married Sir William Wilson Hunter, K.C.S.I. Murray was sagacious and kindly, and made many friends. He was a patient, if not profound, scholar of the old Scottish type, and had commenced the study of Gaelic at the time of his death.
His works, apart from pamphlets, are: 1. 'The Literary History of Galloway: from the Earliest Period to the Present Time,' Edinburgh, 1822, 8vo. 2. 'The Life of Samuel Rutherford,' Edinburgh, 1828, 12mo. 3. 'The Life of Robert Leighton, D.D., archbishop of Glasgow,' Edinburgh, 1828, 12mo. 4. 'The Life of John Wycliffe,' Edinburgh, 1829, 12mo. 5. 'Biographical Annals of the Parish of Colinton,' Edinburgh, 1863, 8vo. Murray also edited Samuel Rutherford's 'Last Speeches of John, Viscount Kenmure,' Edinburgh, 1827, 12mo; and 'Letters of David Hume,' Edinburgh, 1841, 8vo.
[Obituary notice in the Scotsman, 16 April 1872; information supplied by Lady Hunter.]
MURRAY, Sir WILLIAM (d. 1583), of Tullibardine, comptroller of Scotland, was the eldest son of Sir William Murray of Tullibardine, by Catherine, daughter
of Sir Duncan Campbell of Glenurchy. The family was descended from Sir William de Moravia, who in 1282 acquired the lands of Tullibardine, Perthshire, by marriage with Adda, daughter of Malise of Strathern. This Sir William represented a younger branch of the Murrays, having as their common ancestor a Flemish settler of the name of Freskin, who in 1130 obtained a large grant of land in the district of Moray. Of the elder branch were the Morays, lords of Bothwell, and the Morays of Abercairney. Among the more notable of the lairds of Tullibardine was Sir Andrew, son of the first Sir William, who in August 1332 by guiding the English to a ford across the Earn, which he had marked with a large stake, was the chief means of the Scottish defeat at Dupplin. For his treachery he was shortly afterwards executed at Perth. The father of the comptroller was a supporter of the lords of the congregation against the queen-regent, and signed the instructions to the commissioners for the treaty at Berwick-on-Tweed in February 1559-60 (Knox, Works, ii. 56). He died in June 1562. The son was a supporter of the Darnley marriage, and was present at St. Andrews when the band of the men of Fife was received (Reg. P. C. Scotl. i. 367). Having shortly afterwards been appointed comptroller he was named a member of the privy council 9 Nov. 1565 (ib. p. 389). He was lodged in the palace of Holyrood at the time of the murder of Rizzio, but that same night was permitted by the conspirators to retire from the palace (Sir James Melville, Memoirs, p. 149). After the queen's marriage to Bothwell he joined the confederate lords, and he was one of the principal leaders of the army that assembled against her at Carberry. When Bothwell refused the challenge then given to him by Tullibardine's brother, James Murray of Parclovis [q. v.], Tullibardine himself took up the challenge, asserting that his house was more ancient than Bothwell's (Knox, ii. 561). During the queen's journey to Edinburgh after her surrender the followers of Tullibardine were among the most prominent in raising cries of execration against her (Drury to Cecil, 20 June, Cal. State Papers, For. Ser. 1566-8, entry 1324). Tullibardine is mentioned by Morton as present at the ' sichting ' of the Casket letters on 21 June (Henderson, Casket Letters, p. 115). He attended the coronation of the young king at Stirling on 29 July (Reg. P. C. Scotl. i. 537-8). On 9 Aug. in a conference with Throckmorton, he revealed to him a proposal of the Hamiltons for the execution of the queen, on account of her connection with the murder, as the best method of reconciling all parties (Cal. State Papers, Scott. Ser. i. 255, and more at length in Tytler's History of Scotland, ed. 1864, iii. 270). Shortly afterwards Tullibardine and Sir William Kirkcaldy of Grange [q. v.] were sent in command of three armed ships to the northern isles in pursuit of Bothwell (Reg. P. C. Scotl. i. 544-6), but did not succeed in capturing him.
Notwithstanding his strong hostility to Bothwell, Tullibardine was always inclined to treat the queen with gentleness, and her continued confinement in Lochleven after the flight of Bothwell was distasteful to him. He signed the band for her deliverance, and with George Douglas and nine horsemen waited in Kinross to be ready to receive her on landing when she made her escape (Calderwood, History, ii. 404). After her flight to England he is said to have 'enterprised,' with the consent of the Hamiltons, a scheme for the assassination of the regent Murray (Drury to Cecil, 31 July, Cal. State Papers, For. Ser. 1566-8, entry 1387). If he did propose such a scheme, nothing was done to punish him ; and his name appears as one of the privy council at a meeting on 5 April 1569 (Reg. P. C. Scotl. i. 653). He attended the convention at Perth on 27 July 1569, and voted for the queen's divorce from Bothwell (ib. ii. 8). In July 1572 he was employed by the regent's party in negotiations with Kirkcaldy of Grange for a surrender
