Alexander William Charles Oliphant Murray, 1st Baron Murray of Elibank (12 April 1870 – 13 September 1920), called The Master of Elibank between 1871 and 1912, was a Scottish nobleman and

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politician. He served as

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(Chief Government Whip) under

H. H. Asquith Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928), generally known as H. H. Asquith, was a British statesman and Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom f ...

between 1910 and 1912, when he was forced to resign after being implicated in the

Marconi scandal The Marconi scandal was a British political scandal that broke in mid-1912. Allegations were made that highly placed members of the Liberal government under the Prime Minister H. H. Asquith had profited by improper use of information about the go ...

Background and education

Elibank was the eldest son of Montolieu Oliphant-Murray, 1st Viscount Elibank, and Blanche Alice, daughter of Edward John Scott. He was educated at Cheltenham.''

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1916–1928'', p. 763.

Political career

Elibank unsuccessfully contested Edinburgh West in May 1895, Peebles and Selkirk in July 1895 and the

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by-election of 1900. However, in October 1900 he was successfully returned to parliament for Midlothian, a seat he held until 1906 and again from 1910 to 1912. From 1906 to 1910 he represented Peebles and Selkirk. In the aftermath of the

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(1899-1902), Elibank travelled to

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visiting the

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and

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. When the Liberals came to power in December 1905 under

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, Elibank was appointed Comptroller of the Household, a post he retained when

became Prime Minister in April 1908, and then served as

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between 1909 and 1910. The latter year he was made

(Chief Government Whip). In 1911 he was sworn of the Privy Council. However, he was forced to resign in August 1912 after being accused of insider trading in the

. Later the same month he was raised to the peerage as Baron Murray of Elibank, of Elibank in the County of Selkirk. Apart from his political career Elibank was a partner in S. Pearson and Son Ltd.

Personal life

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Murray of Elibank married Hilda Louisa Janey, daughter of Lieutenant-General Sir James Wolfe Murray, in 1894. They had no children. He died in September 1920, aged 50, predeceasing his father by seven years. The barony of Murray of Elibank became extinct on his death while his younger brother Gideon eventually succeeded in the viscountcy of Elibank. Lady Murray of Elibank died in September 1929.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Murray Of Elibank, Alexander Murray 1870 births 1920 deaths Scottish Liberal Party MPs Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Scottish constituencies Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom UK MPs 1900–1906 UK MPs 1906–1910 UK MPs 1910 UK MPs 1910–1918 UK MPs who were granted peerages Heirs apparent who never acceded Barons created by George V