Hanoverian general. Born at Huntingtower, the eldest son of John Murray, the 1st Duke of Atholl (1660 - 1724), by his second wife. He was appointed aide-de-camp to King George II in 1743 and a successful military career followed. His half-brother was Lord George Murray (1694 - 1760), the Jacobite commander. Despite this apparent anomaly, it was not unusual for the landed gentry to encourage their sons to support opposite sides at this time, thus ensuring the security of the family and their estates regardless of the outcome. Having said this, Murray served in Europe for the period of the Jacobite Rebellion, despite also being a Member of Parliament for the Whig Party, representing Perthshire from 1734 to 1761. In 1779, he raised a regiment at his own expense and, by the time of his death, Murray was the most senior officer in the British army.
