Cherry Drummond, 16th Baroness Strange
Encyclopedia
Jean Cherry Drummond of Megginch, 16th Baroness Strange (17 December 1928 – Megginch Castle
, 11 March 2005) was a cross bench hereditary peer
in the House of Lords
. She also wrote romantic novels and historical works.
boarding school near Edinburgh
, and read English and history at St Andrews University. She married Humphrey Evans, MC
, a captain
in the Mountain Artillery, in 1952. They both assumed the surname Drummond of Megginch when they moved to Megginch Castle. The couple had three sons and three daughters:
In April 2006 it emerged that Lady Strange had changed her will
on her deathbed, leaving her entire estate
to her youngest daughter Catherine, cutting out her other five children.,Her niece is the actress Geraldine Somerville
.
in Perthshire
, Scotland
, the family title, Baron Strange
, is in the English peerage. Her father, John Drummond, 15th Baron Strange
, had spent many years attempting to terminate an abeyance
that arose on the death of the Duke of Atholl
in 1957; he was confirmed in the title in 1965. The title went into abeyance once again on his death in 1982, but it was terminated in Cherry's favour in 1986, and she made her maiden speech on 4 March 1987. Upon the Baroness's death the title was inherited by her eldest son, Adam
.
views, but resigned the Conservative Party
whip
in December 1998 when William Hague
dismissed Lord Cranborne
for negotiating with Tony Blair on reform of the House of Lords. Following reforms which reduced the number of hereditary peers who were entitled to sit in the House of Lords, her 1999 manifesto
to be elected to occupy one of the remaining seats (limited to 75 words) was "I bring flowers every week to this House from my castle in Perthshire." She was elected to fill a cross bench seat.
She was President of the War Widows Association of Great Britain
from 1990.
"Cherry Evans", including Love From Belinda (1960) and Love Is For Ever (1988). As Cherry Drummond, she also wrote The Remarkable Life of Victoria Drummond - Marine Engineer, a biography
of an intrepid aunt, Victoria Drummond
, a goddaughter
of Queen Victoria
who was an engineer with the Blue Funnel Line
for 40 years from 1922.
Megginch Castle
Megginch Castle is a 15th century castle in Perth and Kinross, in central Scotland. It was the family home of the late Cherry Drummond, 16th Baroness Strange...
, 11 March 2005) was a cross bench hereditary peer
Hereditary peer
Hereditary peers form part of the Peerage in the United Kingdom. There are over seven hundred peers who hold titles that may be inherited. Formerly, most of them were entitled to sit in the House of Lords, but since the House of Lords Act 1999 only ninety-two are permitted to do so...
in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. She also wrote romantic novels and historical works.
Personal life
Strange was educated at Oxenfoord CastleOxenfoord Castle
Oxenfoord Castle is a country house in Midlothian, Scotland. It is located north of Pathhead, and south-east of Dalkeith, above the Tyne Water. Originally a 16th-century tower house, the present castle is largely the result of major rebuilding in 1782, to designs by the architect Robert Adam....
boarding school near Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, and read English and history at St Andrews University. She married Humphrey Evans, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
, a captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
in the Mountain Artillery, in 1952. They both assumed the surname Drummond of Megginch when they moved to Megginch Castle. The couple had three sons and three daughters:
- Adam Humphrey, now the 17th Baron Strange (b. 1953)
- Charlotte Cherry (b. 1955)
- Humphrey John Jardine (b. 1961)
- Amelie Margaret Mary (b. 1963)
- John Humphrey Hugo (b. 1966)
- Catherine Star Violetta (b. 1967)
In April 2006 it emerged that Lady Strange had changed her will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
on her deathbed, leaving her entire estate
Estate (law)
An estate is the net worth of a person at any point in time. It is the sum of a person's assets - legal rights, interests and entitlements to property of any kind - less all liabilities at that time. The issue is of special legal significance on a question of bankruptcy and death of the person...
to her youngest daughter Catherine, cutting out her other five children.,Her niece is the actress Geraldine Somerville
Geraldine Somerville
Geraldine Margaret Agnew-Somerville is a British actress best known for her roles as Detective Sergeant Jane "Panhandle" Penhaligon in Cracker, and Lily Potter in the Harry Potter film series.-Early life:...
.
Title
Although the family home is the 17th century Megginch CastleMegginch Castle
Megginch Castle is a 15th century castle in Perth and Kinross, in central Scotland. It was the family home of the late Cherry Drummond, 16th Baroness Strange...
in Perthshire
Perthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, the family title, Baron Strange
Baron Strange
Baron Strange is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of England. Two creations, one in 1295 and another in 1325, had only one holder each, upon the death of whom they became extinct. Two of the creations are still extant, however...
, is in the English peerage. Her father, John Drummond, 15th Baron Strange
John Drummond, 15th Baron Strange
John Drummond, 10th of Megginch, 15th Baron Strange , Chief of the Baronial House and Branch of Drummond of Concraig and Lennoch within the clan Drummond and Baron of Megginch....
, had spent many years attempting to terminate an abeyance
Abeyance
Abeyance is a state of expectancy in respect of property, titles or office, when the right to them is not vested in any one person, but awaits the appearance or determination of the true owner. In law, the term abeyance can only be applied to such future estates as have not yet vested or possibly...
that arose on the death of the Duke of Atholl
James Stewart-Murray, 9th Duke of Atholl
Major James Stewart-Murray, 9th Duke of Atholl , styled Lord James Stewart-Murray until 1942, was a Scottish peer and soldier....
in 1957; he was confirmed in the title in 1965. The title went into abeyance once again on his death in 1982, but it was terminated in Cherry's favour in 1986, and she made her maiden speech on 4 March 1987. Upon the Baroness's death the title was inherited by her eldest son, Adam
Adam Drummond, 17th Baron Strange
Adam Drummond, 17th Baron Strange is the son of Captain Humphrey ap Evans, MC, who assumed name of Drummond of Megginch by decree of Lord Lyon, 1965, and Cherry Drummond. Note the 17th Baron Strange has discontinued the use of the suffix 'of Megginch' after his surname.The 17th Baron was educated...
.
Politics and public life
She held traditional conservativeConservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
views, but resigned the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
in December 1998 when William Hague
William Hague
William Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001...
dismissed Lord Cranborne
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury
Robert Michael James Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury, PC, DL , is a British Conservative politician. During the 1990s, he was Leader of the House of Lords under his courtesy title of Viscount Cranborne...
for negotiating with Tony Blair on reform of the House of Lords. Following reforms which reduced the number of hereditary peers who were entitled to sit in the House of Lords, her 1999 manifesto
Manifesto
A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as creeds. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...
to be elected to occupy one of the remaining seats (limited to 75 words) was "I bring flowers every week to this House from my castle in Perthshire." She was elected to fill a cross bench seat.
She was President of the War Widows Association of Great Britain
War Widows Association of Great Britain
War Widows Association of Great Britain is an advocacy group for widows and widowers of British military personnel killed in wartime. It was founded in 1971 to persuade the British government to make the widows' pension tax-free, a goal which it finally obtained in 1979...
from 1990.
Writing
Strange wrote several romantic novels under the pen namePen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
"Cherry Evans", including Love From Belinda (1960) and Love Is For Ever (1988). As Cherry Drummond, she also wrote The Remarkable Life of Victoria Drummond - Marine Engineer, a biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
of an intrepid aunt, Victoria Drummond
Victoria Drummond
Victoria Alexandrina Drummond MBE , was the first woman marine engineer in Britain and first woman member of Institute of Marine Engineers. She was born at Errol, the daughter of Capt. Malcolm Drummond, JP and Geraldine Margaret Tyssen-Amherst, and a goddaughter of Queen Victoria...
, a goddaughter
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
who was an engineer with the Blue Funnel Line
Blue Funnel Line
Alfred Holt and Company, marketed as the Blue Funnel Line, was founded by Alfred Holt on 16 January 1866.The main operating subsidiary was the Ocean Steam Ship Company, which owned and operated the majority of the company's vessels....
for 40 years from 1922.