Murphy Radio Ltd.
Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire.

Murphy Radio, founded in 1929 by Frank Murphy and E.J. Power was a volume manufacturer of home radio sets. Its factories were in the Hertfordshire town of Welwyn Garden City, and later opened another in Islandbridge, Dublin, Ireland.

The company played an important role during World War II, designing and manufacturing radio sets for British Armed Forces and after the war, for the Navy. In later years the company became known for producing televisions.

Frank Murphy (1889-1955) left the partnership with Rupert Casson in Engineering Publicity Services and joined with E.J. Power (1899-1993) in 1928 with the intention of manufacturing radios.

The company was registered in 1929.

The company’s first radio was the 4-Valve Screen Grid Portable released in September 1930.

Initially, the workforce was seasonal, but as demand increased the company moved to a new factory in 1936 which would double the output, and by the following year Murphy’s were employing 500, producing some 33,000 radio sets a year.

In 1937 Murphy resigned from the board to start a new venture producing and selling good-quality furniture. Following Murphy’s resignation, Power became chairman of the company and under his guidance, the firm prospered and retained its reputation for good quality engineering and innovative design.

They commenced Manufacture of TV sets in 1937, possibly with the A42V.

Murphy Radio continued and become one of the leading companies in the country and by the Second World War, they were one of the big six in the radio world.

During the war, they produced thousands of radios for the armed forces, chiefly the Wireless Set No. 38. After the war, Murphy used their military experience to design and build sets for Naval use, principally the B40 series for the British Commonwealth Navies. The company also produced the Larkspur A41 VHF manpack transceiver for the British Army during the late 1940s.

They moved to a new factory in 1955 at Welwyn Garden City. They also undertook the TV manufacturer for British Relay Wireless and Television.

They made an agreement in February 1954 with Westco Products Ltd. to manufacture under license radios and televisions in New Zealand.

By 1961 the company manufactured radio and television receivers, testing equipment, radiograms, communications receivers and transmitters, radar equipment, aircraft equipment, nucleonic equipment, interference tracing and measuring equipment, electro-medical apparatus, diagnostic and therapy X-Ray equipment, and thermionic tubes. 4,300 employees. The Electronics Division acquired new premises at Stanmore in 1961.

In 1962 Rank Organisation acquired Murphy and their 11% share of British Relay Wireless and Television and the firm became Rank, Bush, and Murphy.[1]

TV and radio production ceased in 1964 when the company expanded into electronics

[1] Grace’s Guide to British Industry, accessed February 2022.