William Murray, 1st Earl of Dysart facts for kids

William Murray, the 1st Earl of Dysart (born around 1600, died December 1655), was a close friend and trusted helper to King Charles I of England. When they were children, William was the king's "whipping boy." This meant that if Prince Charles did something wrong, William would be punished in his place. Later, William became an important advisor to the king.

William Murray's Early Life

William Murray was born around the year 1600 in Dysart, Scotland. His father, also named William Murray, was a minister. William had an uncle, Thomas Murray, who was a teacher. Thomas took young William to the royal court. There, William grew up and was educated alongside Prince Charles. Since they were about the same age, William and Prince Charles became very close friends.

Serving King Charles I

As Prince Charles grew up, William Murray became a Gentleman of the Bedchamber. This was an important role, meaning he was a personal attendant to the prince. When Charles became king in 1626, he kept William in his service. King Charles gave William the use of Ham House, a large estate near Richmond, London. This location was handy for reaching other royal palaces like Hampton Court and Windsor. William made Ham House his family home.

William Murray had a lot of influence with King Charles. He was both an advisor and someone who could help others get favors from the king. William also had family connections to some important Scottish leaders called covenanters. Because of these connections, William often helped with secret talks between the king and the covenanters.

For example, William carried messages between King Charles and Montrose, who was a prisoner at the time. It was also believed that William might have warned some Scottish leaders, like Hamilton and Argyll, about a plan to arrest them. This warning might have helped them escape.

William Murray During the Civil War

When the First English Civil War began, King Charles sent William Murray to Scotland. His mission was to get advice and help from his Scottish friends. In 1645, William was with Queen Henrietta Maria of France in Paris. He helped her with talks between the king and other countries, and even with the Pope.

In 1646, when William returned to England, he was arrested near Canterbury. He was thought to be a spy and was sent to the Tower of London. However, he was released later that summer. Scottish officials in London helped him, saying he had been helpful to many Scottish ministers.

William was then allowed to go to King Charles, who was in Newcastle. William tried to convince the king to agree to the terms of the Parliament. He also helped plan an escape for the king, but Charles changed his mind at the last moment. After the king was handed over to the English, William was not allowed to see him and went back to Europe.

Life After the King's Death

In 1648, Queen Henrietta Maria sent William to Scotland again. She wanted him to encourage the Scots to support her son, the Prince of Wales (who would later become King Charles II). William tried to get the powerful Scottish leaders to back the prince. When that didn't work, he met with the Duke of Hamilton and his friends. In May, William returned to Europe with letters inviting the prince to Scotland.

After King Charles I died, William Murray was among those who gathered around Charles II in the Dutch Republic. William continued to serve Charles II, even carrying secret letters to important Scottish figures like Argyll and Loudoun. Some people even believed William suggested that King Charles II might marry Argyll's daughter.

William Murray was known for being good at persuading people, but some also thought he was not always honest. He tried to please both the king and the Scottish Covenanters, which was a difficult task.

Becoming an Earl

William Murray was given the title of Earl of Dysart by King Charles I. This happened either in Oxford in 1643 or in Newcastle in 1646. However, because the official document for the title wasn't fully completed, he was still considered a commoner until 1651. In that year, King Charles II officially made him Lord Dysart.

William Murray's Family

William Murray married Catherine Bruce. They had four daughters. Their first daughter, Elizabeth, was born in 1626. She later inherited her father's title and became the Duchess of Lauderdale. Two of his other daughters, Anne and Catherine, never married. His youngest daughter, Margaret, married William Maynard, 2nd Baron Maynard.

When Did William Murray Die?

For a while, people thought William Murray died in France or in 1651. However, it is now known that he passed away in Edinburgh, Scotland, in December 1655. His cousin, Thomas Murray, who was a lawyer, prepared reports for William's daughters after his death.

Images for kids

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  William Murray, Earl Dysart, by David Paton