William Murray, 4th Earl of Mansfield facts for kids
William David Murray (born February 21, 1806, died August 1, 1898) was an important British politician. He was known as the 4th Earl of Mansfield. He belonged to the Conservative Party.
William was the son of David William Murray, the 3rd Earl of Mansfield. His mother was Frederica Markham. Her father was William Markham, who was an Archbishop of York. William became the Earl of Mansfield in 1840 after his father passed away. He also inherited another Earl of Mansfield title in 1843 from his grandmother, Louisa Murray.
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William Murray's Early Political Life
William Murray started his political career as a Member of Parliament (MP). An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the country's government.
- He was an MP for Aldborough in 1830.
- Then he represented Woodstock in 1831.
- From 1832 to 1837, he was the MP for Norwich.
- Finally, he served as the MP for Perthshire from 1837 to 1840.
He also worked as a Lord of the Treasury from 1834 to 1835. This was during the time Sir Robert Peel was leading the government.
Other Important Roles
William Murray held several other important positions during his life.
- He was appointed Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1852, 1858, and 1859. This role involved representing the King or Queen at the Church of Scotland's main meeting.
- He was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Stirlingshire Militia from 1828 to 1855. The militia was a group of citizens trained for military service.
- From 1852, he was the Lord Lieutenant of Clackmannanshire. A Lord Lieutenant is the King's or Queen's personal representative in a county.
- He was also the hereditary keeper of Scone Palace. This means the role was passed down through his family.
- He was a senior member of the Carlton Club, a famous club for Conservative politicians.
Honors and Family Life
In 1843, William Murray was made a Knight of the Thistle. The Order of the Thistle is a very high honor in Scotland, given by the monarch. For a time, he was the most senior Knight in this order.
William Murray married Louisa Ellison in 1829. They had one daughter and one son, William David Murray, Viscount Stormont. Sadly, his son passed away before him. When William Murray died in 1898, his grandson, William, 8th Lord Balvaird, became the next Earl of Mansfield.
Coat of Arms
A coat of arms is a special design that represents a family, a person, or an organization. It's like a unique symbol or badge. William Murray, as an Earl, had his own coat of arms.
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- Crest: This is the part at the very top. It shows a deer's head with a special cross between its antlers.
- Coronet: This is a small crown that shows he was an Earl.
- Escutcheon (Shield): This is the main shield part. It's divided into four sections.
- The first and fourth sections have three stars inside a fancy border, representing the Murray family.
- The second and third sections have three special crosses, representing the Barclay family.
- Supporters: These are the figures on either side of the shield. For William Murray, they were two red lions.
- Mottoes: These are short phrases. His mottoes were "Uni Aequus Virtuti" (meaning "Friendly in virtue alone") and "Spero meliora" (meaning "I hope for better things").
