Patrick Murdoch

Patrick Murdoch (died 1774) was an author, publisher and mathematician, who published a biography of poet James Thomson, and also An account of Sir Isaac Newton's philosophical discoveries by Colin MacLaurin.

He was a native of Dumfries, and was educated at the university of Edinburgh, where he distinguished himself in mathematics, and was the pupil and friend of Colin Maclaurin. In 1729, he was appointed tutor to John Forbes, only son of Lord-president Duncan Forbes of Culloden, and visited with him Orleans, Montauban, Rome, and other continental cities. Forbes subsequently paid Murdoch long and frequent visits at Stradishall rectory, Suffolk, and placed his eldest son, Duncan, under his tuition. Murdoch was likewise travelling tutor to the younger sons of James Vernon, ambassador to the court of Denmark. He was presented by James Vernon to the rectory of Stradishall in 1738, when his friend, James Thomson, addressed to him some pleasing lines.

On 20 March 1745, he was elected F.R.S., and in 1748 was admitted M.A. at Cambridge per literas reyias.

William Leman gave him the rectory of Kettlebaston, Suffolk, in 1749, which he resigned in 1760 on being presented by Edward Vernon to the vicarage of Great Thurlow ; but he still continued to reside at Stradishall. In 1756, he accompanied his friend Andrew Mitchell (1695 ?-1771), to Berlin, where he remained until 1757, conducting part of the correspondence, while Mitchell and his secretary, Burnet, were with the army. Shortly after his return home he received the degree of D.D., presumably from the university of Edinburgh.

Murdoch died in October 1774 in St. Clement Danes, London.

He appears to have been amiable and simple-hearted, and a good scholar. Though he speaks of his engagement to a lady whom he met in Paris in 1742, he died a bachelor. His library was sold in 1776.

Murdoch, having written the 68th stanza in canto i. of Thomson's Castle of Indolence, in which he portrayed the poet, Thomson gave the next stanza as descriptive of Murdoch, referring to him as 'a little, round, fat, oily man of God.' Murdoch also wrote a short but clear and lively memoir of Thomson prefixed to the memorial edition of the poet's Works, 2 vols. 4to, 1762, and to nearly all the later editions of The Seasons.

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