James Murray (British Army officer, born 1721)

James Murray
A portrait of Murray
Born	(1721-01-21)21 January 1721 Ballencrieff, East Lothian
Died	18 June 1794(1794-06-18)(aged 73) Battle, East Sussex
Allegiance	Great Britain
Service/ branch	British Army
Years of service	1736–1789
Rank	General
Unit	Scots Brigade Wynyard's Marines 15th Regiment of Foot
Battles / wars	War of the Austrian Succession: War of Jenkins' Ear Battle of Cartagena de Indias Siege of Ostend Raid on Lorient French and Indian War: Raid on Rochefort, Siege of Louisbourg, Gulf of St. Lawrence Campaign (1758) Battle of the Plains of Abraham Battle of Sainte-Foy Siege of Quebec Montreal Campaign American Revolutionary War Invasion of Minorca
Relations	Patrick Murray, 5th Lord Elibank(brother) Patrick Ferguson(nephew)
Other work	Governor of the Province of Quebec(1763–1768) Governor of Minorca(1778–1782) Governor of Kingston-upon-Hull(1783)

GeneralJames MurrayFRS(20 January 1721 – 18 June 1794) was aScottisharmy officer and colonial administrator who served as thegovernor of Quebecfrom 1760 to 1768 andgovernor of Minorcafrom 1778 to 1782. Born inBallencrieff, East Lothian,Murray travelled toNorth Americaand took part in theFrench and Indian War.After the conflict, his administration of theProvince of Quebecwas noted for its successes, being marked by positive relationships withFrench Canadians,who were reassured of the traditional rights and customs. Murray died inBattle, East Sussexin 1794.

Early life

Born in Ballencrieff, East Lothian, Murray was a younger son of Lord Elibank Alexander Murray, 4th Lord Elibank, and his wife, Elizabeth Stirling. His cousin was Alexander Murray (British Army officer, died 1762) who served in Nova Scotia.Educated in Haddington, East Lothian, and Selkirk, Scottish Borders, he began his military career in 1736 in the Scots Brigade of the Dutch state Army. In 1740 he served as a second lieutenant in Royal Marines Wynyard's Marines under his brother Patrick Murray, 5th Lord Elibank, in the Battle of Cartagena de Indias unsuccessful attack on Cartagena, Colombia. He returned as a captain in 1742. He served as captain of the grenadier company of the 15th Regiment of Foot during the War of the Austrian Succession. He was severely wounded during the Siege of Ostend in 1745 and distinguished himself in the Raid on Lorient in 1746. In December 1748, he married Cordelia Collier, who was from Hastings.

Career in Canada

James Murray purchased a commission for major in the 15th Regiment of Foot in 1749, and thelieutenant-colonelcyin 1751. He commanded his regiment in theRaid on Rochefortin 1757, defendingSir John Mordauntin his subsequentcourt-martial.He commanded a battalion in the 1758Siege of Louisbourgalong with his brother Alexander.

When Louisbourg was taken, Murray accompanied General Wolfe on a raiding expedition northwards in theGulf of St. Lawrence Campaign (1758).While Wolfe destroyed French settlements along theGaspe Peninsula,Murray harried the French fishing settlements alongMiramichi Bay.Part of the destruction included the homes and church at St. Anne's, now calledBurnt Church.

Murray served under GeneralJames Wolfeat theBattle of the Plains of Abrahamin 1759. Murray believed Wolfe's plan to land the army atAnse au Foulonwas foolish and absurd, and succeeded "only by Providence".He was the military commander ofQuebec Cityafter it fell to the British.Lévismanaged to defeat Murray and the British in theBattle of Sainte-Foyin 1760. As a result, the French managed to laysiege to Quebecbut this had to abandoned due to a lack of supplies and the arrival of a British relief fleet.

He encouraged his favourite nephewPatrick Fergusonto follow him in a military career. Patrick was the son of Murray's sister Anne who was married toLord Pitfour.He also assisted another nephew, Patrick Murray, illegitimate son of his brother,George.

Murray's successful part in the Britishadvance on Montrealin which he pacified many of the French Canadians, showed his true worth as a military commander and a negotiator. On 5 September 1760, Murray signed a Treaty of Peace and Friendship with theHuronNation, then residing at Lorette, near Quebec City. In 1990, that treaty was found by theSupreme Court of Canadato still be valid and binding on the Crown.

Governor of Quebec

In October 1760, he became military governor of the district of Quebec and became the first civil governor of theProvince of Quebecon 4 October 1763.He was promoted Major-General on 26 March 1765.As governor he was sympathetic to theFrench-Canadians,favouring them over British merchants who came to settle in the wake of the conquest. He allowed the continuance of French civil law because at the time the French outnumbered the British 25:1 and he needed to be careful not to incite discontent or rebellion. The dissatisfaction of British settlers led to his recall in 1766 (although he remained governor in name until 1768), but his precedents were preserved in theQuebec Actof 1774. Murray successfully argued for theQuebec Actto continue slavery in Quebec as it had existed under the French;an advertisement appeared in theQuebec Gazettein 1769 for a "negro woman, aged 25 years, with a mulatto male child... formerly the property of General Murray".

On his return to Great Britain he was appointed Colonel of the13th Regiment of Foot,a post he held from 1767 to 1789.

Minorca

Further information:Invasion of Minorca, 1781

Murray waslieutenant-governorfrom 1774 to 1778 and thengovernor of Minorcafrom 1778 to 1782. In 1780, he married, as his second wife, Ann Witham, daughter of the Consul-General there. During theAmerican War of Independence,he defended Fort St. Philip, atPort Mahon,against a Franco-Spanish siege for seven months (1781–82), until forced to surrender. He was known as ‘Old Minorca’ Murray as a result.

He then returned to his home,Beauport Park,in Hollington, Sussex, where he died. Further honours came to him in his last years: he was appointed General, andGovernor of Kingston-upon-Hullin 1783, and Colonel of the21st (Royal North British) Fusiliersin 1789. His body was laid to rest in the apse of the now ruined Old St Helen's Church, Hastings.

Family

His first marriage had been childless, but by his second, he had six children (two of whom died in infancy):

• James Patrick Murray,later a major general, who married Elizabeth Rushworth
• Cordelia Murray, who married Rev. Henry Hodges
• Wilhelmina Murray, marriedJames Douglas, 4th Baron Douglas.
• George Murray (died in infancy)
• Elizabeth Mary Murray (died in infancy)
• Anne Harriet Murray

He and his wife also brought up his older brother Patrick, Lord Elibank's illegitimate daughter Maria Murray.

Popular culture

Murray appears in the 2004 filmBattle of the Brave(Nouvelle-France)in his role as Governor of the new-captured Quebec. He is portrayed byMichael Maloney.He also appears in the same capacity in three episodes of the mini-seriesMarguerite Volant,where he is portrayed byGraham Harley.

See also

• Great Britain in the Seven Years War
• List of governors general of Canada
• List of governors of Menorca

References

• Anderson, Fred (2000),Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754–1766,New York: Alfred A. Knopf,ISBN0-375-40642-5
• Browne, G.P.Murray, James.Vol. 4.
• Chichester, Henry Manners (1894)."Murray, James (1725-1794)".InLee, Sidney(ed.).Dictionary of National Biography.Vol. 39. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 373–376.
• Dreaper, James (3 January 2008). "Murray, James (1722–1794)".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/19619.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
• Murray, Colonel Hon. Arthur C.,The Five Sons of "Bare Betty",London, 1936.
• Scott, S. Morley (1928). "Civil and Military Authority in Canada, 1764–17661".Canadian Historical Review.9(2): 117–136.doi:10.3138/chr-09-02-03.
• Wrong, George.Canada and the American Revolution: the Disruption of the First British Empire.Toronto: MacMillan, 1935.

Primary sources

• James Murray (1871).Journal of the Siege of Quebec, 1760.Quebec: Middleton & Dawson.
• James Murray (1902).Report of the Government of Quebec in Canada, 5 June 1762.Quebec: Dussault & Proulx.
• William Draper.The Sentence of the Court-martial... for the Trial of the Hon. Lieut. Gen. James Murray, Late Governor of Minorca, on the Twenty-nine Articles Exhibited Against Him by Sir William Draper,London, 1783

External links

• National Battlefields Commission. The Plains of Abraham, Quebec, Canada.
• From the Warpath to the Plains of Abraham. Virtual Exhibition.
• Archives of James Murray(James Murray collection, R6393)are held atLibrary and Archives Canada