John Murray is a British publishing house, renowned for the roster of authors it has published in its history, including Jane Austen, Lord Byron and Charles Darwin.

The business was founded in London in 1768 by John Murray (1) (1745–1793), an Edinburgh-born Royal Marines officer, who built up a list of authors including Isaac Disraeli and published English Review.

He was succeeded by his son, John Murray (2) (1778–1843), who formed the publishing house into one of the most important and influential in Britain. He was a friend of many leading writers of the day and launched Quarterly Review in 1809. He was the publisher of Jane Austen, Sir Walter Scott, George Crabbe and many others. His home and office at 50 Albemarle Street in Mayfair was the centre of a literary circle, fostered by Murray's tradition of "Four o'clock friends", afternoon tea with his writers.

Murray's 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 Byron's second book, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, which sold out in five days, leading to Byron's observation "I awoke one morning and found myself famous".

John Murray (2) participated in one of the most notorious acts in the annals of literature, on 17 May 1824. Together with five of Byron's friends and executors, the decision was made to destroy Byron's manuscript journals in order to protect his reputation. Opposed only by Thomas Moore, the two volumes of memoirs were dismembered and burnt in the fireplace at Murray's office.

John Murray (3) (1808–1892) continued the business and published Charles Darwin's Origin of Species, Samuel Smiles and David Livingstone.

His successor Sir John Murray (4) ((1851–1928) was publisher to Queen Victoria. His son Sir John Murray (5) (1884–1967) and John Murray (6) (John Arnaud Robin Grey Murray) continued the business until it was taken over. John Murray is no longer an independent business, but the name survives as a subdivision of publisher Hodder Headline .

John Murray archive

The archive of John Murray publishers, from 1768 through to 1920, has been offered for sale to the nation by John Murray (7) for £33 million and the National Library of Scotland is bidding to acquire it. On 26 January 2005, it was announced that the National Library was to be given £17.7m by the Heritage Lottery Fund towards the £31.2m price offered by John Murray. The Scottish Executive agreed to make a contribution of £8.3m, with the National Library setting a £6.5m fundraising target for the remainder.

External links

• John Murray imprint
• National Library of Scotland - John Murray archive