Charles James Murray (29 November 1851 – 25 September 1929) was a British

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

politician and diplomat.

Early life

Elizabeth Wadsworth by Thomas Sully, 1834

He was the son of The Hon. Sir Charles Augustus Murray and his American born wife Elizabeth "Elise" Wadsworth. His parents met while his father was spending several years travelling across Europe and America between 1835 and 1838. His father returned to England in 1838 where his father obtained the position of

Master of the Household The Master of the Household is the operational head (see Chief operating officer) of the "below stairs" elements of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom. The role has charge of the domestic staff, from the Royal Kitchens, the pages and foot ...

in the Court of the young

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

. After being removed from the positions in the Household reforms initiated by

Albert, Prince Consort Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Franz August Karl Albert Emanuel; 26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861) was the consort of Queen Victoria from their marriage on 10 February 1840 until his death in 1861. Albert was born in the Saxon duch ...

, his father became a diplomat in

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

followed by consul-general in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

in 1846. His parents married in December 1850 during one of his father's visits to

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. While in

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...

, his mother tragically died after giving birth to him. His father later served as Minister to the Swiss Confederation, and Envoy to the Shah of Persia and the

King of Saxony This article lists dukes, electors, and kings ruling over different territories named Saxony from the beginning of the Saxon Duchy in the 6th century to the end of the German monarchies in 1918. The electors of Saxony from John the Steadfast on ...

. In 1862, his father remarried to his first cousin once removed Hon. Edith Susan Esther Fitzpatrick (a daughter of

John Fitzpatrick, 1st Baron Castletown John Wilson FitzPatrick, 1st Baron Castletown PC (23 September 1811 – 22 January 1883), known as John Wilson until 1842, was an Irish Liberal politician. Castletown was the illegitimate son of John FitzPatrick, 2nd Earl of Upper Ossory, ...

). From this marriage, Charles had a much younger half-brother, Cecil Henry Alexander Murray. His paternal grandparents were

George Murray, 5th Earl of Dunmore Lord George Murray, 5th Earl of Dunmore FRSE (30 April 1762 – 11 November 1836), known as Viscount of Fincastle until 1809, was a Scottish peer. Life Murray was the eldest son of John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore, and Lady Charlotte (née S ...

and the former Lady Susan Hamilton (a daughter of

Archibald Hamilton, 9th Duke of Hamilton Archibald Hamilton, 9th Duke of Hamilton and 6th Duke of Brandon (15 July 1740 – 16 February 1819) was a Scottish peer and politician. Background and education Hamilton was the second son of the 5th Duke of Hamilton, by his third wife, Ann ...

). His paternal uncle was Alexander Murray, 6th Earl of Dunmore and among his paternal cousins were Lady Susan Catherine Mary Murray (wife of

James Carnegie, 9th Earl of Southesk James Carnegie, 9th Earl of Southesk, KT, DL (16 November 1827 – 21 February 1905) was a Scottish nobleman, explorer and poet. Early life Born in Edinburgh, on 16 November 1827, Southesk was the son of Sir James Carnegie, 5th Baronet and Cha ...

), Lady Constance Euphemia Woronzow Murray (wife of

William Elphinstone, 15th Lord Elphinstone William Buller Fullerton Elphinstone, 15th Lord Elphinstone and 1st Baron Elphinstone (18 November 1828 – 18 January 1893), known as William Elphinstone until 1861, was a Scottish Conservative politician. Early life Elphinstone was born on 18 ...

), and

Charles Murray, 7th Earl of Dunmore Charles Adolphus Murray, 7th Earl of Dunmore VD (24 March 1841 – 27 August 1907), styled Viscount Fincastle from birth until 1845, was a Scottish peer, Conservative politician, explorer, author, and artist. Family background Fincastle was th ...

. His maternal grandparents were prominent landowner and businessman James Wadsworth. His maternal uncle,

James S. Wadsworth James Samuel Wadsworth (October 30, 1807 – May 8, 1864) was a philanthropist, politician, and a Union general in the American Civil War. He was mortally wounded in battle during the Battle of the Wilderness of 1864. Early years Wadswor ...

, was a

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

General during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. Among his American cousins were Cornelia Wadsworth Adair (who married Scots-Irish businessman

John George Adair John George Adair (3 March 1823– 4 May, 1885), sometimes known as Jack Adair, born in County Laois, Ireland, was a Scots-Irish businessman and landowner, financier of JA Ranch in the Texas Panhandle. Adair had made his fortune in Ireland bu ...

and became matriarch of

Glenveagh Castle Glenveagh Castle ( ga, Caisleán Ghleann Bheatha ) is a large castellated mansion located in Glenveagh National Park, County Donegal, Ireland and was built in about 1870. History Captain John George Adair built Glenveagh Castle between ...

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconne ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

James Wolcott Wadsworth James Wolcott Wadsworth (October 12, 1846 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – December 24, 1926 in Washington, D.C.) was an American farmer, soldier and statesman. Early life He was the son of Civil War General James Samuel Wadsworth (1807� ...

, and Elizabeth Wadsworth, who married Arthur Smith-Barry (later Baron Barrymore).

Career

Murray was elected as a

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

(MP) for

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

in 1880, a position he resigned in 1883. He was elected Member of Parliament for

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its ...

in 1895 until he retired at the 1906 general election. He later served as Third Secretary of the Diplomatic Service and was officer in the

Ross and Cromarty Mountain Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery The 1st Argyll & Bute Artillery Volunteers was a part-time unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery formed in Scotland in 1860 in response to a French invasion threat. It 1908 it became the only Mountain Artillery unit in the Territorial Force ...

. Between 1917 and 1918, he fought in the

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and was awarded the Officier de Mérite Agricole.

Personal life

On 9 August 1875, Murray was married to Lady Anne Francesca Wilhelmina Finch, a daughter of

Heneage Finch, 6th Earl of Aylesford Heneage Finch, 6th Earl of Aylesford DL (24 December 1824 – 10 January 1871), styled Lord Guernsey until 1859, was a British peer and politician. Background Born in Packington, Warwickshire, Aylesford was the son of Heneage Finch, 5th Earl of ...

and the former Jane Wightwick Knightley (the only daughter and heiress of John Wightwick Knightley of Offchurch Bury). Her brothers, Heneage and Charles, both succeeded their father as the 7th and 8th

Earl of Aylesford Earl of Aylesford, in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1714 for the lawyer and politician Heneage Finch, 1st Baron Guernsey. He had already been created Baron Guernsey in the Peerage of England in ...

. Together, they lived at

Lochcarron Lochcarron ( gd, Loch Carrann) is a village, community and civil parish in the Wester Ross area of Highland, Scotland. It has a population of 923. Locality The name Lochcarron is also applied to the collection of small settlements strung out al ...

Ross-shire Ross-shire (; gd, Siorrachd Rois) is a historic county in the Scottish Highlands. The county borders Sutherland to the north and Inverness-shire to the south, as well as having a complex border with Cromartyshire – a county consisting of ...

in Scotland and were the parents of: * Sybil Louisa Murray (1876–1957), who married Hon. Claude Henry Comaraich Willoughby, a younger son of

Henry Willoughby, 8th Baron Middleton Henry Willoughby, 8th Baron Middleton (28 August 1817 Nottingham – 20 December 1877 Birdsall House, Birdsall), was an English peer. He was born at Apsley Hall, Nottingham, the eldest son of Henry Willoughby (15 December 1780 – 1849) and Charl ...

, in 1904. * Lieutenant Alastair Heneage Murray (1878–1900), who died at

Senekal Senekal is a town situated on the banks of the Sand River in the eastern part of the Free State province of South Africa. It was named after Commandant FP Senekal. It is the second largest town in Setsoto Municipality after Ficksburg, the lar ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

from wounds received in action during the

Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sou ...

. * Charles Wadsworth Murray (1894–1945), who married Elizabeth Grant, daughter of Frank Grant, in 1924. Murray died on 25 September 1929.Mosley, Charles, editor. ''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes.''

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...

U.S.A. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Burke's Peerage Burke's Peerage Limited is a British genealogical publisher founded in 1826, when the Irish genealogist John Burke began releasing books devoted to the ancestry and heraldry of the peerage, baronetage, knightage and landed gentry of Great Br ...

(Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003. pp. 1233. His widow, Lady Anne, died on 10 January 1933.

Descendants

Through his daughter Sybil, he was a grandfather of Henry Douglas Willoughby (1908–1908), Mary Bridget Willoughby (1910–2003) (who married Lt.-Gen. Sir Edward Dacre Howard-Vyse in 1940) and Joan Lavinia Willoughby (1913–1989) (who married Harry Nettleton in 1960). Through his son Charles, he was a grandfather of Helen Rosemary Murray (b. 1928), who married Hubert Zipperlen in 1966.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, Charles James 1851 births 1929 deaths Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1880–1885 UK MPs 1895–1900 UK MPs 1900–1906 Wadsworth family