James Boyles Murray

Who was James Boyles Murray?

James Boyles Murray was a businessman and leading member of New York society in the early-to-mid-19th century.

Murray was born to a wealthy immigrant family. His 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. The family migrated to Alexandria, Virginia in 1760.

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.

James was an early entrant in the New York Militia, replacing his gun-shy uncle in the War of 1812. Murray's service was distinguished and intelligent. Through his impressive revolutionary connections he rose quickly to become a Colonel.

From New York blood, he was inevitably very business-minded and commercially astute. He joined in partnership with the big financier Isaac Bronson, one of the founders of sound credit in public finance. As a result of the reflective determination of this close group to expand bank facility to construction of the American Empire, he borrowed heavily to finance the greatest canal construction project in history. The Erie Canal was an immense feat of ingenuity partly funded by the Bronson family bankers.