Whatever happened to Turing's friend Arnold Murray?

Question

Whatever happened to Arnold Murray, Alan Turing's friend who was convicted for theft. I could not find any later information on Murray or any recorded interview of his reminiscence of Turing. Thanks.

Answer 1

It looks like you might want to read the book about Turing:

• Alan Turing : The Enigma by Andrew Hodges

This is the book that the movie the Imitation Game was based on. In this book Hodges discusses interviewing Murray in 1980, and there appear to be several pages discussing the relationship. The book, on page 675 mentions Murray feeling guilty after Turing's death, being a musician in the 60's, and later entering married life (no more details about that on this page). Murray appears to have died in 1989.

Since this work is under copyright, only bits can be see online, so if you are truely interested, get a copy of the book.

By the way, I don't see where Murray was convicted of theft over this incident.

Answer 2

Arnold was my uncle. He was convicted of homosexuality like Alan. I have read two books and they both have a different perspective of Arnold. He remained in Manchester and got married and had 2 kids. They split up. He moved away to London and got married again and had 2 more kids. The relationship broke down. He was a musician who had work published. He did enjoy mixing with intellects, musicians, art people. Anyone want to know anything specific. Apparently Alan and Arnold stayed in contact

Answer 3

Arnold lived an interesting and complex life. He left Manchester shortly after the trial and moved to London but returned to Manchester. The reports refer to him being unemployed, but he was not unemployed on a long term basis. At one time he worked for a manufacturing chemist, Timothy White, on another occasion he worked for an optician fitting spectacles. I remember he had a special ruler with all sorts of symbols and measurement systems.

AS mentioned above he married and had 2 children. At about that time he began to train as a mental nurse at Prestwhich Hospital.He enjoyed the work and he often taked about the work and and of some of the patients. The pay of trainee nurses at that time was very low and, though not the only reason was a key element of the reason for the marital breakdown. Bringing up 2 children on such a low income was very difficult and led to conflict with his wife. They were unsuited inmany was and the marriage was probably doomed rom the start. what I can say of her was that she was a good mothr and brought up the 2 children wellin difficult circumstances when Arnold left and went to LOndon.

In London he lived mainly in London W1 . He became a member of the coffee bar st at that ime and frequentd an establishment called the House of Sam Widges near UCH and the University. He was quite a good guitarist and mixed with a range of musically minded peeople and people who shared an odd beat humour. he used to busk ion the street but also wrote some music and een had some published. I thnk he got involved in the drug scene of the 50s.

Around 1960 he was in a live in relationship with a woman called Mary and they had a child. they lived in a flat near the Post office Tower. Something went wrong and she leeft taking the child with her, and subsequently married and lived in Lancashire. I do not know what became of the child but I know he was definitely Arnolds because I saw a photograph of him as an infant and he had an ear shape that was a family trait.

As indicated by a poster above he remarried around 1970 and had three children but the second child died in infancy with a cardiac abnormality.