ROBERT MURRAY, WHISTLE BLOWER, 1677 LAUDERDALE (John Maitland, 1616-1682, Secretary for Scotland 1660-1680, 1st Duke, the 'L' of 'CABAL')

Unsigned Autograph Letter to 'My Dearest brother', the Scottish judge Lord HALTON, [Haltoun, Hatton] (Sir Charles Maitland, c. 1620-1691, from 1682 3rd Earl of Lauderdale), as 'His Majesty's Treasurer Depute in Scotland', with transcription, saying that yesterday he received "the letter which the Lords of Councell" in Scotland "were pleas'd to write to me, with the inclosed for the King [not present] which his Majestie was well pleased with, & hath ordered Robin Murray to be sent prisoner by sea. On saterday you shall know the name of the vessell. The witnesses shall also come. On monday God willing I shall begin my journey And by saterday come sennet [one week] after, being the 14 July I hope to be at Lethington. Next post yew shall heare againe ... Adieu", address panel with his seal bearing the arms of Scotland within the garter, 1 side 4to and address on conjugate leaf, Whitehall, (Thursday) 28th June dusty, else good including seal impression
(Transcription)
Whitehall, 28th June
Yesterday I received the letter wch the Lords of Councell were pleas'd to write to me, with the inclosed for the King [not present] wch his Maj.tie was well pleased with, & hath ordered Robin Murray to be sent prisoner by sea. On saterday you shall know the name of the vessell. The witnesses shall also come. On monday God willing I shall begin my journey And by saterday come sennet after, being the 14 July I hope to be at Lethington. Next post yew shall heare againe. So with my service to all friends My dearest brother Adieu.

Robin Murray is, no doubt, the Robert Murray, imprisoned in England twice in 1677, 'first for "defamation of his majesty and his government" and then more vaguely "in order to his being sent into Scotland to be tried there according to law for several crimes". On both occasions King's Bench bailed him rather than allow his deportation'. (Paul D. Halliday, Habeas Corpus: from England to Empire, 2010, p. 236). The present letter suggests that Lauderdale, whose oversight of Scotland, through his brother when he was in England, was growing daily more oppressive, had gone directly to Charles II to secure Murray's deportation.
Lauderdale's brother Charles took his title from the estate of Haltoun, 8 miles west of Edinburgh, acquired through his wife, when he was made a lord of session in 1669, although devoid of legal training or experience as a judge.
Murray's case arose out of the French-Dutch War, 1672-1678. Louis XVI wanted to convert the Dutch Republic to Catholicism; his allies, including Great Britain, joined in for reasons of trade.
In 1674 Great Britain made a separate peace with the Dutch, but several regiments, including that in which the future Duke of Marlborough was serving, remained in the French service. On 19th May 1675 a Royal Proclamation ordered all such to return home. It was a dead letter. Recruiting, levying and impressment by Colonels of regiments and Captains of companies, especially in Ireland and Scotland, continued.
In January 1677, one Harriot was part of a load shipped under harsh duress from Edinburgh to Ostend, where he and others were freed by the Spanish governor. Back in London, he was recommended by the Spanish Ambassador's secretary to one John Harrington, in whose chamber he met Murray and told him his story. Harrington took him to see Lord Cavendish and other MPs, and Murray, according to Harriot, passed his story on to the Duke of Hamilton. Murray also warned Harriot to avoid Lauderdale, the Secretary for Scotland. (In 1672, Lauderdale had put Murray, a Scottish laird, in irons; Murray had not been in Scotland since).
In March 1677, Harrington was brought before the King and his Council. The supplying of men to Louis XIV reflected on Lauderdale. The King, whose was always ambiguous towards France, sat stony-faced. When Harrington refused to name the MPs he had consulted, the Council committed him to the Tower for contempt. Murray too was arrested and imprisoned on 14th March.
On Friday 17th March 1677, the Commons resolved that people who continued to supply the French with troops were enemies of the King and Kingdom, and the Earl of Ancram, in veiled language, pointed at Lauderdale for not opposing the supply "as much as in him lay". Harrington's petition for release was before them. Debate turned on whether the King had acted lawfully, by adding to his Commitment a verbal command that Harrington be held in close confinement, interpreted as without pen, ink, paper, or access. On the Saturday the Commons continued and called Harrington, Murray and Harriot to the Bar of the House. See Anchitell Grey's Debates of the House of Commons, ed. 1763, Vol. IV, pp. 255-283, for the lively interchanges between Members, and, for their stories, pp. 275-276 (Harrington), pp. 277-278, (Harriot) and pp. 279-280 (Murray). See also p. 264 for Harrington's behaviour at the Council, and p. 269 for a summary by Secretary of State Sir Joseph Williamson.

Item Date:  1677

Stock No:  56572      £2250

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