Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Murray, John (1808-1892)
MURRAY, JOHN (1808–1892), publisher, eldest son of John Murray (1778–1843) [q. v.], by Anne, daughter of Charles Elliot, publisher, of Edinburgh, was born on 16 April 1808, the year before the foundation of the 'Quarterly Review.' When he was barely four years old his father moved to the present home of the firm at 50 Albemarle Street, a house which became famous as a meeting-place of eminent men of letters. He was educated at Charterhouse and at Edinburgh University, whence he graduated in 1827. In January of that year the young Murray breakfasted with Sir Walter Scott, who observes in his journal under that date : 'English boys have this advantage that they are well bred and can converse, when ours are regular-built cubs.' He completed his education by a long course of foreign travel, his father giving him carte blanche as to ways, means, and plans. 'It was in 1829,' Murray himself writes (in 'Murray's Magazine,' November 1889), 'that I first set foot on the continent at Rotterdam. ... I set forth unprovided with any guide excepting a few manuscript notes about towns and inns furnished me by my good friend Dr. Somerville.' His difficulties impressed on his mind the value of practical information gathered upon the spot, and he set to work to collect for himself all the facts, information, statistics, &c., which an English tourist would be likely to require. The result was the first of the world-familiar red ' handbooks ' (so christened by Murray's father, though the idea of their origin was entirely his own). Murray continued his travels over three years, visited Weimar, and delivered the dedication of Byron's 'Marino Faliero ' to Goethe in person, was admitted to an interview with Metternich at Vienna, and in 1836 saw through the press the first of the handbooks, his own ' Holland, Belgium, and the Rhine.' This was followed by 'France,' ' South Germany,' and 'Switzerland,' all of which were written by himself. Subsequently he enlisted the services of such specialists as Richard Ford (Spain), Sir Gardner Wilkinson (Egypt), and Sir Francis Palgrave (North Italy).
From 1830 to 1843 Murray ably seconded his father in the general conduct of the business of the firm. Henceforth the chief events of his life are closely connected with the books which he published for a succession of great writers. One of the last works issued by his father was Borrow's 'Bible in Spain' (1843) ; he maintained his father's cordial friendship with the author, and produced Borrow's later works, including 'Lavengro' (1851) and 'Wild Wales' (1862). He also inherited a close connection with Croker, Lyell, Lockhart, Hallam, Sir Francis Head, and Lord Stanhope. Among the earliest of his own publishing exploits were 'Nineveh and its Remains' (1848), giving the first news to the public of Layard's great discoveries in Syria; Lord Campbell's 'Lives of the Chancellors' (1845-48), and 'Lives of the Chief Justices' (1849) ; Grote's 'History of Greece' (1846-55) ; Murray's British Classics, including annotated library editions of Byron, Gibbon, Goldsmith, and other writers ; and the series of valuable dictionaries connected with the name of Dr. (afterwards Sir William) Smith, a constant friend and adviser of the firm, who became editor of the 'Quarterly' in 1867. The numerous volumes of Milrnan's 'Latin Christianity' appeared rapidly between 1854 and 1856; Livingstone's ' Travels' in 1857 ; Darwin's 'Origin of Species' in 1859. Murray's later publications include Maine's 'Ancient Law,' Elwin's edition of Pope, Schliemann's ' Archæological Researches,' the architectural volumes of Fergusson and Street, Kugler's ' History of Painting,' and the various works of Dean Stanley, John Lothrop Motley, and Dr. Smiles ; while quite a recent speculation was the monumental ' Dictionary of Hymnology' by Dr. Julian. Another great enterprise was 'The Speaker's Commentary' (1871-81), so called as having been originally set on foot by John Evelyn Denison, viscount Ossington [q. v.], speaker of the House of Commons. In 1887 he started ' Murray's Magazine,' in fulfilment of a project formed by his father as long ago as 1816 ; but the magazine ceased in 1891. On the other hand the ' Quarterly,' in spite of change and competition, fully sustained under Murray's auspices its reputation as an organ of the highest criticism. But perhaps the greatest glory of the firm under the third Murray's direction consists in the admirable series of illustrated books of travels, associated with the names of Miss Bird (Mrs. Bishop), Dr. Lumholtz, Du Chaillu, Bates, and Yule, whose edition of ' Marco Polo ' was largely due to Murray's enlightened enterprise. One of the last books the production of which he superintended was Mr. Whymper's work on ' The High Andes ; ' this appeared almost simultaneously with Murray's death,which took place at 50 Albemarle Street on 2 April 1892. After a preliminary service in St. James's, Piccadilly, he was buried on 6 April in the parish church at Wimbledon, where he had resided for nearly fifty years. He had married in 1847 Marion, youngest daughter of Alexander Smith, banker, of Edinburgh, and sister of David Smith, a well-known writer to the signet, and left two sons, John and Hallam, who now conduct the business, and two daughters.
Murray was a survivor of the patriarchal age of English publishing, when the publisher endeavoured to associate with the functions of the capitalist the eighteenth-century traditions of literary patronage. He was well served by a retentive memory. He had spoken with Moore and Campbell, Rogers and Hazlitt, Crabbe and Southey; and remembered conducting the two lame poets Scott and Byron as they went stumping arm in arm down the staircase in Albemarle Street. This was in 1815, and shortly afterwards he was present at an interesting after-dinner conversation between Byron and Sir John Malcolm. As heir-presumptive of the house, he had also been present at the historic burning of Byron's manuscript 'Memoirs' in 1824, after a heated discussion in his father's drawing-room. But his most fortunate reminiscence was of the Theatrical Fund banquet in 1827 at Edinburgh, when Scott formally avowed himself author of the 'Waverley Novels.' He inherited intimacies with the Disraelis and with Mr. Gladstone, and he made for himself a host of friends among men of eminence. He was a magistrate for Surrey, a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and a well-known member of the Athenæum Club.
From the days when he attended Dr. Jamieson's classes at Edinburgh University, Murray was an ardent student of geology, and he published anonymously in 1877 (2nd edit. 1878) a book on the subject entitled 'Scepticism in Geology.'
Two portraits of the publisher, by Sir George Reid and Mr. C. W. Furse, are in the possession of his sons John and Hallam respectively.
[Smiles's A Publisher and his Friends, vol. ii. passim; Academy, 9 April 1892; Athenæum, Saturday Review, Graphic, and Illustrated London News (with portraits) of the same date; Times, Daily Chronicle, and Daily News, 4 April 1892; Blaikie's Life of Livingstone; Scott's Journals, ii. 440; Murray's Magazine, November 1887; private information.]