John Murray, 1st Marquess of Atholl
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John Murray, 1st Marquess and 2nd Earl of Atholl KT (May 2, 1631–May 6, 1703) was a leading Scottish royalist and defender of the Stuarts during the English Civil War of the 1640s, until after the rise to power of William and Mary in 1689.
Murray succeeded as Earl of Atholl on his father's demise in June 1642. In 1653, he was a chief supporter of the 8th Earl of Glencairn's rising to power in opposition to English plans to incorporate Scotland into the Commonwealth and devoted 2000 men to the battle. He was eventually obliged to surrender the following year to George Monck, the victorious Commonwealth commander.
On 5 May 1659, Lord Atholl married Lady Amelia Stanley, a daughter of the James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby and Charlotte Stanley, Countess of Derby. They had five children:
- Amelia Murray, married Hugh Fraser, 9th Lord Lovat.
- John Murray, 1st Duke of Atholl (24 February 1660–14 November 1724)
- Charles Murray, 1st Earl of Dunmore (24 February 1661–19 April 1710)
- William Murray, 2nd Lord Nairne (d. 3 February 1726)
- James Murray (b. before 1703–?)
In 1660, Murray became a privy councillor, obtained a charter of the hereditary office of sheriff of Fife and in 1663 was appointed Lord President of the Court of Session. Murray became the first captain-general of the Royal Company of Archers in 1670. In 1672 he became Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland and on 14 January 1673 became an Extraordinary Lord of Session. In 1670 he succeeded to the earldom of Tullibardine on the death of his cousin, the 4th Earl and was created Marquess of Atholl on 7 February 1676.
In 1678, Murray temporarily lost royal favour by counselling moderation concerning the measures taken against the Convenators, but fought vigorously against the 8th Earl of Argyll in 1685 and was instrumental in defeating him. Murray showed to be lukewarm to the accession of William III, though allowed his troops to be used at Killiecrankie against the supporters of the new king and was knighted in 1687. Ironically, given Murray's rumoured Jacobite leanings but public opposition to the group, his grandson, Lord George Murray became a famed general of the Jacobites and was responsible for their success throughout the greater part of the 1745 uprising. Following his death in 1703 at the age of 71, Lord Atholl was succeeded as 2nd Marquess by his son, John.
Murray was described by Lord Macaulay as "the falsest, the most fickle, the most pusillanimous of mankind."
[edit] References
- thePeerage.com - Details on genealogy of Murray and connected figures.
- Tartans.com - Article on Clan Murray history.
| Political Offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: The Earl of Dunfermline |
Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland 1672–1689 |
Succeeded by: The Earl of Forfar |
| Peerage of Scotland | ||
| Preceded by: New Creation |
Marquess of Atholl 1676–1703 |
Succeeded by: John Murray |
| Preceded by: John Murray |
Earl of Atholl 1642–1703 |
|
| Preceded by: James Murray |
Earl of Tullibardine 1670–1703 |
|
