David Murray, 2nd Earl of Mansfield

The Right Honourable The Earl of Mansfield KT, PC
Lord President of the Council
In office 17 December 1794 – 21 September 1796
Monarch	George III
Prime Minister	William Pitt
Preceded by	The Earl FitzWilliam
Succeeded by	The Earl of Chatham
In office 2 April 1783 – 19 December 1783
Monarch	George III
Prime Minister	The Duke of Portland
Preceded by	The Lord Camden
Succeeded by	The Earl Gower
Secretary of State for the Northern Department
In office 27 October 1779 – 27 March 1782
Monarch	George III
Prime Minister	Lord North
Preceded by	The Viscount Weymouth
Succeeded by	Office Abolished The Earl of Shelburne as Home Secretary Charles James Fox as Foreign Secretary
Personal details
Born	David Murray 9 October 1727
Died	1 September 1796(1796-09-01) (aged 68)

David Murray, 2nd Earl of Mansfield KT, PC (9 October 1727 – 1 September 1796), known as The Viscount Stormont from 1748 to 1793, was a British politician. He succeeded to both the Mansfield and Stormont lines of the Murray family, inheriting two titles and two fortunes.

Background

Mansfield was the son of David Murray, 6th Viscount of Stormont, and his wife Anne Stewart. Lord Chief Justice William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield was his uncle.

Public life

Mansfield was ambassador to Vienna and then to France in the early years of the American War of Independence, and played a role in sending news of American actions back to England. He had been elected a Scottish Representative Peer in 1754 and served as the last Secretary of State for the Northern Department from 1779 to 1782 and as Lord President of the Council in 1783 and again from 1794 to 1796 and was also Lord Justice General between 1778 and 1795. He was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1763 and made a Knight of the Thistle in 1768.

Family

Lord Mansfield married firstly Henrietta Frederica, daughter of Henry Graf Bunau, in 1759, whilst he was British ambassador to Saxony. They had one child, Lady Elizabeth Murray. After Henrietta's death in 1766 he married secondly the Honourable Louisa Cathcart, daughter of Charles Cathcart, 9th Lord Cathcart, in 1776. Louisa was his junior by over thirty years, and they had five children - Caroline, David, George, Charles, and Henry. In 1793 he succeeded his uncle Lord Mansfield as second Earl of Mansfield of the 1792 creation while his wife succeeded as second Countess of Mansfield of the 1776 creation according to special remainders in the letters patent. Lord Mansfield died in September 1796, aged 68, and was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son David. His second son the Honourable George Murray became a Lieutenant-General in the Army while his fourth son the Honourable Sir Henry Murray rose to the rank of General. The Countess of Mansfield survived her husband by 47 years, marrying the Honourable Robert Fulke Greville in 1797, and died in July 1843, aged 85.

References

• Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990,
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages
• Lundy, Darryl. "FAQ". The Peerage. 

External links

• Lundy, Darryl. "p. 2854 § 28539". The Peerage. 

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Charles Hanbury Williams	British Minister to Saxony 1755–1764	Succeeded by Philip Stanhope
Preceded by The Earl Harcourt	British Ambassador to France 1772–1778	Vacant American Revolutionary War Title next held by Thomas Grenville in 1782
Legal offices
Preceded by The Duke of Queensberry	Lord Justice General 1778–1795	Succeeded by The Duke of Montrose
Political offices
Preceded by The Viscount Weymouth	Secretary of State for the Northern Department 1779–1782	Office abolished
Preceded by The Lord Camden	Lord President of the Council 1783	Succeeded by The Earl Gower
Preceded by The Earl Fitzwilliam	Lord President of the Council 1794–1796	Succeeded by The Earl of Chatham
Peerage of Great Britain
Preceded by William Murray	Earl of Mansfield 2nd creation 1793–1796	Succeeded by David William Murray
Peerage of Scotland
Preceded by David Murray	Viscount Stormont 1748–1796	Succeeded by David William Murray