Elizabeth Maitland, Duchess of Lauderdale

The Duchess of Lauderdale
Elizabeth Murray, by Sir Peter Lely, circa 1648
Born	28 September 1626
Died	5 June 1698 (aged 72) Ham House
Resting place	Petersham Parish Church
Spouse(s)	Sir Lionel Tollemache John Maitland
Issue	Lionel Tollemache Thomas Tollemache Elizabeth Tollemache
Parents	William Murray, 1st Earl of Dysart Catherine Bruce

Elizabeth Maitland, Duchess of Lauderdale (née Murray; 28 September 1626 – 5 June 1698) was an influential Scottish noblewoman. In her own right she was the Countess of Dysart and through marriage the Duchess of Lauderdale. She is famous for the political influence she held, which was unusual for women of the period, and for her support for Charles II during his exile, as a member of the secret organisation known as the Sealed Knot.

Murray was the eldest of the five daughters of William Murray, 1st Earl of Dysart, a close friend and Gentleman of the Bedchamber of Charles I; and his wife Catherine Bruce. Her father ensured that she received a full education, which was unusual for women of the period.

Because of the English Civil War her father was delayed in finding her a husband but in 1648 she married Sir Lionel Tollemache. The couple had eleven children, five of whom lived to adulthood, including Lionel Tollemache, 3rd Earl of Dysart and Thomas Tollemache; their eldest daughter, Elizabeth Tollemache, married Archibald Campbell, 1st Duke of Argyll.

Elizabeth did not want a quiet domestic life and based herself at her family home, Ham House near Richmond, London, which she spent much time and money redeveloping. She was acquainted with the Parliamentarian Oliver Cromwell during this period and the friendship provided a cover for her own Royalist tendencies. In 1653 she joined the secret Royalist organisation, the Sealed Knot. She was in correspondence with exiled supporters of Charles II and even visited Europe to see the king himself.

Upon her father's death in 1655 she inherited his titles, becoming suo jure Countess of Dysart and Lady Huntingtower.