David Murray (poet) facts for kids

David Murray of Gorthy, 1603, National Galleries of Scotland

Sir David Murray of Gorthy (1567–1629) was an important officer and a poet in England. He worked for Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, from 1603 to 1612. Prince Henry was the eldest son of King James VI of Scotland (who also became King James I of England).

Who Was David Murray?

David Murray was part of the Scottish Clan Murray family. His father, Robert Murray, was the Laird of Abercairney, a landowner near Crieff. His mother was Katherine Murray from Tullibardine.

David had several brothers and two sisters. His older brother, William, grew up at Stirling Castle with the young James VI of Scotland. Their aunt, Annabell Murray, Countess of Mar, helped care for the King at Stirling. David Murray did not have any children of his own.

Working for Prince Henry

David Murray studied at St Salvator's College at St Andrews University. Before King James became King of England, David worked for Prince Henry at Stirling Castle in Scotland. In 1600, he even traveled to the Netherlands with a letter from his six-year-old master, Prince Henry.

In 1602, he was officially made a Gentleman of the Prince's Bedchamber. This was a close and trusted position. His portrait was painted in 1603 and can be seen today in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

Life in London's Royal Court

After King James became King of England in 1603, Prince Henry and his household moved to London. David Murray rented a place at the Savoy Palace. He was given £200 as a gift from the royal treasury.

In England, Murray became the keeper of the Prince's private money, called the privy purse. He managed a yearly allowance of 1,000 marks for the Prince. He paid many famous artists and craftspeople who worked for Prince Henry. These included the painter Robert Peake the elder, the ship designer Phineas Pett, and the architect Inigo Jones. He also paid the famous Edinburgh jeweler George Heriot.

David Murray was knighted as Sir David Murray of Gorthy on May 18, 1605, at Greenwich Palace. A writer named John Hawkins said that Murray was "the only man in whom he (Prince Henry) had put choise trust." This shows how much Prince Henry trusted him.

In 1607, Murray helped set up a model ship made by Phineas Pett for the Prince. It was placed in a private room at Richmond Palace. In 1609, he spent a lot of money, nearly £2,000, on pearls for Prince Henry's special outfit. This was for the Christmas parties and a knightly contest called the Barriers tournament.

Murray also helped Prince Henry develop his interest in art. He arranged for important people like the Earl of Salisbury to show the Prince paintings. Murray also helped manage the Prince's collection of interesting objects, like medals and coins.

In 1612, Prince Henry received gifts of small statues from Cosimo II de' Medici. Murray was with the Prince when he received these gifts.

Prince Henry's Last Days

When Prince Henry was very ill in 1612, he called out "David, David, David." When Murray came to his bedside, the Prince asked him to burn some letters kept in a cabinet. This showed his deep trust in Murray even at the end of his life.

At Prince Henry's funeral, Murray rode in the carriage that carried the Prince's coffin. He was at the Prince's feet as the Master of his Wardrobe. In 1615, David Murray received a large payment for all the money he had spent managing the Prince's wardrobe and private funds.

David Murray's Poetry

David Murray was also a poet. In 1611, a book of his poems was published in London. It was called The Tragicall Death of Sophonisba, by David Murray, Scoto-Brittaine. This book also included twenty-six love poems called sonnets, dedicated to a woman named Coelia.

His poems were written in a style that mixed Scottish and English words. Some of his sonnets used a special linked form that was popular with Scottish poets who worked for King James in the 1580s.

Another of Murray's works, A Paraphrase of the CIV Psalme, was printed in Edinburgh in 1615. This poem was dedicated to King James.

Works Dedicated to David Murray

Many writers and poets respected David Murray. They dedicated their own works to him. This shows how important and well-regarded he was in the royal court.

For example, the Scottish churchman William Couper dedicated his book, Preparative for the New Passover (1607), to David Murray. Joseph Hall, who was a chaplain to Prince Henry, dedicated an essay to Murray in 1608.

The calligrapher Esther Inglis even made him a special handwritten book of poems. After Prince Henry died, a chaplain named Daniel Price dedicated his sermon about the Prince's death to Murray. An anonymous collection of poems called Great Brittans Mourning Garment (1612) was also dedicated to Sir David Murray and other followers of Prince Henry.

Images for kids

• 

  David Murray, as Master of the Wardrobe, bought the pearls for Prince Henry's tournament outfit.