Charlotte Murray, Duchess of Atholl

Charlotte Murray, Duchess of Atholl, the 8th Baroness Strange (13 October 1731 – 13 October 1805) was a Scottish peer. Born Lady Charlotte Murray, she was the daughter of the 2nd Duke of Atholl. On 23 October 1753, she married her first cousin, John Murray at Dunkeld, Scotland. They had nine children.

Children of Charlotte Murray, Duchess of Atholl

On 8 January 1764, Charlotte's father died. Her husband, John, should have been heir to the dukedom, which was only able to descend through the male line; but he was ineligible since his father had fought in the Jacobite Rising and consequently been attainted in the blood. Charlotte, however, had succeeded to her father's title of Baron Strange (which could descend through the female line) and consequently held a higher position in society than her husband. Thus, just less than a month later on 7 February 1764, the House of Lords deemed John as the rightful heir to his uncle's title (notwithstanding the attainder of his father) and he succeeded him as 3rd Duke of Atholl, whereupon Charlotte became Duchess of Atholl.

She inherited the sovereignty of the Isle of Man from her father on his death but sold it to the British Crown in 1765 for £70,000 and an annuity of £2,000 per year.

The duchess died on her 74th birthday in 1805 at Barochey House, near Glasgow, and was buried at Dunkeld.

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