John Wilson Murray

Who was John Wilson Murray?

John Wilson Murray was a Canadian sailor and police officer. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, he came to North America as a young boy. He joined the United States Navy on 5 June 1857 and became a crew member of the USS Michigan. This ship operated out of Erie, Pennsylvania, and carried out patrols on the Great Lakes as well as supervising the prison camp for Confederate officers at Johnson's Island on Lake Erie.

As the source for Murray's early life is his own writings, little reliance should be given them for details of his own participation in events aboard the Michigan. It is confirmed that he was an acting gunner on the ship in 1864. In that year, two attempts were made to capture the ship and free the Confederate officers at Johnson's Island. It is unlikely that he played any significant role in these events.

Murray left the navy on 31 January 1866 with an honourable discharge and 1868 became a detective with the Erie police force and in 1873, joined the Canada Southern Railway as a detective.

In 1875, after Murray became Ontario's first full-time criminal detective with the title Detective for the Government of Ontario.