Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Murray, John (1718-1777)
MURRAY, Sir JOHN (1718–1777), of Broughton, secretary to Prince Charles during the rebellion of 1745, born in 1718. was the second son of Sir David Murray of Stanhope, Peeblesshire, by his second wife, Marfaret, daughter of Sir JohnScot of Ancrum. he father is mentioned in a letter of George Lockhart of 29 July 1726 to the Old Pretender as 'eminently zealous' in his service, and as a fit agent for carrying on a correspondence with the highland clans, more especially since he had a residence in the highlands (Papers, ii. 299); but on being sounded as to his willingness to undertake such duties, the elder Murray declined, partly because he wished meanwhile to devote all his attention to the development of his estate, and partly because when he ' got his life after the last affair ' (in 1715) he entered into engagements which made it impossible for him to take an active part in plots against the government (ib. p. 302). He nevertheless joined in the rebellion of 1745, for which he was sentenced to death at York, and was subsequently pardoned on condition that he left the country, his estates also being forfeited.
The son was educated at the university of Edinburgh. He was possessed of the small estate of Broughton, Peeblesshire, and has on this account been erroneously regarded as one of the Murrays of Broughton in Galloway. In February 1741-2 the highland Jacobites employed him and Drummond of Balhaldie to go to Rome to assure the Pretender of their zeal for his service (State Trials, xviii. 651). He paid a second visit to Paris in 1743, and returned in 1745 with information of the prince's intended expedition. The general feeling of the highland Jacobites was against the proposed rising (ib. p. 662), the promises of aid from France being regarded as unsatisfactory. An attempt, however, to prevent the prince setting sail miscarried; nor was the project of sending Murray to watch for his arrival in the west highlands and warn him off the coast more successful. Murray remained at his post during the whole of June, when, supposing the project to have been deferred, he returned to his house at Broughton. But on the arrival of the prince he joined him at Kinlochmoidart, Inverness-shire, and during the campaign he acted as his secretary. In the discharge of his duties he manifested great activity and energy, but is supposed to have been the chief cause of the prince's difficulties with Lord George Murray, of whom he was extremely jealous. Murray strongly represented the prestige that would accrue to the cause of the prince by the occupation of Edinburgh; and from his accurate local knowledge he was chosen to guide the movements of the rebel army on approaching it. When James VIII was proclaimed king at the cross of Edinburgh, Murray's wife, who was one of the beauties of the Edinburgh society of the period, appeared at the ceremony on horseback decorated with ribbons, and having a drawn sword in her hand.
Some time before Culloden Murray had become so seriously unwell as to be unable to discharge his duties as secretary. On the eve of the battle he was sent in a litter to Foyers on Loch Ness, whence he was carried across to Glenmoriston. Here he was informed of the result of the battle. After it was decided to discontinue the contest, he went to the house of Cameron of Lochiel, where he seems to have recovered his health. From French ships that had arrived at Borrodale he secured six casks of gold, the greater part of which, according to his own account, he buried in secret places : 15,000l. in a mound near Loch Arkaig and 12,000l. near the foot of the same lake, and retained only about 5,000l. to meet current expenses (manuscript memoirs of Murray quoted in Chambers, Hist. of the Rebellion, ed. 1869, p. 326). When, however, the prince sent a messenger, Donald Macleod, to ask for a supply of money from Murray, who Avas found along with Lochiel at the head of Loch Arkaig, he 'got no money at all from Murray, who said he had none to give, having only about sixty louis d'or to himself, which it was not worth the trouble to send' ({{sc|Forbes}, Jacobite Memoirs, p. 397). Macleod adds that the prince looked on Murray as 'one of the honestest, finest men in the whole world' (ib.) Subsequently Murray made his way south through the passes, but was taken prisoner at the house of his brother-in-law, Mr. Hunter of Polmood, Peeblesshire. Thence he was sent up to London, where he turned king's evidence against the Jacobites. When Sir John Douglas of Kelhead was brought before the privy council at St. James's, and asked, in reference to Murray, 'Do you know this witness?' 'Not I,' he answered; 'I once knew a person who bore the designation of Murray of Broughton, but that was a gentleman and a man of honour, and one that could hold up his head' (Lockhart, Life of Scott, edit. 1842, p. 49). Murray was one of the principal witnesses against Simon Fraser, twelfth lord Lovat. On his appearance Lord Lovat objected that Murray was attainted by act of parliament made in the previous session, and that 'he did not surrender himself before 12 July last' (State Trials, xviii. 607), but the attorney-general replied that he had surrendered on the 20th to the lord justice clerk in Edinburgh (ib. p. 610). That Murray wished to surrender is corroborated by the author of 'Ascanius,' who states that when a party was in search for him at Broughton a boy was sent to them from Murray with the message that he was at Polmood. He, however, adds that at Edinburgh Murray 'was so drunk that he could not speak to the justice clerk till after a few hours' sleep' (edit. 1779, p. 142). Murray was discharged about Christmas 1747 (ib.) In 1764 Murray disposed of the estate of Broughton to Dickson of Havana. After the death of Sir David Murray of Stanhope, at Leghorn, without issue, 19 Oct. 1770, he succeeded to the baronetcy. He died 6 Dec. 1777. By his wife Margaret, daughter of Colonel Robert Ferguson, brother of William Ferguson of Cailloch, Nithsdale, he had three sons: David, his heir, who became a naval officer; Robert, who succeeded on the death of his brother David in 1791 without issue; and Thomas, who became a lieutenant-general. His first wife was unfaithful to him, and he married as second wife a young quaker lady named Webb, whom he found in a provincial boarding-school in England. By this lady he had six children, the eldest being Charles Murray [q. v,], the comedian (note to Chambers, History of the Rebellion in 1745, edit.. 1869, p. 331).
Murray was a client of Sir Walter Scott's father, a W.S. in Edinburgh, and used to visit him in the evening, arriving in a sedan-chair carefully muffled up in a mantle. Curious as to who the visitor might be, Mrs. Scott on one occasion entered as he was about to leave with a salver and a dish of tea. He accepted it, but the moment he left, 'Mr. Scott, lifting up the window-sash, took the cup and tossed it out upon the pavement. The lady exclaimed for her china, but was put to silence by her husband's saying, "I can forgive your little curiosity, madam, but you must pay the penalty. I may admit into my house, on a piece of business, persons wholly unworthy to be treated as guests by my wife. Neither lip of me nor of mine comes after Murray of Broughton's' (Lockhart, Life of Scott, edit. 1842, p. 49).
[State Trials, vol. xviii.; Forbes's Jacobite Memoirs; Histories of the Rebellion, especially that by Robert Chambers, which contains quotations from manuscript memoirs of Murray at one time in the possession of W. H. Murray of the Theatre Royal, Edinburgh; Ascanius, or the Young Adventurer; Memoirs of John Murray, Esq., 1747; Lockhart's Life of Scott; Douglas's Baronage of Scotland; Notes and Queries, 4th ser. xi. 414, 491, 531, xii. 16, 97.]