Lord Nairne
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Lord Nairne is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, which since 1995 is held by the Viscount Mersey. It was created in 1681 for the Scottish lawyer Sir Robert Nairne, with remainder to his son-in-law Lord William Murray, fourth son of John Murray, 1st Marquess of Atholl. Nairne notably served as a Lord of Session and a Lord of the Justiciary. He was succeeded according to the special remainder by his son-in-law, the second Lord. He was involved in the Jacobite rising of 1715 and was attainted. His son John Nairne, the de jure third Lord, was also attainted for his role in the rising of 1715. After having the attainder partially reversed he was again attainted for his participation in the Jacobite rising of 1745. Nairne was created "Viscount of Stanley" and "Earl of Nairne" in the Jacobite peerage by James Francis Edward Stuart, the "Old Pretender". In 1824 his grandson William Nairne managed to obtain a reversal of the attainder, and became the fifth Lord.
On the death of his son, the sixth Lord, this line of the family failed. He was succeeded by his kinswoman Margaret Mercer-Elphinstone, 2nd Baroness Keith, who became the seventh Lady Nairne. She was the daughter of George Keith Elphinstone, 1st Viscount Keith and wife of the French statesman Charles Joseph, comte de Flahaut. On her death the barony of Keith became extinct while she was succeeded in the lordship of Nairne by her daughter Emily, the eighth holder. She married Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 4th Marquess of Lansdowne. They were both succeeded by their eldest son Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne and 9th Lord Nairne. The lordship remained a subsidiary title of the marquessate until the death in 1944 of his grandson, the seventh Marquess. He was succeeded in the marquessate by his cousin while the Scottish lordship passed to his sister Katherine Evelyn Constable Bigham, who became the twelfth Lady Nairne. She was the wife of Edward Clive Bigham, 3rd Viscount Mersey. They were both succeeded by their eldest son, the fourth Viscount and thirteenth Lord. As of 2006 the titles are held by the latter's son, the fifth Viscount and fourteenth Lord Nairne.
[edit] Lords Nairne (1681)
- Robert Nairne, 1st Lord Nairne (c. 1620-1683)
- William Murray, 2nd Lord Nairne (1664-1726) (attainted 1716)
- John Nairne, de jure 3rd Lord Nairne (1691-1770)
- John Nairne, de jure 4th Lord Nairne (d. 1782)
- William Murray Nairne, 5rd Lord Naine (1757–1830) (restored 1824)
- William Murray Nairne, 6th Lord Naine (1808–1837)
- Margaret Mercer-Elphinstone, 7th Lady Nairne, 2nd Baroness Keith (1788-1867)
- Emily Jane Petty-FitzMaurice, Marchioness of Lansdowne, 8th Lady Nairne (1819-1895)
- Henry Charles Keith Petty-FitzMaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne, 9th Lord Nairne (1845-1927)
- Henry William Edmund Petty-FitzMaurice, 6th Marquess of Lansdowne, 10th Lord Nairne (1872-1936)
- Charles Hope Petty-Fitzmaurice, 7th Marquess of Lansdowne, 11th Lord Nairne (1917-1944)
- Katherine Evelyn Constance Bigham, 12th Lady Nairne (1912-1995)
- Richard Maurice Clive Bigham, 4th Viscount Mersey, 13th Lord Nairne (1934–2006)
- Edward John Hallam Bigham, 5th Viscount Mersey, 14th Lord Nairne (b. 1966)
The Heiress Presumptive is the present holder's daughter Hon. Flora Diana Joan Bigham, Mistress of Nairne (b. 2003)
