William Murray (Lord Mansfield) 1705-1793
William Murray (born March 2nd, 1705, Scone, Scotland) was the fourth son
of the 5th Viscount
Stormont. He was a King's scholar at Westminster School, and Christ Church,
Oxford, and was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1730. In 1737 his eloquent speech
to the House of Commons in support of a merchants' petition to stop Spanish assaults on
their ships brought him renown in his profession. In 1742 he became solicitor
general. In 1754 he was appointed attorney general and was leader of the House of
Commons under the Duke of Newcastle. In 1756 he was appointed chief justice of the
King's Bench where he served with the utmost distinction, making many
important contributions to the development of English commercial law. He
retired, due to ill health in 1788. He was made Baron Mansfield, becoming Earl of Mansfield in 1776. Lord Mansfield died
in London, March 20th, 1793.