Lord George Murray (bishop)
| George Murray | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of St David's | |
 | |
| Church | Church in Wales |
| See | Diocese of St David's |
| In office | 20 December 1800 –3 June 1803 |
| Predecessor | William Stuart |
| Successor | Thomas Burgess |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | 11 February 1801 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 January 1761 |
| Died | 3 June 1803 (aged 42) |
| Spouse | Anne Charlotte Grant |
Lord George Murray (30 January 1761 – 3 June 1803) was an Anglican cleric best remembered for his work developing Britain's first optical telegraph, which began relaying messages from London to Deal in 1796, a few years after Claude Chappe's system began operation in France. He was Bishop of Saint David's from 1801 until his death.
Life
Murray was the second son of John Murray, 3rd Duke of Atholl. He was Archdeacon of Man from 1787 to 1801. On 19 November 1800, Murray was nominated bishop of St. David's. He was elected on 6 December, confirmed on 7 and consecrated on 11 February 1801. He caught a chill waiting for his carriage on leaving the House of Lords, and died at Cavendish Square on 3 June 1803.[1]
Family
He married Anne Charlotte Grant, lady in waiting to Queen Charlotte. He had nine children; the eldest son, another George Murray, was also a cleric, becoming in time Bishop of Sodor and Man and Bishop of Rochester. This son George married Lady Sara Hay-Drummond daughter of Robert Auriol Hay-Drummond, 10th Earl of Kinnoull and Sarah Harley. A daughter, Charlotte Sophia Murray (1785–1866) married The Rev. Townshend Selwyn (1782–1853), Canon of Gloucester. Another daughter, Amelia Matilda Murray (30 Apr 1795– 7 Jun 1884), was a botanist and the author of "Recollections from 1803–1837, with a conclusion in 1868".;[2] she was also a Maid-of-Honour to HM Queen Victoria, 1837-1853, then an Extra Maid-of-Honour, 1853, and finally a Woman of the Bedchamber, 1853-1855 <http://users.uniserve.com/~canyon/qvcoronation.htm>.
His daughter Caroline Leonora Murray married Henry Fox-Strangways, 3rd Earl of Ilchester, and had four children:
- Henry Thomas Leopold Fox-Strangways, Lord Stavordale (7 January 1816 – 11 August 1837).
- Lady Theresa Anna Maria Fox-Strangways (11 January 1814 – 2 May 1874), married Edward Digby, 9th Baron Digby on 27 June 1837.
- Stephen Fox-Strangways, Lord Stavordale (21 March 1817 – 25 May 1848).
- Lady Caroline Margaret Fox-Strangways (9 January 1819 – 26 June 1895), married Sir Edward Kerrison, 2nd Baronet on 23 July 1844.
References
- ↑ Pollard 1894.
- ↑ K. D. Reynolds, ‘Murray, Amelia Matilda (1795–1884)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 3 Feb 2015
- Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Pollard, Albert Frederick (1894). "Murray, George (1761-1803)". In Lee, Sidney. Dictionary of National Biography. 39. London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 361.
External links
- capsule biography, from the Gazeteer for Scotland
- essay on his invention, from the Friends of Carmarthen County Museum
| Church of England titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William Stuart |
Bishop of Saint David's 1801–1803 |
Succeeded by Thomas Burgess |