| The Countess of Sutherland | |
|---|---|
Arms of the Countess of Sutherland |
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| Born | Elizabeth Gordon 24 May 1765 |
| Died | 29 January 1839 (aged 73) |
| Title | Duchess of Sutherland, Countess of Sutherland |
| Known for | Oil painter |
| Predecessor | William Gordon, 18th Earl of Sutherland |
| Successor | George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower |
| Spouse(s) | George Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland (1785-1833) |
| Parents | William Gordon, 18 Earl of Sutherland (father) Mary Maxwell (mother) |
Elizabeth Sutherland Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland (née Gordon, 24 May 1765–29 January 1839), also suo jure 19th Countess of Sutherland, was a Scottish peeress, best remembered for her involvement in the Highland Clearances.
Elizabeth was the only surviving child of the William Gordon, 18th Earl of Sutherland and his wife, Mary Maxwell. She succeeded to her father's titles in 1766, a few weeks after her first birthday, becoming Countess of Sutherland.[1]
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Elizabeth and her factor, Patrick Sellar, had a reputation for being especially cruel in the Highland Clearances. The clearances brought widespread condemnation and the Highland Land League eventually achieved land reform in the enactment of Crofting Acts, but these could not bring economic viability and came too late at a time when the land was already suffering from depopulation.[2] Elizabeth, on seeing the starving tenants on her husband's estate, remarked in a letter to a friend in England, "Scotch people are of happier constitution and do not fatten like the larger breed of animals."[3]
On 4 September 1785, she married Lord George Leveson-Gower and they had four surviving children:
Shortly before his death in 1833, her husband was created Duke of Sutherland and Elizabeth became a duchess. On her own death six years later, her comital title passed to her eldest son, George.
| Peerage of Scotland | ||
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| Preceded by William Sutherland |
Countess of Sutherland 1766 – 1839 |
Succeeded by George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower |