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Katharine Stewart-Murray, Duchess of Atholl

Her Grace
The Duchess of Atholl
DBE
Katharine Stewart-Murray, Duchess of Atholl.jpg
Member of Parliament
for Kinross and West Perthshire
In office
1923 – 28 November 1938
Preceded by James Gardiner
Succeeded by William McNair Snadden
Personal details
Born (1874-11-06)6 November 1874
Edinburgh
Died 21 October 1960(1960-10-21) (aged 85)
Edinburgh
Nationality British
Political party Scottish Unionist Party
Spouse(s) John Stewart-Murray, Marquess of Tullibardine (later Duke of Atholl)
Relations Sir James Henry Ramsay, 10th Baronet (father);
John, 7th Duke of Atholl, KT (father-in-law)
Children None
Residence Blair Castle and London
Alma mater Royal College of Music
Profession Social reformer; parliamentarian
Religion Christian (Church of Scotland)

Katharine Marjory Stewart-Murray, Duchess of Atholl, DBE (6 November 1874 – 21 October 1960), née Ramsay, and known as the Marchioness of Tullibardine from 1899 to 1917, was a Scottish noblewoman and Scottish Unionist Party politician whose views were often unpopular in her party.

Katharine Marjory Ramsay was born in Edinburgh on 6 November 1874, the daughter of Sir James Henry Ramsay, 10th Baronet. She was educated at Wimbledon High School and the Royal College of Music. During her school years she was known as Kitty Ramsay. On 20 July 1899, she married John Stewart-Murray, Marquess of Tullibardine, who succeeded his father as 8th Duke of Atholl in 1917, whereupon she became formally styled Duchess of Atholl.

Known as "Kitty", Stewart-Murray was active in Scottish social service and local government and in 1912 served on the hugely influential "Highlands and Islands Medical Service Committee" (authors of the Dewar Report) that has been widely credited with creating the forerunner of the National Health Service; she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1918.

She was the Scottish Unionist Member of Parliament (MP) for Kinross and West Perthshire from 1923–38, and served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education from 1924–29, the first woman to serve in a UK Conservative and Unionist government.


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