Earl of Sutherland
Encyclopedia
Earl of Sutherland is a title in the Peerage of Scotland
. It was created circa 1230 for William de Moravia. The Earl of Sutherland is also the Chief of Clan Sutherland
. The original line were known by the surname "de Moravia", who were also considered the senior line of the Clan Murray
.
Elizabeth, Countess of Sutherland, married Adam Gordon, whose surname belonged to several of the next Earls of Sutherland. The title was again held by a long string of men, until the death of William Gordon, 18th Earl, without sons, when the title passed to his daughter Elizabeth.
Elizabeth, 19th Countess of Sutherland then married George Granville Leveson-Gower in 1785; he inherited the title of Marquess of Stafford from his father in 1803. The Marquess held vast lands and wealth, having inherited from his father, the first Marquess of Stafford, from his maternal uncle, the second Duke of Bridgewater, and also holding much property associated with the Earldom of Sutherland, which belonged to his wife. He was made Duke of Sutherland
in 1833.
The Duke's son, also named George, inherited the Earldom of Sutherland from his mother and the Dukedom of Sutherland from his father. The two titles continued united until the death of the fifth Duke in 1963. The Earldom passed to his niece Elizabeth, while the Dukedom had to pass to a male heir.
The subsidiary title associated with the Earldom is Lord Strathnaver (created 1230), which is used as a courtesy title
by the Earl's or Countess' eldest son and heir.
The family seat is Dunrobin Castle
, near Golspie
in the traditional county of Sutherland
in Scotland
.
The heir apparent
is the present holder's son, Alistair Charles St Clair Sutherland, Lord Strathnaver (b. 1947). Lord Strathnaver's heir apparent is his son, Alexander Charles Robert Sutherland, Master of Strathnaver (b. 1981)
Peerage of Scotland
The Peerage of Scotland is the division of the British Peerage for those peers created in the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707. With that year's Act of Union, the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England were combined into the Kingdom of Great Britain, and a new Peerage of Great Britain was...
. It was created circa 1230 for William de Moravia. The Earl of Sutherland is also the Chief of Clan Sutherland
Clan Sutherland
Clan Sutherland is a Highland Scottish clan whose traditional territory is located in the region of Sutherland in northern highlands of Scotland and was one of the most powerful Scottish clans. The clan seat is at Dunrobin Castle, Sutherland...
. The original line were known by the surname "de Moravia", who were also considered the senior line of the Clan Murray
Clan Murray
Clan Murray is a Highland Scottish clan. The Murrays were a great and powerful clan whose lands and cadet houses were scattered throughout Scotland.- Origins of the Clan :...
.
Elizabeth, Countess of Sutherland, married Adam Gordon, whose surname belonged to several of the next Earls of Sutherland. The title was again held by a long string of men, until the death of William Gordon, 18th Earl, without sons, when the title passed to his daughter Elizabeth.
Elizabeth, 19th Countess of Sutherland then married George Granville Leveson-Gower in 1785; he inherited the title of Marquess of Stafford from his father in 1803. The Marquess held vast lands and wealth, having inherited from his father, the first Marquess of Stafford, from his maternal uncle, the second Duke of Bridgewater, and also holding much property associated with the Earldom of Sutherland, which belonged to his wife. He was made Duke of Sutherland
Duke of Sutherland
Duke of Sutherland, derived from Sutherland in Scotland, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom held by the head of the Leveson-Gower family. It was created by William IV in 1833 for George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Marquess of Stafford...
in 1833.
The Duke's son, also named George, inherited the Earldom of Sutherland from his mother and the Dukedom of Sutherland from his father. The two titles continued united until the death of the fifth Duke in 1963. The Earldom passed to his niece Elizabeth, while the Dukedom had to pass to a male heir.
The subsidiary title associated with the Earldom is Lord Strathnaver (created 1230), which is used as a courtesy title
Courtesy title
A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer. These styles are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the relatives do not themselves hold substantive titles...
by the Earl's or Countess' eldest son and heir.
The family seat is Dunrobin Castle
Dunrobin Castle
Dunrobin Castle is a stately home in Sutherland, in the Highland area of Scotland. It is the seat of the Countess of Sutherland and the Clan Sutherland. It is located north of Golspie, and approximately south of Brora, on the Dornoch Firth close to the A9 road. Nearby Dunrobin Castle railway...
, near Golspie
Golspie
Golspie is a coastal village in Sutherland, Highland, Scotland. It has a population of around 1,650 people. It is located picturesquely on the shores of the North Sea in the shadow of Ben Bhraggie ....
in the traditional county of Sutherland
Sutherland
Sutherland is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic administrative county of Scotland. It is now within the Highland local government area. In Gaelic the area is referred to according to its traditional areas: Dùthaich 'IcAoidh , Asainte , and Cataibh...
in 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...
.
Earls of Sutherland (c. 1230)
- William de Moravia, 1st Earl of Sutherland (d. 1284) (The de Moravia line was the senior family blood line of the Clan Murray)
- William de Moravia, 2nd Earl of Sutherland (d. 1307)
- William de Moravia, 3rd Earl of Sutherland (d. 1330)
- Kenneth de Moravia, 4th Earl of SutherlandKenneth de Moravia, 4th Earl of SutherlandKenneth de Moravia, 4th Earl of Sutherland was Earl of Sutherland. He was killed at the Battle of Halidon Hill.-External links:*...
(d. 1333) - William de Moravia, 5th Earl of SutherlandWilliam de Moravia, 5th Earl of SutherlandWilliam de Moravia was the 5th Earl of Sutherland.He married Margaret 1345, a daughter of King Robert I of Scotland and his second wife Elizabeth de Burgh.Signed the Declaration of Arbroath....
(d. 1370) - Robert de Moravia, 6th Earl of Sutherland (d. 1427)
- John de Moravia, 7th Earl of Sutherland (d. 1460)
- John de Moravia, 8th Earl of Sutherland (d. 1508)
- John de Moravia, 9th Earl of Sutherland (d. 1514)
- Elizabeth de Moravia, 10th Countess of Sutherland (d. 1535) (Married to Adam Gordon, a younger son of the chief of Clan Gordon)
- Alexander Gordon, Master of Sutherland (d. 1530) (son of Adam Gordon & Elizabeth de Moravia)
- John Gordon, 11th Earl of Sutherland (c. 1526–1567)
- Alexander Gordon, 12th Earl of Sutherland (c. 1552–1594)
- John Gordon, 13th Earl of Sutherland (1576–1615)
- John Gordon, 14th Earl of SutherlandJohn Gordon, 14th Earl of SutherlandJohn Gordon was the 14th Earl of Sutherland. He was married to Lady Jean Drummond. He was appointed by the Parliament of Scotland to the post of Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland in 1649 and he held the post until 1660. He is the only Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland to be appointed by the...
(1609–1679) - George Gordon, 15th Earl of Sutherland (1633–1703)
- John Gordon, 16th Earl of SutherlandJohn Gordon, 16th Earl of SutherlandJohn Gordon, 16th Earl of Sutherland PC was a Scottish nobleman and army officer.He was the only son of George Gordon, the 15th earl of Sutherland , and his wife, Jean....
(1661–1733) - William Sutherland, 17th Earl of Sutherland (1708–1750) (changed his surname from Gordon to Sutherland)
- William Sutherland, 18th Earl of Sutherland (1735–1766)
- Elizabeth Leveson-Gower, 19th Countess of SutherlandElizabeth Leveson-Gower, Duchess of SutherlandElizabeth Sutherland Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland , also suo jure 19th Countess of Sutherland, was a Scottish peeress, best remembered for her involvement in the Highland Clearances....
(1765–1839) - George Granville Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland, 20th Earl of SutherlandGeorge Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of SutherlandGeorge Granville Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland KG , styled Viscount Trentham until 1803, Earl Gower between 1803 and 1833 and Marquess of Stafford in 1833, was a British peer....
(1786–1861) - George Granville William Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of Sutherland, 21st Earl of SutherlandGeorge Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of SutherlandGeorge Granville William Sutherland Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of Sutherland , styled Viscount Trentham until 1833, Earl Gower in 1833 and Marquess of Stafford between 1833 and 1861, was a British politician.-Background:Sutherland was the son of George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland...
(1828–1892) - Cromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 4th Duke of Sutherland, 22nd Earl of SutherlandCromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 4th Duke of SutherlandCromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 4th Duke of Sutherland , styled Lord Cromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower until 1858, Earl Gower between 1858 and 1861 and Marquess of Stafford between 1861 and 1892, was a British peer and politician.-Background:Sutherland was the son of George...
(1851–1913) - George Granville Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 5th Duke of Sutherland, 23rd Earl of SutherlandGeorge Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 5th Duke of SutherlandGeorge Granville Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 5th Duke of Sutherland PC, KT , styled Earl Gower until 1892 and Marquess of Stafford between 1892 and 1913, was a British courtier, patron of the film industry and Conservative politician...
(1888–1963) - Elizabeth Millicent Sutherland, 24th Countess of SutherlandElizabeth Sutherland, 24th Countess of SutherlandElizabeth Millicent Sutherland, 24th Countess of Sutherland is a British peeress.-Early life:She was born Elizabeth Millicent Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, the only child of Major Lord Alastair Sutherland-Leveson-Gower , a son of the 4th Duke of Sutherland, and his wife, the former Elizabeth Demarest...
(b. 1921)
The heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
is the present holder's son, Alistair Charles St Clair Sutherland, Lord Strathnaver (b. 1947). Lord Strathnaver's heir apparent is his son, Alexander Charles Robert Sutherland, Master of Strathnaver (b. 1981)