MURRAY, or Moray, James Stuart, Second Earl of (1533-1570), regent of Scotland, was the illegitimate son of James V. by Margaret Erskine, daughter of the fourth Lord Erskine. While only in his fifth year he was appointed prior of the abbey of St Andrews in order that James V. might obtain possession of its funds. Under the tutorship of George Buchanan his intellectual training was carefully attended to, and as early as his fifteenth year he gave evidence of rare courage and decision by an impetuous attack on an English force which had made a descent on the Fife coast, and which he routed with great slaughter. In addition to the priory of St Andrews, he subsequently received those also of Pittenweem and of Mascon (France), but on reaching manhood he manifested no vocation for monasticism. The discourses of Knox, which he heard at Calder, won his high approval, and shortly after the return of the Reformer in 1559 Murray left the party of the queen-regent and joined the lords of the congregation, who resolved to adopt the bold measure of forcibly abolishing the Popish service. After the return of Queen Mary in 1561 he became her chief adviser, and his cautious firmness was for a time effectual in inducing her to adopt a policy of moderation and tolerance towards the Reformers. In 1562 he was created earl of Mar, and soon after married Lady Agnes Keith, daughter of the earl marischal. The earldom of Mar being claimed by Lord Erskine, he resigned the title and property and was created earl of Murray. After the defeat of Lord Huntly, leader of the Catholic party, who died soon afterwards, the policy of Murray met for a time with no obstacle or hindrance, but he awakened the displeasure of the queen by his efforts in behalf of Knox when accused of high treason, and, as he was ...also strongly opposed to her marriage with Darnley, he was after that event declared an outlaw and compelled to take refuge in England. Returning after the death of Rizzio, he found the sentiments of the queen towards him very greatly altered, and received a full pardon. On the abdication of Queen Mary at Lochleven he was appointed regent. The position was full of temptation and difficulty, but his conspicuous integrity and moderation, joined to unflinching courage and the utmost readiness of resource, proved to be adequate to what the circumstances demanded. When Mary made her escape from Lochleven, he occupied her attention with pretended negotiations until he had gathered his adherents in sufficient force, when he completely defeated her at Langside (13th May 1568) and compelled her to flee to England. Immediately afterwards he frustrated an attempt at insurrection by the duke of Chatelherault, whom he confined in the castle of Edinburgh. The disappointed partisans of the queen resolved to have revenge, and one of their number, Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh, shot him through the body at Linlithgow, 21st January 1570. The wound proved fatal, and he died the same evening.
MURRAY, John, M.D. (1778-1820), lecturer on chemistry and materia medica, w*as born in Edinburgh in 1778 and died in 1820. He was a clear and popular lecturer, and his books well represent the chemistry of the time, but he will be chiefly remembered on account of his opposition to Davy’s theory of chlorine. In support of the old view that chlorine is a compound of oxygen and anhydrous muriatic acid, he attempted to prove experimentally that muriatic acid gas contains combined water, and that chlorine contains oxygen. Dr John Davy conclusively proved that Murray’s experiments were inaccurate, and that all the phenomena can be perfectly well explained without assuming the existence of the unknown anhydrous muriatic acid or the compound nature of the apparently elementary chlorine. It is interesting to note that it was in the course of the experiments made with the view of disproving Murray’s conclusions that Davy discovered phosgen, the compound of carbonic oxide and chlorine.
Murray wrote Elements of Chemistry, 2 vols. 8vo, Edinburgh, 1801 (fourth edition, 1816); Elements of Materia Medica and Pharmacy, 2 vols. 8vo, 1804 (new edition, 1810); A System of Chemistry, 4 vols. 8vo, 1806 (fourth edition, 1818); and numerous papers in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Nicholson’s Journal.
MURRAY, Sir Robert (c. 1600-1673), one of the founders of the Royal Society, was the son of Sir Robert Murray of Craigie, Ayrshire, and was born about the beginning of the 17 th century. In early life he served for some years in the French army, and, winning the favour of Richelieu, he rose to the rank of colonel. On the outbreak of the civil war he returned to Scotland and was energetic in collecting recruits for the royal cause. The triumph of Cromwell compelled him for a time to return to France, but he took an active part in the Scottish insurrection in favour of Charles II. in 1650, and was named lord justice clerk and a privy councillor. These appointments, which on account of the overthrow of the royal cause proved to be at the time only nominal, were confirmed at the Restoration in 1660. Soon after this event Sir Robert Murray began to take a prominent part in the deliberations of a club instituted in London for the discussion of natural science, or, as it was then called, the “new philosophy.” When it was proposed to obtain a charter for the society he undertook to interest the king in the matter, the result being that on 15th July 1662 the club was incorporated by charter under the designation of the Royal Society. Sir Robert Murray was its first president, and during the remainder of his life exerted himself with great zeal and ability to extend its influence. He died in June 1673.
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