James Boyles Murray

James Boyles Murray (November 6, 1789 – February 14, 1866) was a businessman and leading member of New York society in the early-to-mid-19th century. Early life Murray was born to a wealthy immigrant family in Alexandria, Virginia on November 6, 1789. He was the son of Martha (née McClenahan) Murray and Dr. John Boyles Murray, who moved to Virginia in 1760. His paternal grandfather was Sir James Murray, Lord Philiphaugh. His Presbyterian lineage was descended from the royal Stewarts through the ubiquitous clan of Murray. His mother's family, that of Martha McClenahan, had been associated with the history of the Siege of Derry. Rev. McClenahan had been one of the Apprentice Boys supporters, when they marched out to meet King James army. In 1800, when only a boy, Murray went to Norfolk, England, and caught a glimpse of the hero Admiral Nelson touring through his home city of Norwich. When only a small boy he had been warned of his Scots ancestry. He toured Philiphaugh, Scotland. He never forgot the supremacy of the seas of the Royal Navy, and vowed to help the President build a strong US Navy.