John Murray was born on 10 April 1745, the eldest son of the Major Evan Murray, an officer in the 88th Foot, by his wife Janet, daughter of John Macdonald of Balgony. Murray was part of Clan Gregor, but had been forced to assume the surname Murray as a result of the persecution of the clan and the outlawing of the name, which began in the 17th century. Murray's father Evan and Evan's elder brothers Robert and Duncan fought against the government in the Jacobite rising of 1745; their father John Og or Oig was regarded as the chief representative of the family. Being the eldest son, Robert succeeded him but died in 1758, leaving Duncan as his heir. On Duncan's death in 1787, John Murray became the family's representative and chief of the clan. Murray was created a baronet on 3 July 1795; in 1822, he adopted the surname Macgregor before that of Murray.
Military service
Murray became a cadet in the East India Company's army in 1770 and in 1771 he was commissioned as an Ensign in the 2nd Bengal European Regiment and appointed Deputy Judge Advocate to the 2nd Brigade. In 1774, he was appointed military secretary and aide-de-camp to the commander-in-chief in India, served under Champion in the First Rohilla War and was present at St George's Battle. In 1776, he was promoted to Lieutenant and was appointed military secretary to the Board of Ordnance in Calcutta, serving until 1780. The following year he was promoted to Captain; after a furlough between 1786 and 1788, he was Military Auditor General between 1789 and 1796. In the meantime, he was promoted to Major in 1794. In 1796 he was appointed Major of the 3rd Bengal European Regiment in 1796 and then Lieutenant-Colonel of the 15th Native Infantry in 1798. He retired in 1799.
Family and later life
In 1774, Murray married Anne, daughter of Roderick Macleod, WS, of Edinburgh. Murray died on 29 June 1822, of "inflammation of the bowels" at Portobello. Blackwood's Magazine noted "how zealously his latter days have been devoted to promoting the best interests and maintaining the ancient character of his native country, for enthusiastic patriotism and unaffected loyalty". His only son Evan John succeeded him in the baronetcy and also enjoyed a successful military career.
