuptials of one John Murray, tea planter, to Anravarti Ratnagiri, tea picker. One wonders how this certificate would read if Murray had chosen to interest himself in cotton rather than tea.
Since birth records are not very well kept in India, our research did not determine if Murray passed on without issue. However, on the distaff side we were able to determine from a village fakir of great age that Miss Ratnagiri was with child at the time of her marriage. Knowing Murray's great moral strength we assume he married the dusky lady out of pity or love.
In any case the fakir recalls this child grew to manhood and traveled south to the state of Madras. Casting about for something to do (no pun intended) he found his forte in the cut and thrust of Indian politics and adopted the Hindi name of Ranjitsinghi, meaning 'quite ready'. His promising career was cut short in Bangalore, when an American tourist spooked a herd of sacred cows and Singhi was caught in the stampede.
Because of the death of the old fakir, and the deplorable record keeping in India, we have not been able to find out if Murray had any more offspring nor the location of his last resting place. This will be the culmination of the research. My correspondence with India is voluminous and it will probably be necessary to go there to complete the work.
I feel, however, that I have shed light on this outstanding Sherlockian figure and I will not be satisfied until other scholars turn their attention to Murray and others like him.
Without Murray none of us would have any occasion to be at this gathering. I hope we are grateful.