He was born at Tournai, the son of Robert Murray, a general in the Dutch States Army. He served as colonel of the Los Rios Regiment in the Austrian service, and as an Imperial chamberlain. For his courage at the Battle of Breslau in 1757 and the Battle of Hochkirch in 1758 he was made a Knight of the Order of Maria Theresa on 23 January 1760. On 16 September 1760 he was created a Baron of the Netherlands ("Baron aux Pays Bas") and on 25 November 1761 the Emperor Francis I created him a Count of the Holy Roman Empire as "Graf von Murray", with remainder to the heirs male of his body.