MURRAY, JAMES (c. 1719-1794)

This article appears in Volume V19, Page 40 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

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MURRAY, JAMES (c. 1719-1794) , British

governor

GOVERNOR (from the Fr. gouverneur, from gouverner, O. Fr. governer, Lat. gubernare, to steer a ship, to direct, guide)

of Canada, was a younger son of Alexander Murray, 4th Lord Elibank (d. 1736). Having entered the British army, he served with the 15th Foot in the West Indies, the'Netherlands and Brittany, and became lieutenant-colonel of this regiment by purchase in 1751. In 1757 he led his men to North America to take part in the war against France. He commanded a brigade at the siege of Louisburg, was one of Wolfe's three brigadiers in the expedition against Quebec, and commanded the left wing of the army in the famous battle in September 1759. After the British victory and the capture of the city, Murray was left in command of Quebec; having strengthened its fortifications and taken

measures

MEASURES

to improve the morale of his men, he defended it in April and May 1760 against the attacks of the French, who were soon compelled to raise the siege. The British troops had beendecimated by disease, and it was only a remnant that Murray now led to join General Amherst at Montreal, and to be present when the last batch of French troops in Canada surrendered. In October I 76o he was appointed

governor

GOVERNOR (from the Fr. gouverneur, from gouverner, O. Fr. governer, Lat. gubernare, to steer a ship, to direct, guide)

of Quebec, and he became governor of Canada after this country had been formally ceded to

Great

GREAT

Britain in 1763. In this year he quelled a dangerous mutiny, and soon afterwards his alleged partiality for the interests of the French Canadians gave offence to the British settlers; they asked for his recall, and in 1766 he retired from his post. After an inquiry in the

House

HOUSE
HOUSE (O. Eng. hiss, a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dut. huis, Ger. Haus; in
Gothic
- GOTHIC
it is only found in gudhiss, a temple; it may be ultimately connected with the root of " hide," conceal)

of Lords, he was exonerated from the charges which had been brought against him. In 1774 Murray was sent to

Minorca

MINORCA(Menorca)

as governor, and in 1781, while he was in charge of this

island

ISLAND (O.E. ieg =isle, +land')

, he was besieged in Fort St Philip by a large force of French and Spaniards. After a stubborn resistance, which lasted nearly seven months, he was obliged to surrender the place; and on his return to England he was tried by a court-martial, at the instance of Sir William

Draper

DRAPER
DRAPER, JOHN WILLIAM (1811-1882)

,. who had served under him in

Minorca

MINORCA(Menorca)

as lieutenant-governor. He was acquitted and he became a general in 1783. He died on the 18th of June 1794. Murray's only son was James

Patrick

PATRICK, SIMON (1626–1707)
PATRICK, ST

Murray (17821834), a major-general and member of

parliament

PARLIAMENT (Anglo-Lat. parliamentum, Fr. parlement, from parler, to speak)

.

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