David Murray, 1st Viscount of Stormont
Encyclopedia
David Murray, 1st Viscount of Stormont (died 1631) was a Scottish courtier, comptroller of Scotland and captain of the king's guard, known as Sir David Murray of Gospertie, then Lord Scone, and afterwards Viscount Stormont. He is known for his zeal in carrying out the ecclesiastical policy of James VI and I, in which he was effective if crude.
. He was brought up at the court of James VI, who made him his cupbearer and master of the horse. On 12 December 1588 he presented a complaint against the inhabitants of Auchtermuchty
, Fife
, who, when he went to take possession of the lands of Auchtermuchty, attacked him and the gentlemen of his company, wounding him in various parts of the body, and cutting off one of the fingers of his right hand. At court he opposed the Octavians
by creating trouble between them and the Scottish kirk
. After he had been knighted by James VI (the date is uncertain) he was, on 26 April 1599, admitted on the privy council as comptroller of the royal revenues, replacing George Hume, laird of Wedderburn. He was also made steward of the stewartry of Fife, and on 6 December 1599, while holding a court at Falkland
, was attacked by neighbouring lairds and their servants.
Murray was at Perth
at the time of the Gowrie conspiracy, 5 August 1600, and was subsequently credited with having been privy to the concoction of a semblance of a plot, aiming the overthrow of John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie
. He took a prominent part calming the inhabitants of Perth after Gowrie, their provost, was killed, and with others succeeded in bringing the king in safety to Falkland. Murray succeeded Gowrie as provost of Perth, and also obtained a grant of the barony of Ruthven, and of the lands belonging to the abbacy of Scone, of which Gowrie was commendator. In May 1601 he was appointed by the assembly of the kirk
one of a commission to discuss how to support the kirk and clergy in all the districts of Scotland. On 10 Nov. he obtained from the king the castle land of Falkland, with the office of ranger of the Lomonds and forester of the woods.
Murray was one of the retinue who attended King James in 1603 when he went to take possession of the English throne. On his return to Scotland on 11 August he obtained a commission for raising a guard or police of forty horsemen to be at the service of the privy council. He was one of the Scottish commissioners named by the parliament of Perth in 1604 to treat concerning a union with England. On 1 April 1605 the barony of Ruthven and the lands belonging to the abbacy of Scone were erected into the temporal lordship of Scone, with a seat and vote in parliament, with which he was invested; on 30 May 1606 he had charter of the barony of Segie, erected into the lordship of Segie; and on 18 August 1608 of the lands and barony which belonged to the abbacy of Scone, united into the temporal lordship of Scone.
In June 1605 Scone, as comptroller and captain of the guards, was appointed to proceed to Cantyre in Argyllshire to receive the obedience of the chiefs of the clans of the southern Hebrides
, and payment of the king's rents and duties. He was one of the assessors for the trial at Linlithgow
in January 1606 of the ministers concerned in the contumacious Aberdeen assembly of 1605. In March 1607 he was appointed one of the commissioners to represent the king in the synods of Perth and Fife, in connection with the scheme for the appointment of perpetual moderators. The synod of Perth having resisted his proposal for the appointment of Alexander Lindsay
as perpetual moderator, he, in the king's name, dissolved the assembly, and as the members of the assembly resolved to proceed to the choice of their own moderator, a violent scene ensued. Scone, being asked by the moderator in the name of Christ to desist troubling the meeting, replied, 'The devil a Jesus is here.' After attempting by force to prevent the elected moderator taking the chair, Scone sent for the bailies of the town, and commanded them to ring the common bell and remove the rebels. On pretence of consulting the council of the city the bailies withdrew, but did not return, and avoided interference in the dispute. After the close of the sitting Scone locked the doors, but the assembly met in the open air and proceeded with their business. After Scone's contest with the synod of Perth, the synod of Fife, which should have met at Dysart on 28 April, was on the 23rd prorogued on pretence of the prevalence of the pestilence in the burgh. When it did meet, on 18 August, it also proved contumacious.
In November 1607 Scone was censured by the privy council for negligence in his duty as captain of the guard in not securing the arrest of the Earl of Crawford
and the laird of Edzell, and he was also, on 2 February 1608, urged to adopt more energetic measures for the arrest of Lord Maxwell. Some time before March 1608 he was succeeded in the comptrollership by Sir James Hay of Fingask, but he still continued to hold the office of captain of the guard. As commissioner from the king he took part in the ecclesiastical conference at Falkland on 4 May 1609, in regard to the discipline of the kirk, and he was one of the lords of the articles for the parliament which met at Edinburgh in the following June. On 8 March 1609 he was appointed one of a commission for preventing the dilapidation of the bishoprics, and on the 23rd he was appointed, along with George Gledstanes
, Archbishop of St. Andrews, to examine the charge against John Fairfull, minister of Dunfermline, of having prayed for the restoration of the banished ministers, with the result that Fairfull was found guilty. Scone was chosen one of the members of the privy council on its reconstruction, 20 January 1610, when it was limited to thirty-five members. On the institution of the office of justice of the peace
in June 1610, he was appointed justice for the counties of Fife, Kinross, and Perth. On 15 November he was appointed one of the assessors to aid the Earl of Dunbar
as treasurer. On 25 April 1611 an act was passed by the privy council disbanding the king's guard, but Scone was still to receive his pay as captain, and on 11 June he was authorised to retain nine of the guard for the apprehension of persons for the non-payment of taxes. Subsequently the guard was placed under the command of Sir Robert Ker of Ancrum
, and Scone had an act exonerating him for all he had done while holding the office of captain.
Scone was one of the three commissioners appointed by the king to the general assembly at Perth on 5 August 1618, when sanction was given to the Five Articles of Perth
. He was also the king's commissioner to a conference between the bishops and presbyterian ministers at St. Andrews in August 1619. At the parliament held at Edinburgh in July 1621 he was chosen by the bishops one of the lords of the articles; and after the sanction by parliament of the five articles of the Perth assembly he the same night set off to London with the news. He was, by patent of 16 August, raised to the dignity of Viscount Stormont. On 19 May 1623 he was named one of a commission to sit in Edinburgh twice a week for the hearing of grievances. He died 27 August 1631, and was buried at Scone
, where he had erected a monument to his memory designed by Maximilian Colt
in 1618.
His epitaph at Scone includes: 'he helped his friends, who enjoy the fruits of his labour; his buildings proofs he was politique; good men knew he loved virtue, and malefactors that he maintained justice; he founded this hospital, and builded this church; his soul enjoys happiness; and under this tomb builded by himself, lies his body.'
Life
He was the second son of Sir Andrew Murray of Arngask and Balvaird, brother of Sir William Murray of Tullibardine, by his second wife, Janet Graham, fourth daughter of William Graham, 2nd Earl of MontroseWilliam Graham, 2nd Earl of Montrose
William Graham, 2nd Earl of Montrose was a Scottish nobleman and statesman, who successfully steered a moderate course through the treacherous waters of mid-16th century Scottish politics.-Origins:...
. He was brought up at the court of James VI, who made him his cupbearer and master of the horse. On 12 December 1588 he presented a complaint against the inhabitants of Auchtermuchty
Auchtermuchty
Auchtermuchty is a town in Fife, Scotland, situated beside Pitlour Hill nine miles north of Glenrothes. Until 1975 it was a royal burgh, established under charter of King James V in 1517. There is evidence of human habitation in the area dating back over 2,000 years, and the Romans are known to...
, Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, who, when he went to take possession of the lands of Auchtermuchty, attacked him and the gentlemen of his company, wounding him in various parts of the body, and cutting off one of the fingers of his right hand. At court he opposed the Octavians
Octavians
The Octavians were a financial commission of eight in the government of Scotland first appointed by James VI in January 1596. James's minister John Maitland, 1st Lord Maitland of Thirlestane had died a few months earlier, and his financial situation was troubled. They were a reforming body, eager...
by creating trouble between them and the Scottish kirk
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
. After he had been knighted by James VI (the date is uncertain) he was, on 26 April 1599, admitted on the privy council as comptroller of the royal revenues, replacing George Hume, laird of Wedderburn. He was also made steward of the stewartry of Fife, and on 6 December 1599, while holding a court at Falkland
Falkland
-Places:*Falkland, British Columbia, Canada*Falkland, Nova Scotia, Canada*Falkland Ridge, Nova Scotia, Canada*Falkland, Newbury, a ward of Newbury, Berkshire, England.*Falkland, Fife, a burgh in Fife, Scotland....
, was attacked by neighbouring lairds and their servants.
Murray was at Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
at the time of the Gowrie conspiracy, 5 August 1600, and was subsequently credited with having been privy to the concoction of a semblance of a plot, aiming the overthrow of John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie
John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie
John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie was a Scottish nobleman, the second son of William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie and his wife Dorothea Stewart...
. He took a prominent part calming the inhabitants of Perth after Gowrie, their provost, was killed, and with others succeeded in bringing the king in safety to Falkland. Murray succeeded Gowrie as provost of Perth, and also obtained a grant of the barony of Ruthven, and of the lands belonging to the abbacy of Scone, of which Gowrie was commendator. In May 1601 he was appointed by the assembly of the kirk
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Church's governing body[1] An Introduction to Practice and Procedure in the Church of Scotland, A Gordon McGillivray, 2nd Edition .-Church courts:As a Presbyterian church,...
one of a commission to discuss how to support the kirk and clergy in all the districts of Scotland. On 10 Nov. he obtained from the king the castle land of Falkland, with the office of ranger of the Lomonds and forester of the woods.
Murray was one of the retinue who attended King James in 1603 when he went to take possession of the English throne. On his return to Scotland on 11 August he obtained a commission for raising a guard or police of forty horsemen to be at the service of the privy council. He was one of the Scottish commissioners named by the parliament of Perth in 1604 to treat concerning a union with England. On 1 April 1605 the barony of Ruthven and the lands belonging to the abbacy of Scone were erected into the temporal lordship of Scone, with a seat and vote in parliament, with which he was invested; on 30 May 1606 he had charter of the barony of Segie, erected into the lordship of Segie; and on 18 August 1608 of the lands and barony which belonged to the abbacy of Scone, united into the temporal lordship of Scone.
In June 1605 Scone, as comptroller and captain of the guards, was appointed to proceed to Cantyre in Argyllshire to receive the obedience of the chiefs of the clans of the southern Hebrides
Hebrides
The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. There are two main groups: the Inner and Outer Hebrides. These islands have a long history of occupation dating back to the Mesolithic and the culture of the residents has been affected by the successive...
, and payment of the king's rents and duties. He was one of the assessors for the trial at Linlithgow
Linlithgow
Linlithgow is a Royal Burgh in West Lothian, Scotland. An ancient town, it lies south of its two most prominent landmarks: Linlithgow Palace and Linlithgow Loch, and north of the Union Canal....
in January 1606 of the ministers concerned in the contumacious Aberdeen assembly of 1605. In March 1607 he was appointed one of the commissioners to represent the king in the synods of Perth and Fife, in connection with the scheme for the appointment of perpetual moderators. The synod of Perth having resisted his proposal for the appointment of Alexander Lindsay
Alexander Lindsay of Evelick (bishop)
Alexander Lindsay of Evelick , second son of John Lindsay, laird of Evelick, was a Scottish minister and bishop. A graduate of St Leonard's College, St Andrews, in 1591 Lindsay became Minister of St Madoes church, Perthshire, rising to be Moderator of the presbytery of Perth in 1606, and then...
as perpetual moderator, he, in the king's name, dissolved the assembly, and as the members of the assembly resolved to proceed to the choice of their own moderator, a violent scene ensued. Scone, being asked by the moderator in the name of Christ to desist troubling the meeting, replied, 'The devil a Jesus is here.' After attempting by force to prevent the elected moderator taking the chair, Scone sent for the bailies of the town, and commanded them to ring the common bell and remove the rebels. On pretence of consulting the council of the city the bailies withdrew, but did not return, and avoided interference in the dispute. After the close of the sitting Scone locked the doors, but the assembly met in the open air and proceeded with their business. After Scone's contest with the synod of Perth, the synod of Fife, which should have met at Dysart on 28 April, was on the 23rd prorogued on pretence of the prevalence of the pestilence in the burgh. When it did meet, on 18 August, it also proved contumacious.
In November 1607 Scone was censured by the privy council for negligence in his duty as captain of the guard in not securing the arrest of the Earl of Crawford
David Lindsay, 11th Earl of Crawford
David Lindsay, 11th Earl of Crawford was a Scottish nobleman.-Life:He was the eldest son of David Lindsay, 10th Earl of Crawford, by Margaret, daughter of Cardinal Beaton and Marion Ogilvy, and was born about 1547...
and the laird of Edzell, and he was also, on 2 February 1608, urged to adopt more energetic measures for the arrest of Lord Maxwell. Some time before March 1608 he was succeeded in the comptrollership by Sir James Hay of Fingask, but he still continued to hold the office of captain of the guard. As commissioner from the king he took part in the ecclesiastical conference at Falkland on 4 May 1609, in regard to the discipline of the kirk, and he was one of the lords of the articles for the parliament which met at Edinburgh in the following June. On 8 March 1609 he was appointed one of a commission for preventing the dilapidation of the bishoprics, and on the 23rd he was appointed, along with George Gledstanes
George Gledstanes
George Gledstanes was an Archbishop of St Andrews during the seventeenth century.-Early life:George Gledstanes was a son of Herbert Gladstanes, clerk of Dundee, and one of the bailies of that town. He was born there between 1560 and 1565, and after spending some time at Dundee Grammar School went...
, Archbishop of St. Andrews, to examine the charge against John Fairfull, minister of Dunfermline, of having prayed for the restoration of the banished ministers, with the result that Fairfull was found guilty. Scone was chosen one of the members of the privy council on its reconstruction, 20 January 1610, when it was limited to thirty-five members. On the institution of the office of justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
in June 1610, he was appointed justice for the counties of Fife, Kinross, and Perth. On 15 November he was appointed one of the assessors to aid the Earl of Dunbar
George Home, 1st Earl of Dunbar
George Home, 1st Earl of Dunbar, KG, PC was, in the last decade of his life, the most prominent and most influential Scotsman in England. His work lay in the King's Household and in the control of the State Affairs of Scotland and he was the King's chief Scottish advisor...
as treasurer. On 25 April 1611 an act was passed by the privy council disbanding the king's guard, but Scone was still to receive his pay as captain, and on 11 June he was authorised to retain nine of the guard for the apprehension of persons for the non-payment of taxes. Subsequently the guard was placed under the command of Sir Robert Ker of Ancrum
Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Ancram
Robert Kerr , 1st Earl of Ancram , was a Scottish nobleman and writer.-Biography:He descended from a third son of Sir Andrew Kerr of Ferniehurst, and entered public life as laird of Ancrum in Roxburghshire...
, and Scone had an act exonerating him for all he had done while holding the office of captain.
Scone was one of the three commissioners appointed by the king to the general assembly at Perth on 5 August 1618, when sanction was given to the Five Articles of Perth
Five Articles of Perth
The Five Articles of Perth was an attempt by King James VI of Scotland to impose practices on the Church of Scotland in an attempt to integrate it with the episcopalian Church of England...
. He was also the king's commissioner to a conference between the bishops and presbyterian ministers at St. Andrews in August 1619. At the parliament held at Edinburgh in July 1621 he was chosen by the bishops one of the lords of the articles; and after the sanction by parliament of the five articles of the Perth assembly he the same night set off to London with the news. He was, by patent of 16 August, raised to the dignity of Viscount Stormont. On 19 May 1623 he was named one of a commission to sit in Edinburgh twice a week for the hearing of grievances. He died 27 August 1631, and was buried at Scone
Scone, Scotland
Scone is a village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The medieval village of Scone, which grew up around the monastery and royal residence, was abandoned in the early 19th century when the residents were removed and a new palace was built on the site by the Earl of Mansfield...
, where he had erected a monument to his memory designed by Maximilian Colt
Maximilian Colt
Maximilian Colt was a Flemish sculptor who settled in England and eventually rose to become the King's Master Carver....
in 1618.
His epitaph at Scone includes: 'he helped his friends, who enjoy the fruits of his labour; his buildings proofs he was politique; good men knew he loved virtue, and malefactors that he maintained justice; he founded this hospital, and builded this church; his soul enjoys happiness; and under this tomb builded by himself, lies his body.'