John Murray (fl. 1768–1793)

MURRAY (JOHN), bookseller and publisher in London, The Ship, 32 Fleet Street, opposite St. Dunstan's Church, 1768–93. The founder of the great publishing house of Murray was John MacMurray, a lieutenant of Marines, who retired from the service on half-pay and invested his savings in buying a bookselling business. This was William Sandby's shop at the above address. John Murray was born in Edinburgh in 1745. Amongst his early triends was William Falconer, the poet, whom Murray invited to join him in his new trade, but nothing came of it. On commencing business, he dropped the prefix "Mac". His earliest issues as a publisher were new editions of Walpole's Castle of Otranto, and Lyttelton's Dialogues of the Dead, and the Rev. Dr. Cartwright's legendary tale of Armine and Elvira. For some years his success as a publisher was very moderate. But about the year I775 he came into a small fortune on the death of an uncle, and from that time forward proved successful. The bulk of his work lies outside the limit of this Dictionary. He died in 1793 and was succeeded by his son John II.