Mary Scott, 3rd Countess of Buccleuch and Countess of Tarras (31 August 1647 – 11 March 1661) was a young Scottish peer. Mary was born at

Dalkeith Castle Dalkeith Palace is a country house in Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland. It was the seat of the Dukes of Buccleuch from 1642 until 1914, and is owned by the Buccleuch Living Heritage Trust. The present palace was built 1701–1711 on the site of t ...

, Midlothian, to

Francis Scott, 2nd Earl of Buccleuch Francis Scott, 2nd Earl of Buccleuch (21 December 1626 – 22 November 1651) was a Scottish peer. He was the son of Walter Scott, 1st Earl of Buccleuch and his wife, Lady Mary Hay, daughter of Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll. Upon the death of hi ...

and his wife, Lady 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 ...

. In 1651, her father died, making four-year-old Mary, who was the Earl's eldest daughter, the ''

suo jure ''Suo jure'' is a Latin phrase, used in English to mean 'in his own right' or 'in her own right'. In most nobility-related contexts, it means 'in her own right', since in those situations the phrase is normally used of women; in practice, especi ...

'' countess of Buccleuch. She immediately became one of the most desirable matches in the kingdom. On 9 February 1659, aged only eleven years old, she married Walter Scott of Highchester, who was at that time fourteen. He was created Earl of Tarras a year later. Her mother arranged the marriage without proclamation, with a warrant from the presbytery of Kirkcaldy. It created a lot of disapproval and the court ruled that the couple should be separated until Mary reached the age of twelve. During their separation, they continued a very affectionate correspondence. However, she fell ill and died two years after their reunion, aged thirteen, in 1661, and her titles passed to her sister,

Anne Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

References

1647 births 1661 deaths Earls of Buccleuch Hereditary women peers

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

17th-century Scottish women 17th-century Scottish landowners 17th-century Scottish peers {{Scotland-earl-stub Royalty and nobility who died as children