Murdoch first journeyed to Ceylon in order to serve as a head-master of the schools located in Kandy, yet shortly after his arrival he resigned due to concerns with the state-mandated curriculum.

When he was ten years of age, Murdoch attended the Glasgow High School where he showed great aptitude in both the classics as well as in the field of art.

Thus, in 1838, when he was only nineteen years of age, Murdoch left Glasgow and moved to Amsterdam with the intention of studying the classic works of art contained in the local galleries.

After completing his education he obtained a position as the assistant master, later promoted to headmaster, of the English Department of the Private Seminary for children of the wealthier class where he remained until the school was closed in 1842.

William Fraser recommended Murdoch for appointment to the position of head-master of the Governmental Central and Normal Schools located in Kandy, Ceylon.

[8] He therefore helped to form the Tamil Cooly Mission, an endeavor which placed him in contact with John Thomas, a missionary in Tirunelveli, India.

When he was initially brought in to serve as the society's Agent, he had several disagreements with his coworkers in regards to funding and the qualifications necessary for the teachers who would be employed at the various institutions associated with the CLS.

His travels took him outside of India, however, he made professional visits to Great Britain, the United States, various European countries and China, meeting with members of educational boards and practicing missionaries.

[13] These trips also allowed him to network with powerful individuals outside of his normal sphere of influence such as Florence Nightingale, with whom he discussed issues of sanitation and health for the native population of India.

During the final years of his life, Murdoch primarily busied himself with the work which had occupied much of his previous career, that of the inspection of the various projects that the CLS were overseeing in India.

[17] He also made several trips back to England with the intention of promoting the need for greater Christian literature in the various missionary ventures that were taking place during this time period.

On 5 February 1903 Murdoch resigned the position of Agent and Secretary of the Madras Branch of the CLS to Henry Gulliford, desiring to spend more time producing Christian literature.

He died peacefully in a nursing home located in Madras, India the country where he had spent the past 60 years of his life writing and traveling.