| Administrative History | Charles Murray was born on 28th September, 1864 near Alford, to Peter Murray, a land-steward, and his wife Margaret. After schooling at Alford Gallowhill school he embarked on a land-surveyor apprenticeship at Walker & Beattie in Aberdeen (between the years 1881-1886). Murray was later briefly employed with the Surveyor's Department of Aberdeen advocates, Davidson and Garden. In late 1888 he emigrated to South Africa, becoming a partner in a Johannesberg firm of engineers, surveyors and architects and an Associate Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers. While he was establishing his professional career Murray had his first poem, 'The Antiquary' (1889) published in the Edinburgh-based 'Scots Observer'. In 1891 Murray temporarily switched career, volunteering to be a driver of an ox-wagon heading for Zimbabwe. By the year's end he was back in Johannesberg working as a surveyor in the gold mines and making his first foray into book-publication, with 'A Handful of Heather' (1893), a privately printed title of twelve copies. Murray later tried to withdraw this collection of poems because of the sensitive nature of some of the material (e.g. 'Mr Robinson', a lampoon of a South African mining magnate). In 1895 he married Edith Emma Rogers, the daughter of a Johannesberg businessman. At the outbreak of the second Boer War (1899), Murray, now a father-of-two, made his first visit to Scotland in eleven years, although he did not stay to oversee the publication of 'Hamewith' (1900). He returned alone to South Africa to enlist but the government of the Transvaal instead appointed him to be Deputy Inspector of Mines, thus beginning his successful civil service career. When he retired, in 1924, Murray had occupied the post of Secretary for Public Works of the Union. He had also distinguished himself as a Captain in the Transvaal Scots Vounteer Regiment (1904-05) and as Director-of-Works in the South African Defense Force. For this service he was awared the Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George. Parallel with his professional career Murray continued to publish several collections, including an enlarged London edition of 'Hamewith' (1909), 'A Sough O' War' (1917), and 'In the Country Places' (1920). Aberdeen University awarded him an hononrary LLD in 1920. He died at Banchory on 12th April, 1941. A year later the Charles Murray Memorial Trust was established.
For more on Charles Murray see 'Hamewith', Charles Murray: Collected Poems, ed. Colin Milton and biographical notes by Alexander Scott (Alden Press, Oxford: 2008) |
| Custodial History | Deposited by Mary Burnett, daughter of the Provost of Banchory James Burnett, September 2008, via Alexander Scott of the Charles Murray Trust. |