Margaret of Mar, 30th Countess of Mar
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Margaret Alison of Mar, 30th Countess of Mar (born 19 September 1940) is a cross-bench member of the House of Lords, an elected hereditary peer and the holder of the original Earldom of Mar, the oldest peerage title in the United Kingdom. She is the only suo jure Countess in the House of Lords.
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[edit] Early life
She was born Margaret Alison Lane, the daughter of James Lane, Master of Mar, the Heir Presumptive of Lionel Erskine-Young, 28th Earl of Mar, his first cousin once removed (both were descended from a sister of John Goodeve-Erskine, 26th Earl of Mar).
Lane had two younger siblings: David Charles Lane, and Janet Helen Lane. As the 28th Earl was childless and unmarried, and not expected to father children in the future, it was expected that her father and brother would both in their turn succeed to the Earldom (and the Chiefship of the Name and Arms of Mar), and so her father changed his and his son's surname to "of Mar" in 1959.
[edit] Mistress of Mar
Lane's father succeeded as 29th Earl of Mar in 1965; she became known as Lady Margaret Lane, and her brother became known as Lord Garioch. However, Lord Garioch died young in 1967. Thus, Margaret became Heiress Presumptive and became known as The Mistress of Mar. Her surname was then changed to "of Mar" shortly afterwards.
[edit] Countess of Mar
In 1976, the 29th Earl died and the Mistress of Mar became the 30th Countess of Mar. Thus she entered the House of Lords. With the House of Lords Act 1999, Lady Mar normally would have been removed from the House of Lords. However, the Act provided that ninety-two hereditary peers would be elected to the House. Lady Mar was among the hereditary peers chosen to serve, and is the only suo jure Countess in the House of Lords as of 2005. She sits as a cross-bencher, meaning she is not aligned with any particular political party.
As Countess of Mar she is also Titular 11th Duchess of Mar in the Jacobite Peerage (in which Peerage she is numbered as 32nd Countess of Mar, as the attainder of 1716-1824 is not recognised by Jacobites).
Note: Owing to a nineteen century dispute, there is another Earl of Mar, James Thorne Erskine, 14th Earl of Mar and 16th Earl of Kellie.
[edit] Family
Lady Mar has married three times, first to Edwin Noel Artiss, then to John Salton, and finally to John Jenkin. From the first marriage she had a daughter: Susan Helen of Mar, Mistress of Mar (born 1963), the heiress presumptive to her mother's peerages. Lady Susan is married to Bruce Alexander Wyllie, and has two daughters, Isabel and Frances, the former of whom will likely succeed as Countess of Mar after her mother and grandmother.
[edit] Titles from birth
- Miss Margaret Lane (19 September 1940–1965)
- The Lady Margaret Lane (1965–8 January 1967)
- The Mistress of Mar (8 January 1967–21 April 1975)
- The Right Honourable The Countess of Mar (21 April 1975–present)
| Preceded by James of Mar |
Countess of Mar 1975–present |
Succeeded by Current incumbent |
[edit] References
- Lundy, Darryl (June 19, 2005). ThePeerage.com - Person Page 8460. Retrieved June 23, 2005.
