Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Murray, Andrew (1597-1644)
MURRAY, Sir ANDREW, Lord Balvaird (1597?–1644), minister of Abdie, Fifeshire, was the second son of David Murray of Balgonie, Fifeshire, by Agnes, daughter of Moncrieff of Moncrieff. He was educated at the university of St. Andrews, where he graduated M.A. in 1618. In 1622 he was presented by his grandfather, Sir David Murray, first viscount Stormont [q. v.], to the church of Abdie, to which he was admitted on 1 Oct. On the death of his grandfather in 1631 he succeeded to the baronies of Arngask and Kippo in Fifeshire. During the visit of Charles I to Scotland for his coronation in 1633 he was, on 15 June, dubbed a knight at Seton 'after dinner' (Sir James Balfour, Annals, iv. 367). He was the second of those who, in February 1638, signed the covenant in Greyfriars Church, Edinburgh (Gordon, Scots Affairs, i. 43) ; but, although his name was also inserted as supporting the libel against the bishops in the same year, he told Gordon of Rothiemay 'that he never concurred with the libel, and that some others there named knew not of it' (ib. p. 127). At a meeting of the assembly of the kirk in the same year, he, although not a member of it, exerted his influence to modify the attitude of the extremists towards the king's proposals; and his conduct was so favourably reported to the king by the high commissioner, the Marquis of Hamilton, that on 17 Nov. 1641 he was created a peer by the title of Lord Balvaird. He is the only minister of the church of Scotland on whom a knighthood or peerage was ever conferred. As a peer he attended a meeting of the convention of estates; but on 10 Aug. 1643 it was, 'after much reasoning,' decided by the assembly of the kirk 'that my Lord Balvaird should keep his ministry, and give over voicing in parliament, under pain of deposition and further censure' (Robert Baillie, Letters and Journals, ii. 91). On the death of the second Viscount Stormont in March 1642, Lord Balvaird succeeded to the lands, lordship, and barony of Stormont, but not to the title. He died on 24 Sept. 1644, aged about 47. By his wife Lady Elizabeth Carnegie, daughter of David, first earl of Southesk, he had five sons and three daughters. The sons were David, second lord Balvaird, who on the death of James, earl of Annandale, in 1658, succeeded to the titles of Viscount Stormont and Lord Scone; Sir Andrew Murray of Pitlochrie; the Hon. James Murray, M.D., a physician of some eminence; Sir John Murray of Drumcairne, who was appointed a lord of session in October 1681, and a lord of justiciary in July 1687, but at the revolution was deprived of all his offices; and the Hon. William Murray, an advocate at the Scottish bar. The daughters were: Catherine; Marjory, married to Sir Alexander Gibson of Durie, a lord of session; and Barbara, married to Patrick, lord Gray.
[Sir James Balfour's Annals; Gordon's Scots Affairs (Spalding Club); Robert Baillie's Letters and Journals (Bannatyne Club); Hew Scott's Fasti Eccles. Scot. ii. 467; Douglas's Scottish Peerage (Wood), ii. 542.]