David Murray, 1st Viscount Stormont

David Murray, 1st Viscount of Stormont (died 27 August 1631) was a Scottish courtier, comptroller of Scotland and captain of the king's guard, known as Sir David Murray of Gospertie, then Lord Scone, and afterwards Viscount Stormont. He is known for his zeal in carrying out the ecclesiastical policy of James VI and I, in which he was effective if crude.

He was the second son of Sir Andrew Murray of Arngask and Balvaird, brother of Sir William Murray of Tullibardine, by his second wife, Janet Graham, fourth daughter of William Graham, 2nd Earl of Montrose. He was brought up at the court of James VI, who made him his cupbearer and master of the horse. On 12 December 1588 he presented a complaint against the inhabitants of Auchtermuchty, Fife, who, when he went to take possession of the lands of Auchtermuchty, attacked him and the gentlemen of his company, wounding him in various parts of the body, and cutting off one of the fingers of his right hand. At court he opposed the Octavians by creating trouble between them and the Scottish kirk. After he had been knighted by James VI (the date is uncertain) he was, on 26 April 1599, admitted on the privy council as comptroller of the royal revenues, replacing George Hume, laird of Wedderburn. He was also made steward of the stewartry of Fife, and on 6 December 1599, while holding a court at Falkland, was attacked by neighbouring lairds and their servants.

Murray was at Perth at the time of the Gowrie conspiracy, 5 August 1600, and was subsequently credited with having been privy to the concoction of a semblance of a plot, aiming the overthrow of John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie. He took a prominent part calming the inhabitants of Perth after Gowrie, their provost, was killed, and with others succeeded in bringing the king in safety to Falkland. Murray succeeded Gowrie as provost of Perth, and also obtained a grant of the barony of Ruthven, and of the lands belonging to the abbacy of Scone, of which Gowrie was commendator. In May 1601 he was appointed by the assembly of the kirk one of a commission to discuss how to support the kirk and clergy in all the districts of Scotland. On 10 Nov he obtained from the king the castle land of Falkland, with the office of ranger of the Lomonds and forester of the woods.

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