Kenneth Murchison

The Honourable
Kenneth Murchison
The Honourable Kenneth Murchison
3rd Governor of the Straits Settlements
	In office; 7 December 1833 –17 November 1836
Children	Charlotte Cox (daughter); Kenneth-Robert Murchison (son); Roderick Murchison (son);
Parents	Kenneth Murchison Sr. (father); Barbara Mackenzie (mother);
Relatives	Roderick Murchison (brother) ; Alexander Murchison (brother)
Residence(s)	Somerset, England
Occupation	Colonial administrator

Last updated January 15, 2025

Charlotte Pryce

(m. 1815;died 1816)

Anne Nesham

(m. 1826;died 1846)

Kenneth Murchison (1794 - 1 August 1854) was the Resident Councillor of Penang and Resident Councillor of Singapore, as well as the third Governor of the Straits Settlements.^[1]

Early life

Murchison was born in Scotland in 1794 to Barbara (née Mackenzie) and Kenneth Murchison.^[2] His elder brother was geologist Roderick Murchison.^[3] The family moved from Ross-shire in Scotland to Bathampton in Somerset England for his father to recuperate from an illness, but he would die there in 1796. His mother then took the family to Edinburgh and remarried.^[4]

Career

He began his working career with the East India Company. He was appointed the Resident Councillor of Penang on 29 November 1827, he was also appointed the Resident Councillor of Singapore.^[1] While he was Resident in Penang, he conducted a geological survey of Penang on behalf of his brother Roderick Murchison, who was President of the Geological Society.^[5] He became the Governor of the Straits Settlements on 7 December 1833,^[6] however, he spent much of his time as Governor outside of Southeast Asia, and the administrative duty was performed by his deputy George Bonham. Bonham took over as Governor on 18 November 1836.^[1]

Personal life

Murchison was married to Charlotte Pryce in 1815 and had a daughter Charlotte. His first wife died in 1816, and he married Anne Nesham in 1826 with whom he had two surviving sons, Kenneth-Robert and Roderick.^[7]

He died on 1 August 1854.^[2]

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References

1 2 3 Corfield, Justin (2 December 2010). Historical Dictionary of Singapore . Scarecrow Press. p. 180. ISBN 9780810873872.
1 2 "Kenneth Murchison". Geni. 1794.
↑ Stafford, Robert A. (12 October 2010). Scientist of Empire: Sir Roderick Murchison, Scientific Exploration and Victorian Imperialism. Cambridge University Press. p. 4. ISBN 978-0521528672.
↑ Geikie, Archibald (2 June 2011). Life of Sir Roderick I. Murchison: Based on His Journals and Letters. Cambridge University Press. pp. 12–13. ISBN 978-1108072342.
↑ Robert A. Stafford (12 October 2010). Scientist of Empire: Sir Roderick Murchison, Scientific Exploration and Victorian Imperialism. Cambridge University Press. p. 111. ISBN 978-0521528672.
↑ "Government Notification". Singapore Chronicle and Commercial Register. 12 December 1833. p. 1.
↑ Burke, Bernard (1868). A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire: Part 2. p. 794. ISBN 9780810873872.

Political offices
Preceded by John Prince	Resident Councillor of Straits Settlements 1827 – 1833	Succeeded by Samuel George Bonham
Preceded by Robert Ibbetson	Governor of the Straits Settlements 1833 – 1836	Succeeded by Samuel George Bonham

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[corfield-1] 1 2 3 Corfield, Justin (2 December 2010). Historical Dictionary of Singapore . Scarecrow Press. p. 180. ISBN 9780810873872.

[geni-2] 1 2 "Kenneth Murchison". Geni. 1794.

[3] Stafford, Robert A. (12 October 2010). Scientist of Empire: Sir Roderick Murchison, Scientific Exploration and Victorian Imperialism. Cambridge University Press. p. 4. ISBN 978-0521528672.

[4] Geikie, Archibald (2 June 2011). Life of Sir Roderick I. Murchison: Based on His Journals and Letters. Cambridge University Press. pp. 12–13. ISBN 978-1108072342.

[5] Robert A. Stafford (12 October 2010). Scientist of Empire: Sir Roderick Murchison, Scientific Exploration and Victorian Imperialism. Cambridge University Press. p. 111. ISBN 978-0521528672.

[6] "Government Notification". Singapore Chronicle and Commercial Register. 12 December 1833. p. 1.

[7] Burke, Bernard (1868). A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire: Part 2. p. 794. ISBN 9780810873872.

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Resident Councillors, Colonial Secretaries & Chief Secretaries of Singapore (1826 – 1959) (with italics * for the Acting)
Resident Councillors of Singapore (1826 – 1867)	John Prince Kenneth Murchison Samuel George Bonham Thomas Church Henry Somerset MacKenzie Ronald MacPherson
Colonial Secretaries of Straits Settlements (1867 – 1942)	Ronald MacPherson James W. W. Birch Thomas Braddell * William Willans * Charles John Irving * John Douglas Cecil Clementi Smith Sir John Frederick Dickson Arthur Philip Talbot * William Edward Maxwell James Alexander Swettenham Walter Egerton * Charles Walter Sneyd-Kynnersley * Sir William Thomas Taylor Frederick George Penney Edward Lewis Brockman * Sir Arthur Henderson Young Edward Lewis Brockman Richard James Wilkinson Sir Frederick Seton James George Hemmant * Edward Shaw Hose Sir Hayes Marriott George Hemmant * Sir John Scott Sir Andrew Caldecott Sir Alexander Sym Small Stanley Wilson Jones Hugh Fraser *
Colonial Secretaries of Singapore (1946 – 1955)	Sir Patrick McKerron J D M Smith * Wilfred Lawson Blythe William Allmond Codrington Goode
Chief Secretaries of Singapore (1955 – 1959)	Sir William Allmond Codrington Goode Edgeworth Beresford David

Governors of Singapore (1819–1959)
(with italics * for the Acting)
Resident of Singapore (1819–1826)	William Farquhar Dr. John Crawfurd
Governors of the Straits Settlements (under British India) (1826–1867)	Robert Fullerton Robert Ibbetson Kenneth Murchison Sir Samuel George Bonham William John Butterworth Edmund Augustus Blundell
Governors of the Straits Settlements (under Colonial Office) (1867–1942)	Sir Orfeur Cavenagh Sir Harry St. George Ord Sir Andrew Clarke Sir William Jervois Sir Archibald Edward Harbord Anson * Sir William Cleaver Francis Robinson Sir Archibald Edward Harbord Anson * Sir Frederick Aloysius Weld Sir Cecil Clementi Smith William Edward Maxwell * Sir Charles Bullen Hugh Mitchell Sir James Alexander Swettenham * Sir Frank Athelstane Swettenham Sir John Anderson Sir Arthur Henderson Young Sir Laurence Nunns Guillemard Sir Hugh Charles Clifford Sir John Scott * Sir Cecil Clementi Sir Andrew Caldecott * Sir Thomas Shenton Whitelegge Thomas
Japanese Mayor of Syonan (1942–1945)	Shigeo Odate Kanichi Naito
British Military Administration of the Straits Settlements (1945–1946)	Lord Louis Mountbatten Sir Thomas Shenton Whitelegge Thomas
Governors of the Crown Colony of Singapore (1946–1959)	Sir Franklin Charles Gimson Wilfred Lawson Blythe * Sir John Fearns Nicoll William Allmond Codrington Goode * Sir Robert Brown Black Sir William Allmond Codrington Goode

The Honourable Kenneth Murchison


3rd Governor of the Straits Settlements
In office 7 December 1833 –17 November 1836
Children	Charlotte Cox (daughter) Kenneth-Robert Murchison (son) Roderick Murchison (son)
Parents	Kenneth Murchison Sr. (father) Barbara Mackenzie (mother)
Relatives	Roderick Murchison (brother) Alexander Murchison (brother)
Residence(s)	Somerset, England
Occupation	Colonial administrator