John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Duke of Atholl
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| Lord Lieutenant of Perthshire | |
| In office 1796–1830 |
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| Monarch | |
| Preceded by | New office |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Kinnoull |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 June 1755 |
| Died | 29 September 1830 (aged 75) Dunkeld, Perthshire, Scotland |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 10, including John, 5th Duke of Atholl, and James, 1st Baron Glenlyon |
| Parents |
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John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl (born 30 June 1755 – died 29 September 1830) was an important Scottish nobleman. He held many important titles and roles during his life. He was known as the Marquess of Tullibardine before he became the Duke of Atholl.
A Life of Leadership
John Murray was the oldest son of the 3rd Duke of Atholl, John Murray, and his wife, Charlotte. His mother was also the 8th Baroness Strange. He had two younger brothers, Lord George Murray and Lord Charles Murray-Aynsley.
When his father became Duke in 1764, John was given the special title of Marquess of Tullibardine. This was a courtesy title for the oldest son of a Duke.
In 1774, when his father passed away, John became the 4th Duke of Atholl. He was then chosen to be a Scottish Representative Peer. This meant he represented Scotland in the House of Lords, which is part of the British Parliament.
Later, in 1786, he received new titles: Baron Murray and Earl Strange. These titles automatically gave him a seat in the House of Lords. He also served as the Lord-Lieutenant of Perthshire from 1794 to 1830. This role meant he was the King's representative in that area.
In 1797, he joined the Privy Council. This was a group of trusted advisors to the King. In 1800, he was made a Knight of the Thistle, a special honour.
He also became the Captain-General and Governor in Chief of the Isle of Man in 1793. This meant he was in charge of the island. He also led a group called the Antient Grand Lodge of England for many years.
The "Planting Duke"
The 4th Duke of Atholl loved planting trees. He earned the nickname "The Planting Duke" because of this. On his Blair Estate, he planted more than 20 million trees across a huge area. He even used cannons filled with seeds to spread them over the high hills!
He was the first person to bring Japanese Larch trees to Britain. He planted them at Dunkeld. These trees later mixed with the first European Larch trees in Britain, which his uncle had planted. This mix created a new type of tree called the Dunkeld Larch.
In 1796-97, he planted pine and larch trees around the Falls of Bruar. He did this to honour the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns, who had recently died. Burns had written a poem about the Falls of Bruar. The Duke also wrote a book in 1807 called "Observations on Larch" to encourage more people to plant these trees.
His Family
The Duke of Atholl married the Honourable Jane Cathcart in 1774. They had eight children together:
- Lady Charlotte Murray (1775–1832)
- John Murray, 5th Duke of Atholl (1778–1846), who became the next Duke.
- James Murray, 1st Baron Glenlyon (1782–1837), who also had children, including the 6th Duke.
- Lord Edward Murray (1783–1795)
- Lord Robert Murray (1785–1793)
- Lord Frederick Murray (1788–1789)
- Lady Amelia Sophia Murray
- Lady Elizabeth Murray
After his first wife passed away in 1790, he married Marjory Forbes in 1794. She was the widow of John Mackenzie, Lord MacLeod. They had two children:
- Lady Catherine Murray (died 1796)
- Lord Charles Murray (1799–1824), who sadly died while helping in the Greek War of Independence.
John Murray, the 4th Duke of Atholl, passed away in September 1830 at the age of 75. His oldest son, John, became the 5th Duke. The town of Athol, Nova Scotia in Canada is named after him.
