# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Murray, Lindley

​MURRAY, LINDLEY (1745–1826), grammarian, was born at Swatara, Pennsylvania, on 22 April 1745. His father, Robert Murray, a member of an old quaker family, was one of the leading New York merchants. Murray was the eldest of twelve children, all of whom he survived, although, he was puny and delicate in childhood. When six years old, he was sent to school in Philadelphia, but soon left to accompany his parents to North Carolina, where they lived until 1753. They then removed to New York, where Murray was sent to a good school, but proved a 'heedless boy' (Autobiography'}. Contrary to his inclinations, he was placed when only fourteen in his father's counting-house. In spite of endeavours to foster in him the commercial spirit, the lad's interests were mainly concentrated in science and literature. Collecting his books, he escaped to Burlington, New Jersey, entered a boarding-school, and commenced to study French. His retreat was discovered, he was brought back to New York, and allowed a private tutor. His father still desired him to apply himself to commerce, but he stated arguments in favour of a literary profession so ably in writing that his father's lawyer advised him to let the lad study law. Four years later Murray was called to the bar, and practised as counsel and attorney in the province of New York. At the age of twenty-two he married, and in 1770 came to England, whither his father had preceded him, but Lindley returned in 1771 to New York. Here his practice became both large and lucrative, in spite of his conscientious care to 'discourage litigation, and to recommend a peaceable settlement of differences.' On the outbreak of hostilities in America, Murray went with his wife to Long Island, where four years were spent in fishing, sailing, and shooting. On the declaration of independence he returned to New York, and was so successful that he retired in 1783 to a beautiful place on the Hudson. His health failing, he decided to try the English climate. In 1784 he left America and never returned. The remainder of his life was spent in literary pursuits at Holgate, near York. His library became noted for its theological and philological treasures. He studied botany, and his garden was said to exceed in variety the Royal Gardens at Kew. The summer-house in which his grammars were composed still remains. Murray's first published work, 'The Power ​of Religion on the Mind,’ York, 1787, 20th edit. 1842, was twice translated into French. To the 8th edit. (1795) was added ‘Extracts from the Writings of divers Eminent Men representing the Evils of Stage Plays, &c.,’ published separately 1789 and 1799. His attention was then drawn to the want of suitable lesson-books for a Friends' school for girls in York, and in 1795 he published his ‘English Grammar.’ The manuscript petition from the teachers requesting him to prepare it has been religiously preserved. The work became rapidly popular; it went through nearly fifty editions, was edited, abridged, simplified, and enlarged in England and America, and for a long time was used in schools to the exclusion of all other grammar-books. In 1816 an edition corrected by the author was issued in 2 vols. 8vo. An ‘Abridgment’ of this version by Murray, issued two years later, went through more than 120 editions of ten thousand each. It was printed at the New England Institution for the Blind in embossed characters, Boston, 1835, and translated into Maráthi, Bombay, 1837. ‘English Exercises’ followed (1797), with ‘A Key’ (27th edit. London, 1847), and both works were in large demand. Murray's ‘English Reader,’ ‘Sequel,’ and ‘Introduction,’ issued respectively 1799, 1800, and 1801 (31st edit. 1836), were equally successful, as well as the ‘Lecteur Français,’ 1802, and ‘Introduction to the Lecteur Français,’ 1807. ‘An English Spelling Book,’ 1804, reached forty-four editions, and was translated into Spanish (Cadiz, 1841). Of a ‘First Book for Children’ the 150th thousand, with portrait and woodcuts, was issued in 1859. The sales of the ‘Grammar,’ ‘Exercises,’ ‘Key,’ and ‘Lecteur Français’ brought Murray in each case 700l., and he devoted the whole sum to philanthropic objects. The copyright of his religious works he presented to his publishers. By his will, a sum of money for the purchase and distribution of religious literature was vested in trustees in America. When the Retreat for the Insane was founded at York by William Tuke [q. v.] in 1792, Murray did his utmost to second Tuke's efforts to introduce a humane system of treatment.
He was a recorded minister of the York ‘monthly meeting’ for eleven years, when his voice failed and he asked permission to resign. For the last sixteen years of his life he never left the house. He died on 16 Jan. 1826, aged 81. Westoby, a miniature-painter who first saw him after death, produced an excellent portrait, which was engraved by Dean. Murray married, on 22 June 1767, Hannah Dobson, who died 25 Sept. 1834. They had no children.
Besides the works mentioned Murray was author of ‘Some Account of the Life of Sarah Grubb,’ Dublin, 1792; a ‘Selection from Bishop Horne's Commentary on the Psalms,’ 1812; ‘A Biographical Sketch of Henry Tuke,’ York, 1815; ‘A Compendium of Religious Faith and Practice,’ 1815; ‘The Duty and Benefit of a daily perusal of the Holy Scriptures in Families,’ York, 1817. In 1795 he also assisted the Friends confined in York Castle to prepare and publish ‘The Prisoners' Defence’ and the ‘Prisoners' Defence supported.’
Murray was tall, slender, and of a ruddy complexion. In spite of bad health he was always cheerful, and his manner was conspicuously modest. He has been styled the father of English grammar, and his work, although not free from error and soon superseded, undoubtedly helped more efficiently than any contemporary manual to teach the Englishmen of his day to speak and write their language correctly. He introduced system into the study of grammar where chaos had existed before, but it is noticeable that his own style of writing frequently illustrates the defects which he warns his readers to avoid. There may have been some truth in the jest of his friend John Dalton [q. v.] the chemist, ‘that of all the contrivances invented by human ingenuity for puzzling the brains of the young, Lindley Murray's grammar was the worst.’
[Memoir of the Life and Writings of Lindley Murray (partly autobiographical), by Elizabeth Frank, York, 1826; Life of Murray, by W. H. Egle, New York, 1885; Journal of Travels in England, &c., by B. Silliman of Yale College, Newhaven, 1820, iii. 156–8; Appleton's Cyclopædia of American Biog. iv. 470; Gent. Mag. 1826, pt. i. pp. 182–3; European Mag. 1803, pp. 35–6; The Bad English of Lindley Murray and other Writers, by G. Washington Moon, London, 1869; Annual Monitor, 1827 pp. 28–34, 1835 pp. 51–6; Smith's Cat. pp. 192–208, and Suppl. 1893, pp. 254–5; Dr. Hack Tuke's Reform in the Treatment of the Insane, 1892.]
C. F. S.