She was a patriot and her husband was a loyalist, who illegally unloaded British goods from his ship, against Article 10 of the Continental Association.

[7] As Scotch-Irish Quakers, they were generally known for creating a "climate of self-reliance and helped foster a taste of independence", which would have played a role in their political beliefs during the American Revolution.

[8] He and other Quakers invested in Durham Furnace, a successful iron ore forge along the Delaware River on 6,000 acres.

[8] Thomas purchased 480 acres in Paxtang Township, Lancaster County near the man who would become his son-in-law, Robert Murray, about 1733.

[4] Of Murray's twelve children, five made it to adulthood,[7] including Lindley, John, Susannah, and Beulah, who were alive at the time of her death.

[10] Much of Robert's fortune was earned due to transatlantic trade during the Seven Years' War (1756–1763) between Britain and France.

[12] The Thirteen Colonies enacted Article 10 of the Continental Association, forbidding the receipt of goods from Britain as of February 1, 1775.

[14] After an investigation, the Robert and John Murray were found to be guilty and, among their prices that they had to pay, many wanted them banned from New York.

Murray, known to be a Whig, wrote a letter to the Committee of Sixty of the ways the wives and children would be harmed if her husband and brother-in-law were banned from the city.

[16] During the war, the Murrays lived north of "town" (now called Lower Manhattan), in what was considered the country.

[10] Extensive gardens and lawn on the north and south sides,[10] overlooked Kips Bay and the East River.

[10] On September 15, 1776, British General Howe waited near the Murrays' estate for regiments coming across the East River.

[17] In the meantime, General Israel Putnam of the Continental Army led 3,500 soldiers north from the southern end of the island, unknowingly putting them in danger of engaging with the British.

Not expecting any engagement that day, the British generals stopped at Murray's house for two hours, where they received cake, tea, and wine.

[5][18] While Murray and her daughters served the British, a maid watched out a window on the second floor to ensure that the American soldiers passed by the estate safely.

"[1] The Knickerbocker Chapter, New York of the Daughters of the American Revolution erected a plaque at Park Avenue and East 37th Street, Manhattan, on November 25, 1903, in honor of Mary Lindley Murray.