Susanna Montgomery, Lady Eglinton
| The Countess of Eglinton | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lady Eglinton
|
|||||
| Tenure | 1709 - 1729 | ||||
| Born |
1 January 1690 Culzean Castle |
||||
| Died | 18 March 1780 (aged 90) Auchans Castle |
||||
| Burial | Kilwinning | ||||
| Spouse | Alexander Montgomerie, 9th Earl of Eglinton | ||||
| Issue More |
James, Lord Montgomerie Alexander, 10th Earl of Eglinton Archibald, 11th Earl of Eglinton Lady Elizabeth Montgomerie Lady Helen Montgomerie Lady Susan Montgomerie Lady Margaret Montgomerie Lady Christian Montgomerie Lady Charlotte Montgomerie Lady Grace Montgomerie Lady Frances Montgomerie |
||||
|
|||||
| House | Clan Kennedy | ||||
| Father | Sir Archibald Kennedy, 1st Bt. | ||||
| Mother | Hon. Elizabeth Leslie | ||||
| Full name | |
|---|---|
| Susanna Kennedy |
Susanna Montgomery, Countess of Eglinton (1690 – 18 March 1780) was the third wife of Alexander Montgomerie, 9th Earl of Eglinton. Born in 1690, she died at Auchans on 18 March 1780 at the age of 90. She had been a widow for nearly 51 years. The surname of the family is often rendered as Montgomerie and she signed herself as S. Eglintoune.
Born at Culzean Castle, Lady Eglinton was the daughter of Sir Archibald Kennedy, 1st Bt. of Culzean and the Hon. Elizabeth Leslie, daughter of David Leslie, 1st Lord Newark.
Lady Eglinton was celebrated for her beauty, and for her patronage of the Scottish poets and writers of her day. Her interest in literature was seen by her contemporaries to be distinctly odd for one of her station.Sir William Fraser, the Scottish historian, said that to her loveliness were added the more valuable attractions of genius and great accomplishment. She was exceptional in her knowledge of art, music, literature, science, philosophy and history; additionally she spoke Italian, French and German.
Fullarton suggests that Susanna's personality owed much to her maternal grandfather, General David Leslie, later Lord Newark. He was second in command at the Battle of Marston moor and in command at the Battle of Philiphaugh; on the winning side at both encounters.
She was beautiful and at 6 foot, unusually tall for those times. It is stated that, on her arrival with her father in Edinburgh around the time of the Union (1702), she was surrounded by wooers. One of these, Sir John Clerk, baronet, of Pennycuik, was deemed likeliest to succeed, but was unsuccessful.
She instead married the 9th Earl. When Susanna's father consulted him as to the propriety of the match the earl, whose second countess was then alive but in a long-continued state of ill health, purportedly replied Bide awee, Sir Archie, my wife’s very sickly. Soon afterwards his second wife died of natural causes and he married again, this being to his third countess. Susanna did not immediately accept, but the earl eventually won through in spite of numerous rivals. She was married for 20 years and a widow at the age of 40, living for another 51 years. She brought to the family a way of walking in a stately fashion which became known as 'the Eglinton air'.
...
Wikipedia