James Murray of Kilbaberton, (d.1634), was a Scottish master

wright Wright is an occupational surname originating in England. The term 'Wright' comes from the circa 700 AD Old English word 'wryhta' or 'wyrhta', meaning worker or shaper of wood. Later it became any occupational worker (for example, a shipwright is ...

and

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

. He served as the King's Master of Works under

James VI James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

, and

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

. He was one of the first men in Scotland to be called an architect.

Career

His father James Murray (d.1615) was a gunner and wright in Edinburgh castle and made master wright in 1584. Murray senior was appointed Overseer of the King's Works in Scotland on 4 May 1601 and on the same day James Murray younger was made principal master wright and gunner, as his father had been. The younger James was appointed Overseer in 1605, when his father resigned the post, and two years later was appointed principal Master of Works in Scotland, succeeding

David Cunningham of Robertland Sir David Cunningham of Robertland, in Ayrshire, was Master of Works to the Crown of Scotland from 1602 to 1607, and Surveyor of the King's Works in England from 1604 to 1606 Career Exiled for murder Involved in the murder of the Earl of Eglinto ...

.Colvin, p.567 In April 1603 Murray provided

with "certain billiards and billiard balls." Murray and his wife Martha Murray were given a plot of land close to the back gate of

Holyrood Palace The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace or Holyroodhouse, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinbu ...

in 1605, which they sold to the royal servants John Buchanan and

Margaret Hartsyde Margaret Hartsyde or Hairtsyde ( fl. 1600–1640) was a Scottish servant, jewel thief, and landowner. A servant of the queen, Anne of Denmark, Hartsyde's duties included looking after the queen's jewels, dealing with the goldsmith George Heriot, ...

in April 1606. On 28 September 1608, Murray chased Finlay Taylor, a

baillie A bailie or baillie is a civic officer in the local government of Scotland. The position arose in the burghs, where bailies formerly held a post similar to that of an alderman or magistrate (see bailiff). Baillies appointed the high constables ...

the Canongate The Canongate is a street and associated district in central Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. The street forms the main eastern length of the Royal Mile while the district is the main eastern section of Edinburgh's Old Town. It began w ...

, with a drawn sword in the Abbey Close near

Holyroodhouse The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace or Holyroodhouse, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh ...

. In 1612, Murray was granted land near

Juniper Green Juniper Green is a village on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland, situated about south-west of the city centre. It bridges the city bypass, and extends along the foothills of the Pentlands. It is bordered by Colinton to the east, Baberton ...

, outside

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

. Between 1622 and 1623 he designed and built Baberton House as his home here. The innovative symmetrical u-plan house still stands, although it was extended in the 18th century. Murrays initials, together with those of his wife, Katherine Weir, appear on the house. King James gave orders for repairs to the royal palaces in Scotland in 1616, anticipating his visit in 1617. At Holyrood, Murray was to take down and repair the roof of the lodging above the outer gate called the Chancellor's Lodging, demolish the lodging in the Palace of

Holyrood House The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace or Holyroodhouse, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edi ...

called the Master Steward's chamber, rebuild Roger Aston's chamber and Chancellor Maitland's kitchen in the Duke's transe, and demolish lean-to buildings to improve the courtyard. At

Stirling Castle Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological ...

, he was to demolish buildings between the inner and outer gate, re-roof the inner gate or fore-work, re-roof the king's kitchen, and rebuild the court kitchen, bakehouse, and pantry. At

Falkland Palace Falkland Palace, in Falkland, Fife, Scotland, is a royal palace of the Scottish Kings. It was one of the favourite places of Mary, Queen of Scots, providing an escape from political and religious turmoil. Today it is under the stewardship of ...

, he was to re-roof the king's and queen's galleries overlooking the garden from the east quarter, and make a bartisan or wall-walk on a new lead roof, and repair the whole palace, making repairs and new doorways and windows as required. The north range or quarter of

Linlithgow Palace The ruins of Linlithgow Palace are located in the town of Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland, west of Edinburgh. The palace was one of the principal residences of the monarchs of Scotland in the 15th and 16th centuries. Although mai ...

had collapsed in 1607. In February 1619 Murray received permission to demolish part of the remaining masonry adjacent to the north-west corner. November 1619 there was a dispute amongst his workforce at Linlithgow, the

Privy Council of Scotland The Privy Council of Scotland ( — 1 May 1708) was a body that advised the Scottish monarch. In the range of its functions the council was often more important than the Estates in the running the country. Its registers include a wide range of ...

intervened and the mason John Service was imprisoned in the Tolbooth of Edinburgh, and ten other masons were ordered to work for Murray under the conditions he set. Murray was asked by the Privy Council to calculate how much lead would be needed to cover the roof of the new north range at Linlithgow, and he arranged to buy 3,000 stone weight of lead from an Edinburgh merchant. In 1620 he was asked to investigate the scheme of Emanuell Meether who wanted to set up a glass manufactuary in Edinburgh, and subsequently joined a commission to judge glass made at Wemyss. The accounts mention that Murray and the gardener William Watts were responsible for "platting and contriving his Majesty's new garden and orchard" at

in 1629. The garden includes a surviving octagonal mount called the King's Knot.Marilyn Brown, ''Scotland's Lost Gardens'' (Edinburgh, 2015), pp. 178-182. Murray drew up plans for Parliament House in Edinburgh in 1633, and the building was constructed to his design over the following years. As Master of Works he was also in charge of works at Linlithgow Palace, the reconstruction of

prior to the coronation of Charles I, and additions to the Great Hall at

Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. ...

. He is said to be the principal designer of Malleny House in

Balerno Balerno (; gd, Baile Àirneach, IPA: �paleˈɛːɾʲnəx Scots: Balerno or Balernie) is a village on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland situated south-west of the city centre, next to Currie and then Juniper Green. Traditionally in the cou ...

, although the house was not completed until after his death. In 1633, at the coronation of Charles I, Murray was

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

ed. He died in December of the following year.

References

Sources

*Colvin, Howard (1978) ''A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, 1600-1840'' John Murray *McWilliam, Colin (1994) ''The Buildings of Scotland: Lothian'', Penguin * {{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, James Scottish architects Masters of Work to the Crown of Scotland 1634 deaths Year of birth unknown 17th-century Scottish architects People of Falkland Palace People of Linlithgow Palace