John Stewart-Murray, 8th Duke of Atholl
Encyclopedia
Colonel
John George Stewart-Murray, 8th Duke of Atholl KT
GCVO
CB
DSO
PC
ADC
(15 December 1871 – 16 March 1942), styled Marquess of Tullibardine until 1917, was a Scottish soldier and Conservative
politician.
, Perthshire
, the second but eldest surviving son of John Stewart-Murray, 7th Duke of Atholl
, by Louisa, daughter of Sir Thomas Moncreiffe, 7th Baronet. He learned to speak Gaelic before English and was subsequently educated at Eton
.
in 1892 in the service of the Royal Horse Guards
and to Lieutenant
a year later.
He served in Kitchener's expedition to the Sudan, fighting at the Battle of Khartoum
, the Battle of Atbara
. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
(D.S.O.) on 15 November 1898 and rose to the rank of Captain
a year later.
Major
in and asked by Lord Kitchener
, who he had served under on the Omdurman Campaign, to raise a Regiment of Scotsmen in South Africa, called The Scottish Horse. The Regiment was raised quickly and soon saw active service the Western Transvaal. A Second Regiment of Scottish Horse was raised from troops recruited by 7th The Duke of Atholl
and a permanent headquarters was setup to supply both of these regiments with Atholl in Command but with subordinate Commanding Officers in the field in charge of each of the Regiments. This success continued until the Scottish Horse was a whole brigade
by the end of the Second Boer War
and Atholl had gained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in 1903. The following year he was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order
(MVO).
Regiments and took them to fight dismounted (with-out horses) in the Dardanelles campaign against the Turks. He gained the rank of Temporary Brigadier-General in 1918.
, remaining in the post of Colonel Commandant until 1919 and Honorary Colonel from 1920 then until his death in 1942. He was key in establishing a Scottish National War Memorial
after World War I in Edinburgh Castle
and his papers relating to this are retained by the National Library of Scotland
.
Member of Parliament
for West Perthshire at the January 1910 general election, and served until 1917 when he succeeded his father and took up his seat in the House of Lords
as the 8th Duke of Atholl. In 1918 he was made a Knight of the Thistle
and then served as Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
between 1918 and 1920. In November 1921 he was sworn of the Privy Council and appointed Lord Chamberlain of the Household by David Lloyd George
, a post he held until the coalition government fell in October the following year.
Apart from his military and political careers Atholl served as Grand Master of Scottish Freemasons
between 1908 and 1913 and as an Aide-de-camp
to King George V
between 1920 and 1931. He was granted the Freedom of the City of Edinburgh
. According to his wife's book "Working Partnership" (1958), Atholl was considered for the Crown of Albania
after a chance meeting with a delegation in Florence who were impressed with his personality.
in an attempt to stop money going abroad to the Irish Free State Hospitals Sweepstakes
. The money his scheme raised was given to British charities, mainly hospitals, but in 1933 he was prosecuted by the Director of Public Prosecutions
, Sir Edward Hale Tindal Atkinson
, for running an illegal lottery. Despite this, his actions were seen by the public as being patriotic, and he was admired by many.
, daughter of Sir James Ramsay, 10th Baronet, at St Margaret's Church, Westminster
, on 20 July 1899. They had no children. He died March 1942, aged 70, and was succeeded by his youngest brother, James Stewart-Murray
. The Duchess of Atholl died in October 1960, aged 85.
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
John George Stewart-Murray, 8th Duke of Atholl KT
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
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...
CB
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...
DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
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...
ADC
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
(15 December 1871 – 16 March 1942), styled Marquess of Tullibardine until 1917, was a Scottish soldier and Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician.
Early life
Styled Marquess of Tullibardine from birth, he was born at Blair CastleBlair Castle
Blair Castle stands in its grounds near the village of Blair Atholl in Perthshire in Scotland. It is the home of the Clan Murray family, who hold the title of Duke of Atholl, though the current Duke, John Murray, lives in South Africa....
, Perthshire
Perthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
, the second but eldest surviving son of John Stewart-Murray, 7th Duke of Atholl
John Stewart-Murray, 7th Duke of Atholl
John James Hugh Henry Stewart-Murray, 7th Duke of Atholl KT , styled Marquess of Tullibardine between 1846 and 1864, was a a Scottish peer.-Background and education:...
, by Louisa, daughter of Sir Thomas Moncreiffe, 7th Baronet. He learned to speak Gaelic before English and was subsequently educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
.
Service in the Royal Horse Guards
He commissioned into the rank of Second LieutenantSecond Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in 1892 in the service of the Royal Horse Guards
Royal Horse Guards
The Royal Horse Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry.Founded August 1650 in Newcastle Upon Tyne by Sir Arthur Haselrig on the orders of Oliver Cromwell as the Regiment of Cuirassiers, the regiment became the Earl of Oxford's Regiment during the reign of...
and to Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
a year later.
He served in Kitchener's expedition to the Sudan, fighting at the Battle of Khartoum
Battle of Khartoum
The Battle of Khartoum or Siege of Khartoum lasted from March 13, 1884 to January 26, 1885. It was fought in and around Khartoum between Egyptian forces led by British General Charles George Gordon and a Mahdist Sudanese army led by the self-proclaimed Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad...
, the Battle of Atbara
Battle of Atbara
The Battle of Atbara took place during the Second Sudan War. Anglo-Egyptian forces defeated 15,000 Sudanese rebels, called Mahdists or Dervishes. The battle proved to be the turning point in the conquest of Sudan by a British and Egyptian coalition....
. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(D.S.O.) on 15 November 1898 and rose to the rank of Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
a year later.
Boer War
In 1900 he was given the rank of BrevetBrevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in and asked by Lord Kitchener
Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener
Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, ADC, PC , was an Irish-born British Field Marshal and proconsul who won fame for his imperial campaigns and later played a central role in the early part of the First World War, although he died halfway...
, who he had served under on the Omdurman Campaign, to raise a Regiment of Scotsmen in South Africa, called The Scottish Horse. The Regiment was raised quickly and soon saw active service the Western Transvaal. A Second Regiment of Scottish Horse was raised from troops recruited by 7th The Duke of Atholl
John Stewart-Murray, 7th Duke of Atholl
John James Hugh Henry Stewart-Murray, 7th Duke of Atholl KT , styled Marquess of Tullibardine between 1846 and 1864, was a a Scottish peer.-Background and education:...
and a permanent headquarters was setup to supply both of these regiments with Atholl in Command but with subordinate Commanding Officers in the field in charge of each of the Regiments. This success continued until the Scottish Horse was a whole brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
by the end of the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
and Atholl had gained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in 1903. The following year he was appointed a Member 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...
(MVO).
First World War
In the Great War Atholl commanded a Brigade of a YeomanryYeomanry
Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Territorial Army, descended from volunteer cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units may serve in a variety of different military roles.-History:...
Regiments and took them to fight dismounted (with-out horses) in the Dardanelles campaign against the Turks. He gained the rank of Temporary Brigadier-General in 1918.
Further service
During the Second World War despite being seventy years old, Atholl joined the Home Guard and reportedly took turns as sentry officer on duty in Whitehall. He remained closely involved with the Scottish HorseScottish Horse
The Scottish Horse was a Yeomanry Regiment of the British Territorial Army from 1900 to 1956 when it was amalgamated with The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry....
, remaining in the post of Colonel Commandant until 1919 and Honorary Colonel from 1920 then until his death in 1942. He was key in establishing a Scottish National War Memorial
Scottish National War Memorial
The Scottish National War Memorial is located in Edinburgh Castle, and commemorates Scottish soldiers, and those serving with Scottish regiments, who died in the two world wars and in more recent conflicts. The monument was formally opened in 1927...
after World War I in Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
and his papers relating to this are retained by the National Library of Scotland
National Library of Scotland
The National Library of Scotland is the legal deposit library of Scotland and is one of the country's National Collections. It is based in a collection of buildings in Edinburgh city centre. The headquarters is on George IV Bridge, between the Old Town and the university quarter...
.
Political career
Atholl was elected as ConservativeConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for West Perthshire at the January 1910 general election, and served until 1917 when he succeeded his father and took up his seat 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....
as the 8th Duke of Atholl. In 1918 he was made a Knight of the Thistle
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
and then served as Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the British Sovereign's personal representative to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland , reflecting the Church's role as the national church of Scotland, and the Sovereign's role as protector and member of...
between 1918 and 1920. In November 1921 he was sworn of the Privy Council and appointed Lord Chamberlain of the Household by David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
, a post he held until the coalition government fell in October the following year.
Apart from his military and political careers Atholl served as Grand Master of Scottish Freemasons
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
between 1908 and 1913 and as an Aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
between 1920 and 1931. He was granted the Freedom of the City of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. According to his wife's book "Working Partnership" (1958), Atholl was considered for the Crown of Albania
King of Albania
While the medieval Angevin Kingdom of Albania was a monarchy, it did not encompass the entirety of the modern state of Albania. The latter has been a kingdom on two occasions. The first time was after it was declared independent in 1912...
after a chance meeting with a delegation in Florence who were impressed with his personality.
Lottery
In 1932 Atholl came to national attention when he launched a lotteryLottery
A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize.Lottery is outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments...
in an attempt to stop money going abroad to the Irish Free State Hospitals Sweepstakes
Irish Hospitals' Sweepstake
The Irish Hospitals' Sweepstake was a lottery established in the Irish Free State in 1930 as the Irish Free State Hospitals' Sweepstake to finance hospitals, and is often referred to as the Irish Sweepstake...
. The money his scheme raised was given to British charities, mainly hospitals, but in 1933 he was prosecuted by the Director of Public Prosecutions
Director of Public Prosecutions
The Director of Public Prosecutions is the officer charged with the prosecution of criminal offences in several criminal jurisdictions around the world...
, Sir Edward Hale Tindal Atkinson
Edward Hale Tindal Atkinson
Major Sir Edward Hale Tindal Atkinson, KCB, CBE was a British barrister and judge who served as the Director of Public Prosecutions from 1930 to 1944. After studying at Trinity College, Oxford Atkinson built up a substantial practice as a barrister before his volunteer work in the First World War...
, for running an illegal lottery. Despite this, his actions were seen by the public as being patriotic, and he was admired by many.
Family life
Atholl married Katharine RamsayKatharine Marjory Stewart-Murray, Duchess of Atholl
Katharine Marjory Stewart-Murray, Duchess of Atholl, DBE , born Katharine Marjory Ramsay and known as the Marchioness of Tullibardine from 1899 to 1917, was a British noblewoman and Unionist politician....
, daughter of Sir James Ramsay, 10th Baronet, at St Margaret's Church, Westminster
St. Margaret's, Westminster
The Anglican church of St. Margaret, Westminster Abbey is situated in the grounds of Westminster Abbey on Parliament Square, and is the parish church of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in London...
, on 20 July 1899. They had no children. He died March 1942, aged 70, and was succeeded by his youngest brother, James Stewart-Murray
James Stewart-Murray, 9th Duke of Atholl
Major James Stewart-Murray, 9th Duke of Atholl , styled Lord James Stewart-Murray until 1942, was a Scottish peer and soldier....
. The Duchess of Atholl died in October 1960, aged 85.