Charles Murray (actor, 1754–1821)

Charles Murray (1754–1821) was a Scottish actor and dramatist.

Charles Murray, 1797 engraving

Life

The son of Sir John Murray of Broughton, he was born at Cheshunt in Hertfordshire. He spent some time in France, studied pharmacy and surgery in London, and went surgeon's mate on some Mediterranean voyages.^[1]

Stage career

After playing as an amateur in Liverpool Murray went, with an introduction from Younger, the theatre manager there, to Tate Wilkinson of the York circuit. He made his first professional stage appearance at York, under the name of Raymur, and playing Carlos in Love makes a Man, or the Fop's Fortune (Colley Cibber). A quarrel in a tavern in Wakefield in September 1776 lost him his position.^[1]

After further time at sea Murray acted under his own name with Griffiths at Norwich.^[2] On 8 October 1785, as Sir Giles Overreach in A New Way to pay Old Debts, he made his first appearance in Bath.^[3] Here he remained until 1796, playing a great variety of parts.^[4] His wife Mrs. Murray occasionally played with him, and on 1 July 1793, for the benefit of her father and of her mother, who played Queen Elinor, his young daughter Harriet Murray made her first stage appearance as Prince Arthur. She subsequently played Titania, and on Mrs. Murray's final benefit in Bath on 19 May 1796, Fine Lady in David Garrick's Lethe. On this occasion Murray spoke a farewell address.^[1]

At Covent Garden

Murray came to Covent Garden with a good reputation; his first appearance in London took place on 30 September as Shylock, with, it is said, Bagatelle in The Poor Soldier (John O'Keeffe and William Shield). He was found better suited for secondary parts.^[5] For his benefit, on 12 May 1798, he was Polixenes in The Winter's Tale, Harriet Murray making, as Perdita, her first appearance in London. He was on 11 October 1798 the original Baron Wildenhaim in Elizabeth Inchbald's Lovers' Vows.^[6] Murray's last appearance at Covent Garden appears to have been on 17 July 1817 as Brabantio to the Othello of Charles Mayne Young, the Iago of Junius Brutus Booth, and the Desdemona of Elizabeth O'Neill.^[1][7]

Last years

The Theatrical Inquisitor of February 1817 spoke of Murray as a veteran, and made reference to his infirmities. Threatened with paralysis, he went to Edinburgh to be near his children, Mrs. Henry Siddons and William Henry Murray, and died there on 8 November 1821.^[1]

Notes

1.  Lee, Sidney, ed. (1894). "Murray, Charles (1754-1821)". Dictionary of National Biography 39. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
2. He is believed to have produced a poor farce entitled The Experiment, 1779; but John Genest classed it among unacted plays. Murray is also credited in the Dramatic Mirror with the New Maid of the Oaks, said also to have been acted in Norwich, 1778 (in the Biographia Dramatica attributed to Ahab Salem, and said to have been acted near Saratoga).
3. There he played Joseph Surface in The School for Scandal, and was the original Albert in Frederic Reynolds's Werter on 3 December 1785. Here or at Bristol he played in his first season Macbeth, Clifford in The Heiress, Evander in The Grecian Daughter by Arthur Murphy, Shylock, lago, Iachimo, Pierre, Lord Davenant, Mr. Oakly, several French characters, and other parts, appearing for his benefit as Gibbet in The Beaux Stratagem, with his wife as Cherry. Genest related that they did not sell a single ticket.
4. They included King John, Osmyn in The Mourning Bride, Adam in As you like it, Sir Peter Teazle in The School for Scandal, Old Dornton in The Road to Ruin by Thomas Holcroft.
5. He played in his first season Alcanor in Mahomet (James Miller), the King in First Part of King Henry IV, King Henry in King Richard III, the King in Philaster by Beaumont and Fletcher, Heartley in The Guardian (David Garrick), Cassio, Lusignan, Strickland in The Suspicious Husband (Richard Cumberland, Dr. Caius, Manly in The Provoked Husband (John Vanbrugh and Cibber),' and many others.
6. On 10 May 1799 he was, for his benefit, Friar Lawrence to the Juliet of his daughter, Mrs. Murray making, as the Nurse, her first appearance at Covent Garden. From this time Harriet Murray played ingénue parts, and on 13 September 1802 appeared as Mrs. H. Siddons.
7. During this season he had been on 3 May 1817 the original Alvarez in Richard Shiel's The Apostate, and took part in John Philip Kemble's retiring performances, ending 23 June with Coriolanus.

Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Lee, Sidney, ed. (1894). "Murray, Charles (1754-1821)". Dictionary of National Biography 39. London: Smith, Elder & Co.