William Murray (1790-1858)

William Murray (1790-1858) of the Monkland Iron and Steel Co

1858 Died.

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1858 Obituary.

At the quarterly meeting of Anderson’s University, held on Wednesday, 22d instant, it was moved by Mr. James M‘Lelland, in consequence of the lamented death of Mr. Murray, that Mr. Walter Crum should on this occasion take the chair. After certain preliminary business was gone over, the Chairman read the following notice which he had prepared of their late President

Mr. William Murray was born in Glasgow in September 1790. He was, therefore, in his sixty-ninth year when he died on the 2d of November last. His father, Mr. Francis Murray, who was the son of William Murray of Belridden, in Dumfriesshire, came to this city early in life. That gentleman was first engaged in a West India business, and afterwards, about the middle of the century, commenced the Monkland Steel Works in conjunction with the late Mr. John Buttery. He was also engaged in colliery operations at Banknock, near Denny, and sent his son William, when a very young man, to superintend them. Mr. William Murray, the subject of this notice, was admitted a partner of the Monkland Steel Company in 1824, and soon afterwards, on the retirement of his father, Mr. James Murray joined his brother and Mr. Buttery in carrying on the business. The collieries were at the same time, transferred to Mr. William Murray.

During Mr. Murray’s residence at Banknock he was well known and much esteemed in the neighbourhood. He was a frequent visitor at Cumbernauld House, and took a prominent part in promoting the return of Admiral Fleming for the county of Stirling at the first election under the Reform Act.

Mr. Murray was married in 1824 to Miss M’Leod, an English lady, who had been residing at Underwood House, near Banknock. He had the misfortune to lose his wife in 1837 — his family then consisting of three sons and three daughters, all of whom survive him, except one daughter.

In 1826 the Monkland Company added the manufacture of pig-iron to their other departments; and the business generally having been extended so as to require all Mr. Murray’s attention, he disposed of his collieries in the year 1835 to the father of the present Mr. Wilson of Banknock.

In 1840 the company entered largely into the manufacture of malleable iron. Mr. Murray has thus taken an important part in the extraordinarily rapid development during the last thirty years of the coal and iron trade in Scotland....[more]

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