have been comptroller of the household to James VI (Dalyel, Fragment of Scottish Hist. p. 50) Very learned and accomplished he became gentleman of the bedchamber to Prince Henry with whom he was a favourite and after 1610 was successively groom of the stole and gentleman of the robes (Birch, Life of Henry, Prince of Wales, 1760 p 218) A free gift of 2,000l was bestowed upon him in 1613 and in 1615 he received 5,200l to promote discharge of his (Nichols, Progresses of King James, ii. 374). From Charles I he obtained a charter under the great seal bestowing upon him the estate of Gorthy Perthshire He without an heir in 1629. A portrait by unknown hand is in the National Gallery Edinburgh it has an inscription '1603 Æ. 36, Sir David Murray.' A engraving is given in David Laing's 'Specimen of a proposed Catalogue of a portion the Library at Britwell House,' Edinburgh 1852 and also in Laing's 'Adversaria' (Bannatyne Club). Another portrait is at Abercairny, Perthshire.
In 1611 Murray published in London an octavo volume containing (1) 'The Tragicall Death of Sophonisba,' a long poem in seven line stanzas to which are prefixed two addressed to Prince Henry and (2) 'Cœlia,' in which are included twenty six respectable sonnets a pastoral ballad, 'The Complaint of the Shepheard Harpalus,' and an 'Epitaph on the Death of his Deare Cousin M. Dauid Moray.' The 'Complaint' was published separately in single sheet folio [1620?]. In 'Sophonisba' Murray displays numerous irregularities while occasionally bursting genuine verse Of three introductory to the piece one is by Drayton who his friend's 'strong muse.' Other complimentary verses in the volume are by Simon Grahame [q.v.], and by John Murray (1575-1632) [q.v.] His 'Psalm CIV' was printed in 4to by Andro Hart, Edinburgh, 1615, of this the only extant copy is believed be in the Drummond Collection in the Edinburgh University Library. Murray's Poems were reprinted by the Bannatyne Club in 1823.
[Irving's History of Scotish Poetry; A. Campbell's Hist. of Poetry in Scotland, p. 130; Brydges's Censura, x. 373–6; Poems by Sir D. Murray Gortby, No. 2 of Bannatyne Club Series; Douglas's Baronetage of Scotland.]
MURRAY, Sir DAVID, of Gospertie, Lord Scone, and afterwards Viscount Stormont (d. 1631), comptroller of Scotland and captain of the king's guard, was the second son of Sir Andrew Murray of Arngask and Balvaird, brother of Sir William Murray of Tullibardine [q. v.], by his second wife, Janet Graham, fourth daughter of William, second earl of Montrose. He was brought up at the court of James VI, who made him his cupbearer and master of the horse. On 12 Dec. 1588 he presented a complaint against the inhabitants of Auchtermuchty, Fifeshire, who, when he went to take possession of the lands of Auchtermuchty, of which he had obtained a heritable infeftment, attacked him and the gentlemen of his company, wounding him in various parts of the body, and cutting off one of the fingers of his right hand (Reg. P. C. Scotl. iv. 336). He is mentioned by Calderwood as one of the 'cubicular courtiers' who, 'finding themselves prejudged by the Octavians,' endeavoured to 'kindle a fire betwixt them and the kirk' (Hist. v. 510). After he had been knighted by James VI—at what date is uncertain—he was, on 26 April 1599, admitted on the privy council as comptroller of the royal revenues, in room of George Hume, laird of Wedderburn (Reg. P. C. Scotl. v. 552). He was also made steward of the stewartry of Fife, and on 6 Dec. 1599, while holding a court at Falkland, was attacked by the neighbouring lairds and their servants to the number of thirty (ib. vi. 62; cf. Scot of Scotstarvet, Staggering State, ed. 1872, p. 114).
Murray was at Perth at the time of the Gowrie conspiracy, 5 Aug. 1600, and was subsequently credited with having been privy to the concoction of an artificial semblance of a plot with a view to the overthrow of the Earl of Gowrie. He took a prominent part in allaying the excitement of the inhabitants of Perth when they knew that their provost, the Earl of Gowrie, was slain, and with others succeeded in bringing the king in safety to Falkland. Murray succeeded Gowrie as provost of Perth, and also obtained a grant of the barony of Ruthven, and of the lands belonging to the abbacy of Scone, of which Gowrie was commendator. In May 1601 he was appointed by the assembly of the kirk one of a commission to treat as to the best means of advancing the 'work of the constant platt,' or proposed plan for a permanent method of adequately supporting the kirk and clergy in all the districts of Scotland (Calderwood, vi. 119). On 31 July he was named a componitor to the treasurer 'of all signatures and other casualties concerning the treasury' (Reg. P. C. Scotl. vi. 276), and on 17 Nov. he was named one of a commission to perfect an agreement between the bailies of Edinburgh and the strangers imported for making cloth
