Elizabeth Millicent Sutherland, 24th Countess of Sutherland (''née'' Sutherland-Leveson-Gower; 30 March 1921 – 9 December 2019) was a Scottish noblewoman. She was the holder of an earldom in the

Peerage of Scotland The Peerage of Scotland ( gd, Moraireachd na h-Alba, sco, Peerage o Scotland) is one of the five divisions of peerages in the United Kingdom and for those peers created by the King of Scots before 1707. Following that year's Treaty of Unio ...

, and was chief of

Clan Sutherland Clan Sutherland is a Highland Scottish clan whose traditional territory is the shire of Sutherland in the far north of Scotland. The chief of the clan was also the powerful Earl of Sutherland, however in the early 16th century this title passed ...

Early life

Sutherland was born in Chelsea, London, on 30 March 1921, the only child of Elizabeth Demarest (1892–1931), a daughter of Warren Gardener Demarest of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, and Major Lord Alastair Sutherland-Leveson-Gower (1890–1921), a son of

Cromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 4th Duke of Sutherland Cromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 4th Duke of Sutherland, (20 July 1851– 27 June 1913), styled Lord Cromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower until 1858, Earl Gower between 1858 and 1861 and Marquess of Stafford between 1861 and 1892, was a Britis ...

. Her father died while taking part in a big game expedition in

Rhodesia Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the ''de facto'' successor state to the British colony of So ...

, contracting

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. ...

and dying there on 28 April 1921, aged 31. In 1931, her mother married Baron George Osten Driesen; she died three months after their wedding. Sutherland became a ward of her uncle

George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 5th Duke of Sutherland George Granville Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 5th Duke of Sutherland, KT, PC (29 August 1888 – 1 February 1963), styled Earl Gower until 1892 and Marquess of Stafford between 1892 and 1913, was a British courtier, patron of the film industr ...

, and when he died without legitimate issue, she succeeded him as the 24th Countess of Sutherland and Lady Strathnaver. The dukedom and the other titles that could only pass in the male line were inherited by the Earl of Ellesmere. She also inherited most of her uncle's large land-holdings, including

Dunrobin Castle Dunrobin Castle (mostly 1835–1845 — present) is a stately home in Sutherland, in the Highland area of Scotland, as well as the family seat of the Earl of Sutherland and the Clan Sutherland. It is located north of Golspie and approximatel ...

. She subsequently dropped the double-barrels in her family name, in order to be recognised as chief of

Marriage

On 5 January 1946, Sutherland married journalist Charles Noel Janson (25 December 1917–15 June 2006), and together, they had four children: * Alistair Charles St. Clair Sutherland, 25th Earl of Sutherland (born 7 January 1947); he married Eileen Baker on 29 November 1968, and they were divorced in 1980. They have two daughters. He remarried Gillian Murray on 21 March 1980, and they have two children. * The Hon. Martin Dearman Sutherland Janson (born 7 January 1947); he married The Hon. Mary Balfour (daughter of

Harold Balfour, 1st Baron Balfour of Inchrye Harold Harington Balfour, 1st Baron Balfour of Inchrye, (1 November 1897 – 21 September 1988), was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom, and a flying ace of the First World War. As Under-Secretary of State for Air in 1944 he ...

) on 14 February 1974. They have five sons. * Lady Annabel Elizabeth Hélène Janson (born 16 May 1952) she married John Vernon Bainton, son of Richard Bainton, on 29 October 1982. * The Hon. Matthew Peter Demarest Janson (8 April 1955 – 5 December 1969)

Later life

She died on 9 December 2019 at the London home she shared with her daughter Annabel. She was aged 98. Her funeral took place at

Dornoch Cathedral Dornoch Cathedral is a former Roman Catholic cathedral and is currently a Church of Scotland parish church serving the small Sutherland town of Dornoch, in the Scottish Highlands. As a congregation of the Church of Scotland, which is Presbyt ...

on 21 December.

Arms

References

External links

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Elizabeth Sutherland, 24th Countess of Sutherland
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sutherland, Elizabeth Sutherland, 24th Countess of Hereditary women peers Elizabeth Scottish countesses Elizabeth Sutherland, 24th Countess of Sutherland 1921 births 2019 deaths 20th-century Scottish people 20th-century Scottish women 21st-century Scottish people 21st-century Scottish women 20th-century Scottish businesspeople

Sutherland Sutherland ( gd, Cataibh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the Highlands of Scotland. Its county town is Dornoch. Sutherland borders Caithness and Moray Firth to the east, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire (later c ...