Charlotte Mary Gertrude Strutt, 1st Baroness Rayleigh (29 May 1758 – 13 September 1836), known as Lady Charlotte FitzGerald from 1758 to 1789 and as Lady Charlotte Strutt from 1789 to 1821, was a British peeress.

Early life

Charlotte was the daughter of

James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster Lieutenant-General James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster, PC (Ire) (29 May 1722 – 19 November 1773), styled Lord Offaly until 1743 and known as The Earl of Kildare between 1743 and 1761 and as The Marquess of Kildare between 1761 and 17 ...

, and his wife, Lady Emily, daughter of

Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond, 2nd Duke of Lennox, 2nd Duke of Aubigny, (18 May 17018 August 1750) of Goodwood House near Chichester in Sussex, was a British nobleman and politician. He was the son of Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richm ...

, and the second of the famous

Lennox sisters The Lennox sisters were four eighteenth-century British aristocrats, the daughters of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond (1701–1750) by his wife Lady Sarah Lennox, Duchess of Richmond and Lennox, Sarah Cadogan (1705–1751). The four sisters ...

Lord Edward FitzGerald Lord Edward FitzGerald (15 October 1763 – 4 June 1798) was an Irish aristocrat and revolutionary proponent of Irish independence from Britain. He abandoned his prospects as a distinguished veteran of British service in the American War of Ind ...

and Charles FitzGerald, 1st Baron Lecale, were her brothers. Through her mother she was a descendant of King Charles II.

Personal life

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

on 23 February 1789 Charlotte married Joseph Strutt, later Member of Parliament for

Maldon Maldon (, locally ) is a town and civil parish on the Blackwater Estuary in Essex, England. It is the seat of the Maldon District and starting point of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation. It is known for Maldon Sea Salt which is prod ...

and the member of an

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

family that had made their fortune from its milling business. The couple had three surviving children, a son, John (later the second Baron Rayleigh), and two daughters, including: * Hon. Emily Anne Strutt (1790–1864), who died unmarried. * John James Strutt, 2nd Baron Rayleigh (1796–1873), who married Clara Elizabeth La Touche Vicars, daughter of Capt. Richard Vicars, in 1842. * Hon. Charlotte Olivia Strutt (–1897), who married Rev. Robert Drummond, son of Adm. Sir Adam Drummond, 7th of Megginch and Lady Charlotte Murray (eldest daughter of the 4th Duke of Atholl), in 1841. * William Henry Strutt (1800–1805), who died young. Lady Rayleigh died in

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

in September 1836, aged 78, and was succeeded in the barony by her son, John. Joseph Strutt died in 1845.

Peerage

Her husband was offered a peerage for his services in the Army and Parliament but refused, and instead proposed that the honour be given to his wife. Hence, on 18 July 1821 Charlotte was raised to the peerage as Baroness Rayleigh, of Terling Place in the County of Essex.

Notes

References

*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990, * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rayleigh, Charlotte Strutt, 1st Baroness 1758 births 1836 deaths 1 Daughters of British dukes Charlotte Charlotte Hereditary peeresses created by George IV