George Murray (civil servant)
Encyclopedia
Sir George Herbert Murray GCB
GCVO
ISO
PC
(27 September 1849–4 April 1936) was a British
civil servant.
Murray was born in Southfleet
, Kent
, England
, the son of the village's rector
. He was educated at Harrow School
and Christ Church, Oxford
. He entered the Foreign Office in 1873 and transferred to HM Treasury
in 1880. From 1892 to 1894 he was private secretary to Prime Minister
William Ewart Gladstone
in his role as First Lord of the Treasury
, and remained private secretary to his successor, Lord Rosebery
, until 1895.
In 1897, Murray was appointed chairman of the Board of Inland Revenue. In 1899 he became secretary to the General Post Office and in 1903 returned to the Treasury as Joint Permanent Secretary
, in charge of administrative matters while Sir Edward Hamilton
handled the financial affairs. On Hamilton's retirement in October 1907, Murray became sole permanent secretary. In 1909, Murray was involved in lobbying various Crossbench peers in the House of Lords
to reject the Chancellor of the Exchequer
's proposed budget. He retired on 23 July 1911.
From 1914, Murray played a prominent part in the management of the Prince of Wales's Fund. In 1915 he became chairman of the committee on the employment of soldiers and sailors disabled in the war. He was also a member of the Haldane Committee, which reported on the machinery of government in 1918
Murray was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath
(CB) in 1894 and Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 1899 Birthday Honours, shortly after joining the Post Office. He was appointed to the Imperial Service Order
(ISO) in 1904, and was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in 1908. On 19 July 1910 he was appointed to the Privy Council
, entitling him to the style "The Right Honourable". He was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
(GCVO) in the 1920 New Year Honours.
Murray's son, Sir Evelyn Murray, also became secretary to the Post Office, the last person to hold the office.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
GCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
ISO
Imperial Service Order
The Imperial Service Order was established by King Edward VII in August 1902. It was awarded on retirement to the administration and clerical staff of the Civil Service throughout the British Empire for long and meritorious service. Normally a person must have served for 25 years to become...
PC
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(27 September 1849–4 April 1936) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
civil servant.
Murray was born in Southfleet
Southfleet
Southfleet is a small compact village five miles SW of Gravesend in Kent; it is a civil parish within the borough of Dartford, and includes within its boundaries the hamlet of Betsham, and the even smaller settlement of Northfleet Green. The main village is grouped around a crossroads and many of...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the son of the village's rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
. He was educated at Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
and Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
. He entered the Foreign Office in 1873 and transferred to HM Treasury
HM Treasury
HM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy...
in 1880. From 1892 to 1894 he was private secretary to Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
in his role as First Lord of the Treasury
First Lord of the Treasury
The First Lord of the Treasury is the head of the commission exercising the ancient office of Lord High Treasurer in the United Kingdom, and is now always also the Prime Minister...
, and remained private secretary to his successor, Lord Rosebery
Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery
Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, KG, PC was a British Liberal statesman and Prime Minister. Between the death of his father, in 1851, and the death of his grandfather, the 4th Earl, in 1868, he was known by the courtesy title of Lord Dalmeny.Rosebery was a Liberal Imperialist who...
, until 1895.
In 1897, Murray was appointed chairman of the Board of Inland Revenue. In 1899 he became secretary to the General Post Office and in 1903 returned to the Treasury as Joint Permanent Secretary
Permanent Secretary
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
, in charge of administrative matters while Sir Edward Hamilton
Edward Walter Hamilton
Sir Edward Hamilton was political diarist and one time private secretary to William Ewart Gladstone when in 1880 when Gladstone became Prime Minister for the second time...
handled the financial affairs. On Hamilton's retirement in October 1907, Murray became sole permanent secretary. In 1909, Murray was involved in lobbying various Crossbench peers in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
to reject the Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
's proposed budget. He retired on 23 July 1911.
From 1914, Murray played a prominent part in the management of the Prince of Wales's Fund. In 1915 he became chairman of the committee on the employment of soldiers and sailors disabled in the war. He was also a member of the Haldane Committee, which reported on the machinery of government in 1918
Murray was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(CB) in 1894 and Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 1899 Birthday Honours, shortly after joining the Post Office. He was appointed to the Imperial Service Order
Imperial Service Order
The Imperial Service Order was established by King Edward VII in August 1902. It was awarded on retirement to the administration and clerical staff of the Civil Service throughout the British Empire for long and meritorious service. Normally a person must have served for 25 years to become...
(ISO) in 1904, and was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in 1908. On 19 July 1910 he was appointed to the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
, entitling him to the style "The Right Honourable". He was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(GCVO) in the 1920 New Year Honours.
Murray's son, Sir Evelyn Murray, also became secretary to the Post Office, the last person to hold the office.