Viscounts Stormont (1621)

1^st Viscount Stormont, David Murray, b.?, a.1621, d.1631

A descendant of Sir Andrew Murray, a younger brother of Sir William Murray of Tullibardine (b.?, d.c.1459), ancestor of John Murray, 1^st Earl of Tullibardine. Sir Andrew Murray married Margaret Barclay, daughter of James Barclay of Balvaird. Their son Sir David Murray married Janet Lindsay, daughter of Patrick Lindsay, 4^th Lord Lindsay of the Byres. Their son, also Sir Andrew Murray, married Janet Graham (b.?, d.1547), daughter of William Graham, 2^nd Earl of Montrose. Their second son David Murray was a favourite of King James VI, having been brought up at Court, and was granted the stewardship of Fife, based at Falkland Palace. He was present in Perth during the events of the Gowrie conspiracy and had a significant role in pacifying the locals, after which he welcomed the King to Falkland. He benefited by replacing the Earl of Gowrie as provost of Perth and obtained the lands of the barony of Ruthven and the abbacy of Scone. In 1605 these lands were erected into a temporal lordship and he entered the peerage as 1^st Lord Scone, and in 1608 his domains were enlarged with the addition of the barony of Segie. As Comptroller of Scotland, Captain of the Guards and Commissioner to the General Assembly, he tried impose the King’s wishes at various synods and took a large part in negotiations between the King and the Church at the time. He took the news of the passing of the Five Articles of Perth (the King’s attempt to impose Episcopalian practices within the Church of Scotland) to London in 1621 and for that was created 1^st Viscount Stormont. He had no children but arranged for the succession of his titles to fall to the heirs-male of three distant relatives, each of whose lines were to inherit in turn.

2^nd Viscount Stormont, Mungo Murray, b.1580, a.1631, d.1641

Fourth Son of John Murray, 1^st Earl of Tullibardine, and husband of the previous viscount’s niece Anna Murray (b.?, d.1639), daughter of his older brother Andrew Murray (b.?, d.1573). He also died without children.

3^rd Viscount Stormont, James Murray, b.b.1630, a.1641, d.1658

James Murray was already 2^nd Earl of Annandale. He also died without children. Most of his titles became extinct, but the viscounty passed to the next line as stipulated by the rules of succession.

Lords Balvaird (1641)

1^st Lord Balvaird, Andrew Murray, b.c.1597, a.1641, d.1644

The 1^st Viscount Stormont’s uncle, William Murray, married Barbara Pitcairn (b.?, d.1613). Their son David Murray (b.?, d.1627) married Agnes Moncreiffe, daughter of William Moncreiffe of that Ilk. Their son Andrew Murray was a member of the General Assembly. He was raised to the peerage as 1^st Lord Balvaird.

2^nd Lord Balvaird, David Murray, b.?, a.1644, d.1668

Son of the 1^st Lord and Lady Elizabeth Carnegie, daughter of David Carnegie, 1^st Earl of Southesk. He succeeded as 4^th Viscount Stormont in 1658.

Viscounts Stormont (1621, continued)

4^th Viscount Stormont, David Murray, b.?, a.1658, d.1668

5^th Viscount Stormont, David Murray, b.?, a.1668, d.1731

Son of the 4^th Viscount and Lady Jean Carnegie (b.?, d.1671), daughter of James Carnegie, 2^nd Earl of Southesk.

6^th Viscount Stormont, David Murray, b.1689, a.1731, d.1748

Son of the 5^th Viscount and Marjory Scott (b.?, d.1746). His younger brother William Murray (b.1705, d.1793) became 1^st Earl of Mansfield in the Peerage of Great Britain after an illustrious career in England, where he was instrumental in reforming English Law. Another brother, James Murray (b.c.1690, d.c.1770), was a prominent Jacobite and was part of the exiled court of the Old Pretender.

7^th Viscount Stormont, David Murray, b.1727, a.1748, d.1796

Son of the 6^th Viscount and Anne Stewart (b.?, d.1735). He became a Representative Peer in 1754 and served as Lord President of the Council and Lord Justice General. He was invested as a Privy Counsellor in 1763 and made a Knight of the Thistle in 1768. In 1793 he also succeeded his uncle as 2^nd Earl of Mansfield.

8th Viscount Stormont, David William Murray, b.1777, a.1796, d.1840

Son of the 7^th Viscount and Louisa Cathcart (b.c.1758, d.1843), daughter of Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Schaw Cathcart, 9^th Lord Cathcart. He was Lord-Lieutenant of Clackmannanshire from 1803 to 1840 and was made a Knight of the Thistle in 1835.

9^th Viscount Stormont, William David Murray, b.1806, a.1840, d.1898

Son of the 8^th Viscount and Frederica Markham (b.c.1774, d.1860), daughter of William Markham, Archbishop of York. He succeeded his father as 4^th Earl of Mansfield in Nottingham (created 1792) and his mother as 3^th Earl of Mansfield of Caen Wood in Middlesex (created 1776), two separate earldoms now combined. He was a Tory MP for various wards and was Lord of the Treasury under Robert Peel from 1834 to 1835. He was also Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland on three occasions and Lord-Lieutenant of Clackmannanshire from 1852 to his death. He was invested as a Knight of the Thistle in 1843 and for a time was the senior holder of that order.

10^th Viscount Stormont, William David Murray, b.1860, a.1898, d.1906

Grandson of the 9^th Viscount and Louisa Ellison (b.?, d.1837) and son of William David Murray, Viscount Stormont (b.1835, d.1893) and Emily Louisa MacGregor (b.?, d.1919), daughter of Sir John Athol Bannatyne MacGregor, 3^rd Baronet MacGregor of Lanrick. He died unmarried.

11^th Viscount Stormont, Alan David Murray, b.1864, a.1906, d.1935

Younger brother of the 10^th Viscount.

12^th Viscount Stormont, Mungo David Malcolm Murray, b.1900, a.1935, d.1971

Son of the 11^th Viscount and Margaret Helen Mary MacGregor (b.1867, d.1933), daughter of Rear-Admiral Sir Malcolm MacGregor, 4^th Baronet MacGregor of Lanrick. He was MP for Perth from 1931 until succeeding his father. He was Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from 1961 to 1962 and was Lord-Lieutenant of Perthshire from 1960 to 1971.

13^th Viscount Stormont, WilliamDavid Mungo James Murray, b.1930, a.1971

Son of the 12^th Viscount and Dorothea Helena Carnegie (b.1906, d.1985), a grand-daughter of James Carnegie, 9^th Earl of Southesk. Educated at Eton and Christ Church College Oxford, he served in the Scots Guards in Malaya from 1949 to 1950 before becoming a barrister in 1958. He was a delegate to the European Parliament from 1973 to 1975 before direct election of members and was a Minister of State in the Scottish Office from 1979 to 1983. He is the current 8^th Earl of Mansfield and Mansfield, which is of course his main title, and is also 13^th Lord Scone and 11^th Lord Balvaird.

The courtesy title for the heir is Viscount Stormont.

(Last updated: 10/12/2009)