Earl of Sutherland

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.

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 Sutherland (d. 1333)
• William de Moravia, 5th Earl of Sutherland (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 Sutherland (1609–1679)
• George Gordon, 15th Earl of Sutherland (1633–1703)
• John Gordon, 16th Earl of Sutherland (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 Sutherland (1765–1839)
• George Granville Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland, 20th Earl of Sutherland (1786–1861)
• George Granville William Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of Sutherland, 21st Earl of Sutherland (1828–1892)
• Cromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 4th Duke of Sutherland, 22nd Earl of Sutherland (1851–1913)
• George Granville Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 5th Duke of Sutherland, 23rd Earl of Sutherland (1888–1963)
• Elizabeth Millicent Sutherland, 24th Countess of Sutherland (b. 1921)

The heir apparent is the present holder's son, Alastair 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)

See also

• Clan Sutherland
• Lord Duffus
• Duke of Sutherland

External links

• http://www.duffus.com/family.htm
• Genealogies of the early Earls