Bailey Scott Murphy was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England in 1876 and was articled to Henry Francis Kerr (1855-1946) in Edinburgh from 1892 to 1897. He also attended Edinburgh School of Art and the School of Applied Art and Heriot Watt College in Edinburgh. After completing his articled he worked as an assistant to HHarold Ogle Tarbolton (1869-1947) and John Kinross (1855-1931) of Kinross & Tarbolton in Edinburgh from 1898 to 1902; and to John William Simpson (1858-1933) and Ormrod Maxwell Ayrton (1874-1960) of Simpson & Maxwell Ayrton in London in 1905.
In 1905 Murphy commenced independent practice in Edinburgh and was in partnership with Kinross as Murphy & Kinross until 1914. He was also briefly in partnership William James Walker Todd (1884-1944) as Murphy & Walker Todd in 1914.
Murphy was elected a Licentiate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (LRIBA) in 1911. He died in Edinburgh on 15 June 1914
Most of his architectural work consisted of private houses in the Edinburgh area. He also designed the Cramond Brig Golf Club in Edinburgh (1908-10).
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 2: L-Z London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001