Charles Murray, 7th Earl of Dunmore

Charles Adolphus Murray, 7th Earl of Dunmore VD DL (24 March 1841 – 27 August 1907), styled Viscount Fincastle from birth until 1845, was a Scottish peer, Conservative politician, explorer, author, and artist.

The Earl of Dunmore
Lord Dunmore, c. 1903
Lord Lieutenant of Stirlingshire
In office
1875–1885
Preceded byThe Duke of Montrose
Succeeded byThe Duke of Montrose
Personal details
Born
Charles Adolphus Murray

(1841-03-24)24 March 1841
London, England
Died27 August 1907(1907-08-27) (aged 66)
Political partyConservative
Spouse
Lady Gertrude Coke
(m. 1866, died)
Children6
Parent(s)Alexander Murray, 6th Earl of Dunmore
Lady Catherine Herbert
EducationEton College

Early life

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He was born in London on 24 March 1841.[1] He was the only son of Alexander Murray, 6th Earl of Dunmore and his wife, Lady Catherine Herbert.[2] His three sisters were Lady Susan Murray (wife of the 9th Earl of Southesk),[3] Lady Constance Murray (wife of the 15th Lord Elphinstone),[4] and Lady Victoria Murray (wife of Rev. Henry Cunliffe).[3]

His paternal grandparents were George Murray, 5th Earl of Dunmore and Lady Susan Hamilton (a daughter of the 9th Duke of Hamilton). His maternal grandparents were Gen. George Herbert, 11th Earl of Pembroke, and the Russian noblewoman Countess Catherine Woronzoff (or Vorontsova), daughter of the Russian ambassador to St James's, Semyon Romanovich Vorontsov.[5]

On 16 July 1845, four year old Charles succeeded his father as Earl of Dunmore. He received his education at Eton College.[1]

Career

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Lord Dunmore c. 1893, in the Pamir Mountains
 
"Charlie". Caricature by Spy published in Vanity Fair in 1878.

He traveled to North America to observe the American Civil War with a number of other British officers. He then traveled at least as far as southern Manitoba and painted a number of watercolors across the United States and Canada.[6]

In 1874, he was appointed a Lord-in-waiting in Disraeli's government, a post he held until 1880.[3]

In 1875, he was made Lord Lieutenant of Stirlingshire, which he remained until 1885. He also served as Deputy Lieutenant of Inverness-shire. In 1882 he was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the 1st Inverness-shire Rifle Volunteers (later the 1st Volunteer Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders). He retired in 1896.[3]

In 1883, the Canadian Pacific Railway named Dunmore, Alberta in his honour.[7]

In 1892 to 1893, Lord Dunmore traveled through the eastern Pamirs to Kashgar. He was engaged in some form of diplomacy or espionage but the matter is not clear.[8]

Personal life

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On 5 April 1866, Lord Dunmore married Lady Gertrude Coke, third daughter of Thomas Coke, 2nd Earl of Leicester,[9] and Juliana Whitbread (a daughter of Samuel Charles Whitbread).[1] Together, they had six children:[3]

Lord Dunmore died at his house near Camberley on 27 August 1907,[11] and was succeeded in his titles by his only son, Alexander.[3]

Works

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  • The Pamirs: Being a Narrative of a Year's Expedition on Horseback and on Foot Through Kashmir, Western Tibet, Chinese Tartary, and Russian Central Asia. J. Murray. 1894.
  • The Revelation of Christianus and Other Christian Science Poems. University Press. 1901.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Notes

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References

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Political offices
Preceded by Lord-in-waiting
1874–1880
Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by Lord Lieutenant of Stirlingshire
1875–1885
Succeeded by
Military offices
Vacant
Title last held by
The Duke of Clarence
Colonel of the 1st Volunteer Battalion
of the Cameron Highlanders

1896–1908
Succeeded by
Peerage of Scotland
Preceded by Earl of Dunmore
1845–1907
Succeeded by