James Murray of Kilbaberton, (d.1634), was a

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

master

wright Wright is an occupational surname originating in England and Scotland. The term 'Wright' comes from the circa 700 AD Old English word 'wryhta' or 'wyrhta', meaning worker or shaper of wood. Later it became any occupational worker (for example, a ...

and

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

. He served as the King's Master of Works under

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, and Charles I. He was one of the first men in Scotland to be called an architect.

Career

His father James Murray (d.1615) was a gunner and wright in Edinburgh castle and made master wright in 1584. Murray senior was appointed Overseer of the King's Works in Scotland on 4 May 1601 and on the same day, James Murray younger was made principal master wright and gunner, as his father had been. The younger James was appointed Overseer in 1605, when his father resigned the post, and two years later was appointed principal Master of Works in Scotland, succeeding

David Cunningham of Robertland David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

.Colvin, p.567 In April 1603, Murray provided

with "certain billiards and billiard balls." Murray and his wife Martha Murray were given a plot of land close to the back gate of

Holyrood Palace The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly known as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood has s ...

in 1605, which they sold to the royal servants John Buchanan and Margaret Hartsyde in April 1606. On 28 September 1608, Murray chased Finlay Taylor, a

baillie A bailie or baillie is a civic officer in the local government of Scotland. The position arose in the burghs, where bailies formerly held a post similar to that of an alderman or magistrate (see bailiff). Baillies appointed the high constables ...

of the Canongate, with a drawn sword in the Abbey Close near Holyroodhouse. According to William Bowyer, Murray was "surveyor and builder" for the

Earl of Dunbar The title Earl of Dunbar, also called Earl of Lothian or Earl of March, applied to the head of a comital lordship in south-eastern Scotland between the early 12th century and the early 15th century. The first man to use the title of Earl in this ...

's mansion on the site of Berwick Castle. In 1612, Murray was granted land near

Juniper Green Juniper Green is a village on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland, situated about south-west of the city centre. It bridges the city bypass, and extends along the foothills of the Pentlands. It is bordered by Colinton to the east, Baberto ...

, outside

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

. Between 1622 and 1623, he designed and built Baberton House as his home here. The innovative symmetrical u-plan house still stands, although it was extended in the 18th century. Murray's initials, together with those of his wife, Katherine Weir, appear on the house. King James gave orders for repairs to the royal palaces in Scotland in 1616, anticipating his visit in 1617. At Holyrood, Murray was to take down and repair the roof of the lodging above the outer gate called the Chancellor's Lodging, demolish the lodging in the Palace of Holyrood House called the Master Steward's chamber, rebuild Roger Aston's chamber and Chancellor Maitland's kitchen in the Duke's transe, and demolish lean-to buildings to improve the courtyard. At

Stirling Castle Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most historically and architecturally important castles in Scotland. The castle sits atop an Intrusive rock, intrusive Crag and tail, crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill ge ...

, he was to demolish buildings between the inner and outer gate, re-roof the inner gate or fore-work, re-roof the king's kitchen, and rebuild the court kitchen, bakehouse, and pantry. At

Falkland Palace Falkland Palace, in Falkland, Fife, Scotland, is a royal palace of the Scottish kings. It was one of the favourite places of Mary, Queen of Scots, who took refuge there from political and religious turmoil of her times. Today it is under th ...

, he was to re-roof the king's and queen's galleries overlooking the garden from the east quarter, make a bartisan or wall-walk on a new lead roof, and repair the whole palace, making repairs and new doorways and windows as required. The north range or quarter of

Linlithgow Palace The ruins of Linlithgow Palace are located in the town of Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland, west of Edinburgh. The palace was one of the principal residences of the monarchs of Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland in the 15th and 16th ce ...

had collapsed in 1607. In February 1619 Murray received permission to demolish part of the remaining masonry adjacent to the north-west corner. November 1619 there was a dispute amongst his workforce at Linlithgow, the

Privy Council of Scotland The Privy Council of Scotland ( — 1 May 1708) was a body that advised the Scottish monarch. During its existence, the Privy Council of Scotland was essentially considered as the government of the Kingdom of Scotland, and was seen as the most ...

intervened and the mason John Service was imprisoned in the Tolbooth of Edinburgh, and ten other masons were ordered to work for Murray under the conditions he set. Murray was asked by the Privy Council to calculate how much lead would be needed to cover the roof of the new north range at Linlithgow, and he arranged to buy 3,000 stone weight of lead from an Edinburgh merchant. In 1620 he was asked to investigate the scheme of Emanuell Meether who wanted to set up a glass manufactory in Edinburgh, and subsequently joined a commission to judge glass made at Wemyss. The accounts mention that Murray and the gardener William Watts were responsible for "platting and contriving his Majesty's new garden and orchard" at

in 1629. The garden includes a surviving octagonal mount called the King's Knot. Murray drew up plans for Parliament House in Edinburgh in 1633, and the building was constructed to his design over the following years, finally being completed in 1639.Balfour, Alan (2005), ''Creating a Scottish Parliament'', Finlay Brown, Edinburgh, p. 135, As Master of Works, he was also in charge of works at Linlithgow Palace, the reconstruction of

prior to the coronation of Charles I, and additions to the Great Hall at

Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age. There has been a royal castle on the rock since the reign of Malcol ...

. He is said to be the principal designer of Malleny House in Balerno, although the house was not completed until after his death. In 1633, at the coronation of Charles I, Murray was

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

ed. He died in December of the following year.

References

Sources

*Colvin, Howard (1978) ''A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, 1600-1840'' John Murray *McWilliam, Colin (1994) ''The Buildings of Scotland: Lothian'', Penguin * {{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, James Masters of work to the Crown of Scotland 1634 deaths Year of birth unknown 17th-century Scottish architects People of Falkland Palace People of Linlithgow Palace