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Debate and Division on the British Left, 1917–1964

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The J.T. and Molly Murphy Papers

The [CPGB] archives contain by far the most important collection of personal papers relating to British communism.
Professor Kevin Morgan,  University of Manchester

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Examine the origins of "revisionism" and its impact on the worldwide communist movement

A black and white image of a Bolshevik rally in Petrograd.

John Thomas (J.T.) Murphy and Molly Murphy (née Morris) were a married couple who were prominent members of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) during its formative years. J.T. was expelled from the party in 1932, while Molly resigned shortly thereafter. 

This collection contains J.T.’s personal and political papers, which cover a wide range of subjects, from his imprisonment in 1925 and campaign to become a Member of Parliament to his travels in post-revolutionary Russia and disagreements with the CPGB leadership. Documents detailing Molly's time as a nurse on the frontlines of the Spanish Civil War are also included. Together, these materials provide an invaluable insight into the internal debates that plagued the British and European left during the 1920s and 1930s.   

The collection is accompanied by three contextual essays written by Professor Kevin Morgan, a senior academic at the University of Manchester.

Contents

Debate and Division on the British Left, 1917–1964...

The J.T. and Molly Murphy Papers

Discover 
Ablack and white image of a 'General Union' rally in the UK.

Highlights

Black and white photograph of a Soviet rally in Petrograd.

Licensed to access Soviet communist life in photographs, 1917–1927.

These rare photographs were taken during the Murphys' travels and residence in the Soviet Union. Dated from 1917 to 1927, they include scenes from communist rallies and life in the Red Army, as well as portraits of high ranking officials such as Leon Trotsky.
Black and white photograph of J. T. Murphy and an unknown man.

Licensed to access J.T. Murphy's expulsion from the CPGB, 1932.

These items shed light on the events and internal discussions that led to J.T.'s expulsion from the CPGB in 1932. The role of party leader Harry Pollitt is covered in detail.
Black and white photograph of a nurse in a street covered in rubble.

Licensed to access The Spanish Civil War: nursing admission and letters home, 1936–1939.

This tranche of private letters to and from family members reveals the inner hopes and worries of Molly as she helped the anti-fascist war effort as a volunteer for the Spanish Medical Aid Committee.
Black and white photograph of Molly Murphy.

Licensed to access Molly Murphy: a prospective autobiography, 1960s.

This draft autobiography written by Molly provides an insight into her life, from her career in nursing and romance with J.T. to her time in the Soviet Union and experience of the Spanish Civil War.

Insights

  • J.T. was a leading member of one of the CPGB's precursory organisations, the Socialist Labour Party. He took part in unity discussions between various British revolutionary groups which led to the formation of the CPGB in 1920.
  • J.T. held several important posts in the party throughout the 1920s. From 1926 to 1928, he even acted as its representative in the Communist International (Comintern), which was based in Moscow.
  • This provided J.T. and his wife Molly with unprecedented access to everyday Soviet life, which they recorded through photographs.
  • Molly joined the CPGB having become disillusioned by the bourgeois sensibilities of the suffragette movement. She met J.T. through the party and stuck by him when its leaders voted to expel him. Much of the material relating to Molly centres on her experience as a volunteer nurse on the Republican side of the Spanish Civil War.
  • J.T.'s expulsion resulted from a disagreement over the Soviet Union's trade credits with Britain. Although a seemingly obscure and innocuous issue, J.T. made it clear that he did not want to subordinate himself to a policy he did not "consciously accept." This schism highlights a wider tension within the party regarding its willingness to accept every Soviet action as a sacred diktat. That said, J.T. himself remained "a loyal follower of Stalin, whose hagiography he later published."
  • After parting ways with the CPGB, J.T. dedicated a great deal of his time to writing. He penned a number of books and articles, including some that were biographical in nature and others that were concerned with Marxist philosophy.
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