Murray, Albert Victor (1890-1967)
Early years
Victor was born in 1890 at Choppington, Northumberland, to parents John and Elizabeth. John was a grocer.
As a boy Victor attended Morpeth Grammar School, and from there won an exhibition to Magdalen College, Oxford. At Oxford, he read history and theology.
Academic life
For a time Victor was a travelling secretary of the Student Christian Movement. On leaving the S.C.M. he was appointed a lecturer in education at the Selly Oak Colleges. In 1927, a travelling scholarship gave him the opportunity to spend a year in Africa studying native education. Some of the results of that year were recorded in his book – The School in the Bush. Victor was later conferred with the Oxford L.L.B for a thesis on ‘Abelard’. He achieved the rank of professor.
Contribution to the Connexion
Victor was Vice-President of Conference in 1932 and 1947.
Literature
Victor authored the following.
Abelard and St. Bernard: a study in twelfth century modernism.
The school in the bush: a critical study of the theory and practice of native education in Africa, 1929
The cause and the individual, 1933
Are missions up to date? 1934
Personal experience and the historic faith: an essay, 1939
The school and the church: the theory & practice of Christian education under the Butler Act, 1944
Security of church and state: being the Vice-Presidential address at the Methodist Conference, Newcastle, 1947
How to know your bible: a guide to biblical study, 1952
Education into religion, 1953
Truth and certainty, 1954
Teaching the Bible, especially in secondary schools, 1955
Natural religion and Christian theology: an introductory study, 1956
The state and the church in a free society, 1958
A Northumbian Methodist childhood: an autobiographical account of family, community and chapel life in Choppington and Berwick-upon-Tweed around the turn of the 19th century, published 1992
Family
Victor married Winifred Seares (1899-1985) in the summer of 1923 at Prestwich, Lancashire.
- Christine H (1926-1933)
- John S (b1931)
- Winifred Ruth (1935-1984) – married John M Carter in 1960
- David R V (b1939)
Victor died on 12 May 1967 at Skipton, Yorkshire.
References and further reading
Primitive Methodist Magazine 1917/311; 1932/505
Milburn, G.E., Albert Victor Murray 1890-1967: an outline chronology, 1991
Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers
Comments about this page
I am seeking information about Albert Victor Murray especially any information regarding archival holdings.
If you could let me have copy of Milburn, G.E., Albert Victor Murray 1890-1967: an outline chronology, 1991 I would be much obliged.
I think Murray was a remarkable man and am surprised that he has received so little attention. I see him primarily through his work on African colonial education which was in advance of its time and did not make him popular with missionaries and the Colonial Office.
Many thanks
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