Margaret Wemyss, 3rd Countess of Wemyss and Countess of Cromarty (1 January 165911 March 1705) was a Scottish peer. Margaret was the daughter of

David Wemyss, 2nd Earl of Wemyss David Wemyss, 2nd Earl of Wemyss (6 September 1610July 1679) was an army officer. He was the only son of John Wemyss, 1st Earl of Wemyss and Jean Gray (d. 1640), daughter of Lord Gray. As Lord Elcho, a title he held between 1633 and 1649, he com ...

and Margaret Leslie, daughter of

John Leslie, 6th Earl of Rothes John Leslie, 6th Earl of Rothes (1600 – 23 August 1641) was a Scottish nobleman, one of the main leaders of the Covenanters. Life Born in Leslie, Fife, he was the only son of James Leslie, Master of Rothes (died 1607) and Katherine Drummond, h ...

. She was the youngest of sixteen children; she and her older sister, Lady Jean Wemyss (a half-sister by her father's first wife), were the only ones who did not die young and childless. Normally the family's titles would have gone to the older daughter but "owing to special circumstance", Margaret was preferred over Jean. Jean Wemyss disputed this and the case was discussed before the Scottish Parliament, where Margaret prevailed. She succeeded to the family title in 1679. On 28 March 1672 at age 13, Margaret married her cousin, Sir James Weymss of Caskieberry (later created Lord Burntisland for life) and they had three surviving children: * Lady Anna (18 October 1675 – 1702), married

David Melville, 3rd Earl of Leven David Melville, later Leslie, 3rd Earl of Leven and ''de jure'' 2nd Earl of Melville (5 May 16606 June 1728) was a Scottish aristocrat, politician, and soldier. The third son of George Melville, 1st Earl of Melville and his second wife Catherine ...

. * Lady Margaret (1 April 1677 – 29 March 1763), married

David Carnegie, 4th Earl of Northesk David Carnegie, 4th Earl of Northesk (1675 – 14 January 1729) was a Scottish peer and politician. He was born the son of David Carnegie, 3rd Earl of Northesk and Elizabeth Lindsay. He was invested as a Privy Councillor of Scotland in 1698 and ...

. * David, later 4th Earl of Wemyss (1678–1720). After Lord Burntisland died in 1682, the countess married Sir George Mackenzie of Tarbat (later created

Earl of Cromartie Earl of Cromartie () is a title that has been created twice, both for members of the Mackenzie family. It was first created as Earl of Cromarty in the Peerage of Scotland in 1703 for Sir George Mackenzie, 2nd Baronet, but his titles were forfe ...

References

3 Hereditary women peers 1659 births 1705 deaths 17th-century Scottish peers 17th-century Scottish women Wemyss {{Scotland-earl-stub