William Mure (1718–1776)
| William Mure | |
|---|---|
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| Lord Rector of Glasgow University | |
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In office 1764–1767 |
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| Preceded by | 1st Baronet Miller |
| Succeeded by | 4th Earl of Selkirk |
| Baron of the Court of Exchequer in Scotland | |
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In office 1761–1776 |
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| Member of Parliament for Renfrewshire |
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In office 1742 – 1761 |
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| Preceded by | Alexander Cunninghame |
| Succeeded by | Patrick Crauford |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 1718 |
| Died | 25 March 1776 |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Spouse(s) | Anne Graham |
| Children | 6 |
| Parents | William Mure Anne Stewart |
| Relatives |
Sir James Stewart (grandfather) Sir James Stewart, Bt. (uncle) Sir James Stewart, 2nd Bt. (cousin) William Mure (grandson) David Mure (grandson) William Mure (great-grandson) 4th Baron Ribblesdale (2x great-grandson) |
| Alma mater | Glasgow University |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
William Mure (December 1718 – 25 March 1776), known as others of his family as William Mure of Caldwell, was a Scottish lawyer and politician. He became a baron of the Scots exchequer, and was a friend of Prime Minister Lord Bute and David Hume.
Mure was born late in 1718, the eldest son and successor to William Mure of Caldwell in Ayr and Renfrewshire, by his wife Anne Stewart, daughter of Sir James Stewart (1635–1713), Lord Advocate, and widow of James Maxwell of Blawarthill. His mother's brother was James Stewart, 1st Baronet (1681–1727). Through his father, he was descended from William Mure (1594–1657), the writer, and a descendant of the Mures of Rowallan. He had one sister, Agnes Mure (d. 1758), who married Rev. Patrick Boyle (1717–1798), son of John Boyle, 2nd Earl of Glasgow.
His father dying in April 1722, he was brought up at home by his mother, under the tutorship of William Leechman; later Mure helped Leechman to his position of Principal of Glasgow University.
Mure graduated from Glasgow University in 1730, studied law at Edinburgh and Leyden, and travelled during 1741 in France and Holland. Returning to Scotland in November 1742, he was elected Member of Parliament for Renfrewshire, a seat which he held without opposition during three parliaments till 1761, when he was appointed a baron of the Scots exchequer. He spoke rarely, and attended irregularly, his principal interest lying in agricultural improvements.
He is best known as the friend of Lord Bute and David Hume. He helped Bute with the management of the Bute estates, became a close friend and adviser, and as Bute rose in politics was eventually one of the most influential men in Scotland, with input into its local affairs and the distribution of Scottish patronage. He corresponded much with Hume from 1742, and Hume visited Mure's house at Abbey Hill, near Holyrood. Apropos of his History Hume wrote Mure in 1756: ‘If you do not say that I have done both parties justice, and if Mrs. Mure be not sorry for poor King Charles, I shall burn all my papers and return to philosophy.’
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