Charles A. Murray, also known as the 7th Earl of Dunmore, (1841-1907) was born and died in London, England. He was a Scottish peer, Conservative politician, explorer, and author. He was educated at Eton College in Eton, England, and married Lady Gertrude Murray (b. Coke) in 1866. Murray was appointed Lord-in-waiting to Queen Victoria in 1874 and served as such until 1880. From 1875-1885, he was Lord Lieutenant of Stirlingshire in Scotland. In 1882, he was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the 1st Inverness-shire Rifle Volunteers, a Scottish auxiliary unit of the British Army later known as the 1st Volunteer Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders. Dunmore was the author of
The Pamirs; Being a Narrative of a Year's Expedition on Horseback and on Foot through Kashmir, Western Tibet, Chinese Tartary and Russian Central Asia (1893) and
The Revelation of Christianus and Other Christian Science Poems (1901). While living in India in 1894, his wife studied
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures and experienced a healing. Murray experienced the same, and when the family later returned to London they introduced Christian Science to their friends and supported the growing movement in the city. They made many trips to Boston, Massachusetts, over the years and met with Mary Baker Eddy. Of their six children, three were actively interested in Christian Science: Lady Victoria A. Murray, Lady Mildred Murray, and Alexander E. Murray, who would later become the 8th Earl of Dunmore. In 1901, at the invitation of Eddy, Lord and Lady Dunmore and their two daughters took the Normal class taught by Edward A. Kimball in the Board of Education of The First Church of Christ, Scientist. They all joined The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 4, 1898 and, along with Alexander E. Murray, were also made honorary members in September 1903. In February 1904, the Murrays, along with their daughters, helped establish the General Association of Teachers, London, England, with Lord Dunmore serving as Secretary. He was listed in the directory of
The Christian Science Journal as a Christian Science practitioner in London from 1901-1904. At the time of his death, newspapers described Murray as "the most prominent Christian Scientist in England."
See more letters.