David Christie Murray

David Christie Murray (1847-1907) was an English novelist and journalist, born at West Bromwich, one of eleven children of William Murray, a printer and stationer in the town. He joined his father's printing business at twelve, enlisted as a private in the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards until a great-aunt purchased his discharge a year later, then made his career in newspapers, reporting Parliament for the Daily News and covering the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 for The Times and the Scotsman. He gave up journalism for fiction with A Life's Atonement, serialised in Chambers's Journal in 1879 and issued as a novel in 1880, and followed it with Joseph's Coat. From then until his death scarcely a year passed without a new Murray novel, and several found a wide readership.