William Murray, Lord Mansfield

Statesman, Lawyer, Abolitionist, Politician and Diplomat

William Murray, Earl of Mansfield was buried in the north transept of Westminster Abbey on 28th March 1793.

His life

He was born on 2nd March 1705 at Scone Abbey (later Palace) in Perth, Scotland. He was a son of David Murray (died 1731) and his wife Margery (Scott) and was educated in Perth before moving to London to attend Westminster School. He served as Member of Parliament for Boroughbridge. Holding various high ranking judicial posts he was made Lord Chief Justice of England from 1756-88. He played a key role in ending slavery in England with his judgment in the case of James Somerset. In 1776 he was created Earl of Mansfield.

On 20th September 1738 he married Lady Elizabeth Finch but they had no children. However they did care for Dido Belle, illegitimate daughter of Rear Admiral Lindsay, nephew of William, at their residence at Kenwood. Elizabeth was buried in a new brick vault in the north transept on 20th April 1784, aged 80 (this is at the base of the column opposite to Sir Peter Warren's monument). The Mansfield graves are not marked.

His monument

His large white marble monument was executed in 1801 by the sculptor John Flaxman and his figure is based on the portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds. As the inscription mentions, Mansfield did not particularly want any memorial but a Mr Bailey left money for one. It depicts William seated in a chair on a pedestal wearing judicial robes and holding a parchment scroll, flanked by figures of Wisdom, unfolding the book of Law, and Justice, holding a Roman balance or scale (now mostly broken off). At the front is an emblematical trophy of a shield, surmounted by a coronet, with the sword of mercy, a mantle, and a bundle of rods (fasces, from Roman history) as emblems of authority. At the back of the monument is a reclining youth leaning on an extinguished torch, representing Death, and Murray's Latin motto Uni Aequus Virtuti (friendly in virtue alone) on the rear of his chair.

It was moved to its present position in the west aisle in 1933. Prior to that it was near the family grave and had faced into the north transept, next to the Three Captains memorial.

The inscription reads:

"Here Murray long enough his country’s pride is now no more than Tully or than Hyde". Foretold by Ar. Pope and fulfilled in the year 1793 when William Earl of Mansfield died full of years and of honours: of honours he declined many: those which he accepted were the following: he was appointed Solicitor General 1742, Attorney General 1754, Lord Chief Justice and Baron Mansfield 1756, Earl of Mansfield 1776. From the love which he bore to the place of his early education, he desired to be buried in this cathedral (privately) and would have forbidden that instance of human vanity, the erecting a monument to his memory, but a sum which with the interest has amounted to two thousand five hundred pounds was left for that purpose by A.Bailey Esqr. of Lyon’s Inn, which at least well meant mark of esteem he had no previous knowledge or suspicion of and had no power to prevent being executed. He was the fourth son of David, fifth Viscount Stormont, and married the Lady Elizabeth Finch, daughter to Daniel, Earl of Nottingham by whom he had no issue. Born at Scone 2nd March 1704. Died at Kenwood 20th March 1793.

The inscription gives 'old style' dating for his birth, now called 1705, and the quote at the beginning is from the pen of poet Alexander Pope.

His nephew David Murray, 2nd Earl of Mansfield and Viscount Stormont was buried with him on 9th September 1796, aged 70 (although he directed that his embalmed heart be buried with his first wife at Scone church). He was the eldest son of David, 6th Viscount Stormont and his wife Anne (Stewart) and succeeded his father as 7th Viscount Stormont and his uncle as 2nd Earl of Mansfield. He was also educated at Westminster School and was ambassador to Vienna and to Paris, and also President of His Majesty's Privy Council and Knight of the Thistle. He also held the post of Lord Justice General of Scotland from 1778-95. His first wife was Henrietta, daughter of Count von Bunau, and his second Louisa Cathcart, daughter of the 9th Baron Cathcart. His children were David (who succeeded as 3rd Earl of Mansfield and married Frederica Markham), George (a soldier who died unmarried), Charles (who became a soldier and married Elizabeth Law), Henry (a soldier who fought at Waterloo and married Emily de Visme), and Elizabeth. All his sons attended Westminster School.