William Henry Wood Murray (1790–1852), a Scottish actor, manager and theatre owner in

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

, was a friend of

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy ...

and particularly associated with dramatisations of Scott's

Waverley Waverley may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Waverley'' (novel), by Sir Walter Scott ** ''Waverley'' Overture, a work by Hector Berlioz inspired by Scott's novel * Waverley Harrison, a character in the New Zealand soap opera ''Shortland Stree ...

Novels.

Life

Born in Bath on 26 August 1790, he moved to

in 1809 and worked there for over forty years as an actor, manager and dramatist. Around that time (1809), he married Anne Dyke, the sister of tragedienne Mary Ann Duff, but she died soon after the marriage.Joseph Norton Ireland (1882) ''Mrs. Duff'', James R. Osgood and Co., Boston He was the son of the actor and dramatist

Charles Murray Charles Murray may refer to: Politicians *Charles Murray, 1st Earl of Dunmore (1661–1710), British peer *Charles Murray (author and diplomat) (1806–1895), British author and diplomat *Charles Murray, 7th Earl of Dunmore (1841–1907), Scotti ...

, and grandson of the Jacobite Sir

John Murray of Broughton Sir John Murray of Broughton, 7th Baronet of Stanhope (c. 1715 – 6 December 1777), also known as Murray of Broughton, was a Scottish baronet, who served as Jacobite Secretary of State during the 1745 Rising. As such, he was responsible for ...

who, when captured after the Battle of Culloden, saved his life by betraying his fellow Jacobites then lived out his life in Edinburgh as a haunted and hated figure. Walter Scott's father as a lawyer had professional dealings with the old man, but on one occasion after his wife brought tea, he afterwards threw the cup out the window saying, "Neither lip of me nor of mine comes after Murray of Broughton's." This incident may have later contributed to Scott's antiquarian interest in the family and friendship with William Henry Murray. 10 June 1818 saw the first performance of Murray's operatic adaption of Walter Scott's novel '' Rob Roy''. It was titled "Rob Roy MacGregor". When Scott was preparing for the

visit of King George IV to Scotland The visit of George IV to Scotland in 1822 was the first visit of a reigning monarch to Scotland in nearly two centuries, the last being by King Charles II for his Scottish coronation in 1651. Government ministers had pressed the King to bring ...

in 1822 he was quick to draw on Murray's expertise for the management of events. Murray created the settings at various venues, contrived the "revived ancient dresses" and arranged the "traditional" pageants. He was particularly acclaimed for his success in transforming the Assembly Rooms in George Street into a theatrical palace for the Peers' ''Grand Ball'', an event that was pivotal in making the

tartan Tartan ( gd, breacan ) is a patterned cloth consisting of criss-crossed, horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Sc ...

kilt A kilt ( gd, fèileadh ; Irish: ''féileadh'') is a garment resembling a wrap-around knee-length skirt, made of twill woven worsted wool with heavy pleats at the sides and back and traditionally a tartan pattern. Originating in the Scottish ...

which had been thought of as the primitive dress of mountain thieves into the

national dress A folk costume (also regional costume, national costume, traditional garment, or traditional regalia) expresses an identity through costume, which is usually associated with a geographic area or a period of time in history. It can also indicat ...

of the whole of Scotland. The King's last and least formal public appearance during the visit to Edinburgh was at a theatre performance of Scott's Rob Roy adapted and produced by Murray. In 1830 he began leasing the Theatre Royal, Edinburgh from his sister Harriet Siddons and at the end of his 21 year lease he retired to St Andrews in 1851.Grant's Old and New Edinburgh vol.2 p.350 He died in St Andrews on 5 May 1852 and is buried against the eastern wall of St Andrew's Cathedral churchyard, backing onto the Eastern Cemetery.

References

*The King's Jaunt, John Prebble, Birlinn Limited, Edinburgh 2000, {{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, William Henry 19th-century Scottish male actors Actor-managers People associated with Edinburgh 1790 births 1852 deaths 19th-century theatre managers