George Murray, 6th Duke of Atholl
Encyclopedia
George Augustus Frederick John Murray, 6th Duke of Atholl KT
, DL
(20 September 1814 – 16 January 1864) was a Scottish peer and freemason.
Born at Great Cumberland Place, London
, he was the son of James Murray, 1st Baron Glenlyon
, second son of John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl
, and his wife Lady Emily Frances Percy, second daughter of Hugh Percy, 2nd Duke of Northumberland
. He succeeded his father as baron in 1837 and his uncle John Murray
as duke in 1846. Murray served in the British Army and was lieutenant of the 2nd Dragoon Guards, retiring in 1840.
Murray became a Deputy Lieutenant
of Perthshire
in 1846 and was invested a Knight of the Thistle in 1853. As Lord Glenlyon, he formed the Atholl Highlanders
in 1839 as his personal bodyguard. In 1844, when Queen Victoria stayed at Blair Castle
, the Atholl Highlanders provided the guard for the Queen. So impressed was she with their turnout that she ordered they be presented with colours
, giving them official status as a British regiment.
On 29 October 1839, he married Anne Home-Drummond, daughter of Henry Home-Drummond. Murray died in 1864, aged 49, from cancer
of the neck
and was succeeded in his titles by his only child John
.
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
, DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(20 September 1814 – 16 January 1864) was a Scottish peer and freemason.
Born at Great Cumberland Place, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, he was the son of James Murray, 1st Baron Glenlyon
James Murray, 1st Baron Glenlyon
Lieutenant-General James Murray, 1st Baron Glenlyon FRS KCH was a British Army officer, member of parliament and peer. Before being granted the title of Baron Glenlyon in 1821, he was known from birth as Lord James Murray.-Life:Murray was born in 1782 at Dunkeld, Perthshire, the son of John...
, second son of John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl
John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl
John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl KT, PC, FRS , styled Marquess of Tullibardine 1764 and 1774, was a Scottish peer.-Background:...
, and his wife Lady Emily Frances Percy, second daughter of Hugh Percy, 2nd Duke of Northumberland
Hugh Percy, 2nd Duke of Northumberland
Lieutenant-General Hugh Percy, 2nd Duke of Northumberland, FRS was an officer in the British army and later a British peer...
. He succeeded his father as baron in 1837 and his uncle John Murray
John Murray, 5th Duke of Atholl
John Murray, 5th Duke of Atholl was a Duke in the Peerage of Scotland, a British Army officer and a major landowner in Scotland. Declared insane at the age of twenty, he never sat in the House of Lords....
as duke in 1846. Murray served in the British Army and was lieutenant of the 2nd Dragoon Guards, retiring in 1840.
Murray became a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Perthshire
Perthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
in 1846 and was invested a Knight of the Thistle in 1853. As Lord Glenlyon, he formed the Atholl Highlanders
Atholl Highlanders
The Atholl Highlanders is a Scottish infantry regiment. Based in Blair Atholl, the regiment is not part of the British Army. Instead, the regiment is in the private employ of the Duke of Atholl, making it the United Kingdom's, and indeed Europe's, only legal private army.-77th Foot:The name Atholl...
in 1839 as his personal bodyguard. In 1844, when Queen Victoria stayed at Blair Castle
Blair Castle
Blair Castle stands in its grounds near the village of Blair Atholl in Perthshire in Scotland. It is the home of the Clan Murray family, who hold the title of Duke of Atholl, though the current Duke, John Murray, lives in South Africa....
, the Atholl Highlanders provided the guard for the Queen. So impressed was she with their turnout that she ordered they be presented with colours
Colours, standards and guidons
In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours, standards or Guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some 5,000 years ago...
, giving them official status as a British regiment.
On 29 October 1839, he married Anne Home-Drummond, daughter of Henry Home-Drummond. Murray died in 1864, aged 49, from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
of the neck
Neck
The neck is the part of the body, on many terrestrial or secondarily aquatic vertebrates, that distinguishes the head from the torso or trunk. The adjective signifying "of the neck" is cervical .-Boner anatomy: The cervical spine:The cervical portion of the human spine comprises seven boney...
and was succeeded in his titles by his only child John
John Stewart-Murray, 7th Duke of Atholl
John James Hugh Henry Stewart-Murray, 7th Duke of Atholl KT , styled Marquess of Tullibardine between 1846 and 1864, was a a Scottish peer.-Background and education:...
.