Murray, William (London)
| Dates | 1719-93 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | London | ||
| Vocation | Judge and politician | ||
| Place of Birth | Scone Abbey, near Perth | ||
| Marriage | Lady Elizabeth Finch | ||
| Issue | |||
| Place of birth | Source | Oxford Dictionary of National Biography; J.B. Paul, The Scots Peerage: A History of the Noble Families of Scotland, 9 vols (Edinburgh, 1904-1914), viii, 205-6 |
First Earl of Mansfield Went to London at age 14 (1719) and entered Westminster School where he was elected a king’s scholar. Continued education at Christ Church, Oxford. Entered Lincoln’s Inn (1724) being called to the bar in 1730. Earliest business seems to have come from Scottish sources. Became bencher of Lincoln's Inn (1743). Entered into House of Commons. Murray continued to rise through the legal ranks becoming the solicitor-general and attorney general. Appointed privy councillor (1756). Created earl in recognition of services to George III (1776). Lived in Lincoln’s Inn Fields & Bloomsbury Square. By 1780s Murray had acquired reputation as one of England’s greatest judges. Retired to Kenwood House, died 1793 and buried in north cross, Westminster Abbey.
