James Murray (British Army officer, born 1721) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Murray
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A portrait of Murray
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| Born | 21 January 1721 Ballencrieff, East Lothian |
| Died | 18 June 1794 (aged 73) Battle, East Sussex |
| Allegiance |  Great Britain |
| Service/ |
 British Army |
| Years of service | 1736–1789 |
| Rank | General |
| Unit | Scots Brigade Wynyard's Marines 15th Regiment of Foot |
| Battles/wars |
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| Relations | Patrick Murray, 5th Lord Elibank (brother) Patrick Ferguson (nephew) |
| Other work | Governor of the Province of Quebec (1760–1768) Governor of Minorca (1778–1782) |
General James Murray (born January 20, 1721 – died June 18, 1794) was a brave British Army officer. He also worked as a colonial administrator. This means he helped manage British lands far away. He was the first governor of Quebec from 1760 to 1768. Later, he was the governor of Minorca from 1778 to 1782.
James Murray was born in Ballencrieff, East Lothian, Scotland. He traveled to North America and fought in the French and Indian War. After the war, he did a great job managing the Province of Quebec. He got along well with the French Canadians. He made sure their traditional rights and customs were respected. Murray passed away in Battle, East Sussex, England, in 1794.
Contents
Early Life and Military Start
James Murray was born in a place called Ballencrieff, in Scotland. He was one of the younger sons of Lord Elibank Alexander Murray. He went to school in Haddington and Selkirk.
His military journey began in 1736. He joined the Scots Brigade, which was part of the Dutch army. In 1740, he became a second lieutenant. He served in Wynyard's Marines under his brother, Patrick Murray. They took part in an attack on Cartagena but it was not successful.
Murray became a captain in 1742. He fought in the War of the Austrian Succession. He was badly hurt during the Siege of Ostend in 1745. But he showed great courage in the Raid on Lorient in 1746. In 1748, he married Cordelia Collier.
Military Career in Canada
In 1749, James Murray bought a higher rank to become a major. By 1751, he was a lieutenant-colonel. He led his regiment in the Raid on Rochefort in 1757. He also defended Sir John Mordaunt in a military trial after this raid.
In 1758, Murray commanded a group of soldiers during the Siege of Louisbourg. His brother Alexander also fought there. After Louisbourg was captured, Murray joined General Wolfe. They went on a mission to raid areas north of the Gulf of St. Lawrence Campaign (1758). While Wolfe destroyed French settlements, Murray attacked French fishing villages.
Fighting with General Wolfe
Murray served under General James Wolfe in the famous Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759. This battle was a key moment in the French and Indian War. Murray thought Wolfe's plan to land the army was very risky. He believed it only worked "by Providence," meaning by luck or divine help.
After the British captured Quebec City, Murray became its military commander. However, the French commander, Lévis, defeated Murray in the Battle of Sainte-Foy in 1760. Because of this, the French tried to lay siege to Quebec. But they had to stop because they ran out of supplies. Also, British ships arrived to help.
Murray encouraged his nephew, Patrick Ferguson, to join the army. Patrick was the son of Murray's sister, Anne. He also helped another nephew, Patrick Murray.
Peace and Leadership
Murray played a successful part in the British advance on Montreal. He helped calm many French Canadians during this time. This showed he was a great military leader and a good negotiator. On September 5, 1760, Murray signed a peace treaty with the Huron Nation. They lived near Quebec City. This treaty was later confirmed as still valid in 1990 by the Supreme Court of Canada.
Governor of Quebec
In October 1760, James Murray became the military governor of Quebec. On October 4, 1763, he became the first civil governor of the Province of Quebec. He was promoted to Major-General in 1765.
As governor, he was very understanding towards the French-Canadians. He treated them well, even more than the British merchants who came to settle. He allowed French civil law to continue. This was important because French people outnumbered the British by a lot. He needed to avoid making them unhappy or causing a rebellion.
Some British settlers were not happy with his decisions. This led to him being called back to Britain in 1766. However, he remained governor in name until 1768. Many of his ideas for governing Quebec were kept. They were later included in the Quebec Act of 1774.
After returning to Great Britain, he was appointed Colonel of the 13th Regiment of Foot. He held this position from 1767 to 1789.
Service in Minorca
Murray served as lieutenant-governor of Minorca from 1774 to 1778. Then he became governor of Minorca from 1778 to 1782. In 1780, he married Ann Witham, his second wife.
During the American War of Independence, he bravely defended Fort St. Philip. This fort was in Port Mahon. He held out against a combined French and Spanish attack for seven months. This was from 1781 to 1782. He finally had to surrender. Because of this, he became known as ‘Old Minorca’ Murray.
After his service, he returned to his home in Sussex, England. He received more honors in his final years. He was made a General and Governor of Kingston-upon-Hull in 1783. He also became Colonel of the 21st (Royal North British) Fusiliers in 1789. He was buried in Old St Helen's Church in Hastings.
Family Life
James Murray's first marriage did not have any children. But with his second wife, Ann Witham, he had six children. Two of them sadly died when they were very young.
- James Patrick Murray, who later became a major general.
- Cordelia Murray.
- Wilhelmina Murray.
- George Murray (died young).
- Elizabeth Mary Murray (died young).
- Anne Harriet Murray.
He and his wife also helped raise Maria Murray. She was the daughter of his older brother, Patrick.
James Murray in Popular Culture
James Murray has been shown in movies and TV shows.
- In the 2004 film Battle of the Brave (Nouvelle-France), he is shown as the Governor of Quebec. Actor Michael Maloney played him.
- He also appears in three episodes of the mini-series Marguerite Volant. In this show, Graham Harley plays him.
See also
