Murray, John (1737–1793) (publishing house)
John Murray is a British publisher, known for the authors it has published in its history, including Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Lord Byron, Charles Lyell, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Herman Melville, Edward Whymper, Thomas Malthus, David Ricardo, and Charles Darwin.
The business was founded in London in 1768 by John Murray (1737–1793), an Edinburgh-born Royal Marines officer, who built up a list of authors including Isaac DIsraeli and published the English Review.
John Murray the elder was one of the founding sponsors of the London evening newspaper The Star in 1788.He was succeeded by his son John Murray II, who made the publishing house important and influential. He was a friend of many leading writers of the day and launched the Quarterly Review in 1809. He was the publisher of Jane Austen, Sir Walter Scott, Washington Irving, George Crabbe, Mary Somerville and many others. His home and office at 50 Albemarle Street in Mayfair was the centre of a literary circle, fostered by Murrays tradition of Four oclock friends, afternoon tea with his writers.
Murrays most notable author was Lord Byron, who became a close friend and correspondent of his. Murray published many of his major works, paying him over £20,000 in rights. On 10 March 1812 Murray published Byrons second book, Childe Harolds Pilgrimage, which sold out in five days, leading to Byrons observation I awoke one morning and found myself famous.
On 17 May 1824 Murray participated in one of the most notorious acts in the annals of literature. Byron had given him the manuscript of his personal memoirs to publish later on. Together with five of Byrons friends and executors, he decided to destroy Byrons manuscripts because he thought the scandalous details would damage Byrons reputation. With only Thomas Moore objecting, the two volumes of memoirs were dismembered and burnt in the fireplace at Murrays office. It remains unknown what they contained.
John Murray III (1808–1892) continued the business and published Charles Eastlakes first English translation of Goethes Theory of Colours (1840), David Livingstones Missionary Travels (1857), and Charles Darwins Origin of Species (1859). Murray III contracted with Herman Melville to publish Melvilles first two books, Typee (1846) and Omoo (1847) in England; both books were presented as nonfiction travel narratives in Murrays Home and Colonial Library series, alongside such works as the 1845 second edition of Darwins Journal of Researches from his travels on HMS Beagle. John Murray III also started the Murray Handbooks in 1836, a series of travel guides from which modern-day guides are directly descended. The rights to these guides were sold around 1900 and subsequently acquired in 1915 by the Blue Guides.
His successor Sir John Murray IV (1851–1928) was publisher to Queen Victoria. Among other works, he published Murrays Magazine from 1887 until 1891. From 1904 he published the Wisdom of the East book series. Competitor Smith, Elder & Co. was acquired in 1917.
His son Sir John Murray V (1884–1967), grandson John Murray VI (John Arnaud Robin Grey Murray; 1909–1993) and great-grandson John Murray VII (John Richmond Grey Murray; 1941–) continued the business until it was taken over.