The Murrays of Scone
Scone Palace (pronounced 'Scoon' by those truly refined north of the border), a palace inexorably linked to Scotland’s royal history, has been in William Murray's family for over 400 years, but has recently grown into one of the most successful businesses in Scotland. William is general Partner of Scone Estates, a diversified rural family business with Scone Palace at its heart. Viscount Stormont's father is the 9th Earl of Mansfield, Alexander David Mungo Murray, who succeeded his father in 2015. He is married to Sophia, daughter of Biden Ashbrooke and Veronica Ashbrooke, née Stourton. Lord Mansfield is also 14th Viscount Stormont and Lord Scone, 12th Lord Balvaird and Hereditary Keeper of Bruce’s Castle of Lochmaben.
There can be few places of interest in Scotland as historically potent as Scone Palace. When you visit the Palace you are walking in the footsteps of Scotland’s ancient founding fathers, both pagan and Christian. It was an important religious gathering place of the Picts, it was the site of an early Christian church and it housed the Stone of Destiny. Robert the Bruce was crowned at Scone in 1306, and the last coronation was of Charles II when he accepted the Scottish crown in 1651. The place of coronation was called Caislean Credi, 'Hill of Credulity', which survives as the present Moot Hill. In the 9th-century, Kenneth MacAlpin established himself as the first true King of Scots. According to legend, he is said to have invited the Pictish King Drostan with all his nobles to banquet with him at Scone. While they were seated, and perhaps taking advantage of their gluttony of both drink and food, the Scots drew out the bolts supporting the boards, whereupon the Picts fell into the hollows below their benches. While caught in some strange contraption up to their knees, they were all slaughtered.
Viscount Stormont, William Murray, and Connecticut-born Viscountess Stormont, Charlotte. Image: Copyright © Daily Mail. The land Scone Palace sits on is steeped in mysticism and ancient history. Originally a gathering place for the Picts, Scone is the site of the 'Moot Hill': the crowning site of Scottish kings, from Macbeth to Robert the Bruce. Scotland's first parliament meeting was opened at Scone, and the estate has been the home of the Murray family since 1604. The last coronation in Scotland took place at Scone in 1651 when King Charles II was crowned King of Scots upon the Moot Hill. The Earls following the 3rd Earl all suffered imprisonment, mainly in consequence of their support of the Jacobite cause.
The 4th Viscount Stormont was briefly imprisoned for his part in a fatal duel. The 5th Viscount opposed the Treaty of Union and entertained James Stuart, the Old Pretender, at Scone Palace during the 1715 Jacobite Rebellion, for which he was imprisoned. The 6th Viscount suffered the same fate when his sisters received the Young Pretender, Bonnie Prince Charlie, at Scone during the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion.
The history of the Earls of Mansfield is storied and distinguished, but one of the greatest Earls is the 1st Earl, William Murray, who would become one of the most venerated lawyers in history and, perhaps most significantly, his legal decisions helped form the basis of the abolition of slavery in Britain, whilst simultaneously raising his biracial relation, Elizabeth Dido Belle, marking a crucial moment in British racial history. William Murray rose from the English Bar to become Lord Chief Justice and one of the greatest of 18th-century British judges. Famous for his oratory, the ‘silver-tongued Murray’ is known for having reformed court procedure and developed commercial law to keep pace with the expansion of the British empire. He was also known for ground-breaking and often unpopular judgements, such as his declaration that slavers had no rights over their slaves on English soil. During the Gordon Riots of 1780, the mob singled him out for his even-handed treatment of Quakers and Catholics and burnt down his house in Bloomsbury, then marched on Kenwood House in Hampstead, which he had bought from the 3rd Earl of Bute in 1754. The rioters were dispersed and the house eventually remained in the family until 1922.
The marriage took place on 16th October 2021 between William Philip David Mungo Murray, styled Viscount Stormont [born 1st November, 1988], son and heir of the Earl of Mansfield & Mansfield [born 17th October 1956], of Scone Palace, Perthshire, and his wife the former Sophia Mary Veronica Ashbrooke [born 22nd January 1959], and Charlotte Nevling Clune, daughter of Mr Jonathan E. Clune, of West Hartford, Connecticut, United States, and his wife the former Sarah Potter. The bride is destined to become chatelaine of Scone Palace.
The current Lady Mansfield has commented on this painting: "I always remembered the summer holiday when William, then 6 years old, had to give up some of his holiday to be driven up by his father to his grandparents holiday home in the hills to be painted by the famous Carlos Sancho.. the three generations posing for the picture .. a young William .. in the park at Scone Palace, with my husband Mungo, and my father in law William Mansfield standing. It took quite a few days before the painting was complete and was hard for a young active 6 year old to stand still for hours on end. I remember William was very cross he wasn’t allowed to hold his regular bow and arrow, which had been made by a family friend, and instead was made to hold the toy one with a rubber end, which you see in the picture!"
