Earl of Sutherland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Earldom of Sutherland |
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Gules, three mullets or, on a bordure of the second a double tressure flory counterflory of the first
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| Creation date | 1230 |
| Monarch | Alexander II of Scotland |
| Peerage | Peerage of Scotland |
| First holder | William de Moravia |
| Present holder | Alistair, 25th Earl of Sutherland |
| Heir presumptive | Lady Rachel Elizabeth Sutherland, Mistress of Sutherland |
| Remainder to | heirs general of the body of the grantee |
| Subsidiary titles | Lord Strathnaver |
| Seat(s) | Dunrobin Castle |
| Motto | Sans peur ("Fearless") |
The Earl of Sutherland is a very old and important title in Scotland. It was first created around the year 1230 for a person named William de Moravia. This makes it the oldest earldom in the Peerage of Scotland, which is a list of noble titles. The Earl or Countess of Sutherland is also the leader, or chief, of Clan Sutherland.
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History of the Sutherland Earls
The first Earls of Sutherland had the family name "de Moravia." Sometimes, they also used the name "Sutherland," which came from their title. The name "de Moravia" means "from Moray" or "from Murray." These early Earls of Sutherland might have shared ancestors with the leaders of Clan Murray. Both families believe they came from a person named Freskin de Moravia.
Over time, the family name changed. From Robert, the 6th Earl (who died in 1444), onwards, the family used the surname Sutherland.
Changes in the Sutherland Family Line
Later, Elizabeth Sutherland, 10th Countess of Sutherland (who lived from 1470 to 1535) married Adam Gordon. He was a younger son of George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly, who was the chief of Clan Gordon. Their son, Alexander Gordon, Master of Sutherland, had descendants who became the next Earls of Sutherland. These earls all used the Gordon surname.
The title continued to be passed down through men for a long time. But then, William Gordon, the 18th Earl, died without any sons. So, the title went to his daughter, Elizabeth, the 19th Countess of Sutherland (1765–1839).
Connecting Two Noble Families
In 1785, the 19th Countess of Sutherland married George Granville Leveson-Gower. He later inherited the title of Marquess of Stafford from his father in 1803. This Marquess was very rich and owned a lot of land. He inherited wealth from his father and his mother's uncle. He also held much property connected to the Earldom of Sutherland, which belonged to his wife. In 1833, he was given the new title of Duke of Sutherland.
The Duke's son, also named George, inherited the Earldom of Sutherland from his mother. He also inherited the Dukedom of Sutherland from his father. For a while, these two important titles were held by the same person in the Leveson-Gower family. This continued until the 5th Duke died in 1963.
After the 5th Duke's death, the Earldom of Sutherland went to his niece, Elizabeth Sutherland, 24th Countess of Sutherland (1921–2019). However, the Dukedom of Sutherland had to go to a male heir. So, it was inherited by John Egerton, who was also the 5th Earl of Ellesmere (1915–2000). This meant the two titles were no longer held by the same person.
The Earldom of Sutherland also has a smaller title connected to it: Lord Strathnaver. This title was created around 1230. It is often used as a special title for the Earl's or Countess's oldest son and heir. This is called a courtesy title.
The main home of the Earls and Countesses of Sutherland is Dunrobin Castle. It is located near Golspie, in Sutherland, Scotland.
Who Were the First Earls of Sutherland?
There are different stories about the very first ancestors of the Earls of Sutherland. The most common story says that William de Moravia (also known as William Sutherland), who was the 1st Earl of Sutherland (died in 1248), was the son of Hugh de Moravia. Hugh was believed to be the grandson of Freskin, a knight from a place called Flanders.
Another historian, William Fraser, wrote in the 1800s that Hugh was actually Freskin's son, not his grandson.
Sir Robert Gordon (1580–1656), who wrote a history of the Sutherland family in the 1600s, had a different idea. He said that William de Moravia (the 1st Earl) was the son of Hugh, Earl of Sutherland, who was nicknamed Hugh Freskin. Sir Robert Gordon believed this Hugh was the son of Robert Sutherland (who he said was an Earl of Sutherland and started Dunrobin Castle). This Robert was supposedly the son of Walter Southerland (Earl of Sutherland), who was the son of Alane Southerland, Thane of Sutherland.
List of Earls and Countesses of Sutherland
Even though the first earls had the name "de Moravia," some historians, like Sir Robert Gordon, 1st Baronet, said they actually used the name "Sutherland." Modern historians from Cambridge University Press say that from Robert, the 6th Earl, onwards, they definitely used the surname Sutherland.
Here is a list of the Earls and Countesses of Sutherland:
- William de Moravia, 1st Earl of Sutherland (William Sutherland) (around 1210–1248)
- William de Moravia, 2nd Earl of Sutherland (William Sutherland) (around 1235–1307)
- William de Moravia, 3rd Earl of Sutherland (William Sutherland) (died 1330)
- Kenneth de Moravia, 4th Earl of Sutherland (Kenneth Sutherland) (around 1270–1333)
- William de Moravia, 5th Earl of Sutherland (William Sutherland) (around 1312–1370)
- Robert Sutherland, 6th Earl of Sutherland (around 1350–1444)
- John Sutherland, 7th Earl of Sutherland (around 1390–1460)
- John Sutherland, 8th Earl of Sutherland (1435–1508)
- John Sutherland, 9th Earl of Sutherland (died 1514)
- Elizabeth Sutherland, 10th Countess of Sutherland (1470–1535) (She was the younger sister of the 9th Earl. She married Adam Gordon.)
- Alexander Gordon, Master of Sutherland (son of Elizabeth) (around 1505–1530)
- John Gordon, 11th Earl of Sutherland (around 1526–1567)
- Alexander Gordon, 12th Earl of Sutherland (around 1552–1594)
- John Gordon, 13th Earl of Sutherland (1576–1615)
- John Gordon, 14th Earl of Sutherland (1609–1679)
- George Gordon, 15th Earl of Sutherland (1633–1703)
- John Gordon, 16th Earl of Sutherland (1661–1733) (He changed his family name from Gordon to Sutherland.)
- William Sutherland, 17th Earl of Sutherland (1708–1750)
- William Sutherland, 18th Earl of Sutherland (1735–1766)
- Elizabeth Sutherland, 19th Countess of Sutherland (1765–1839) (She was the wife of George Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland.)
- George Granville Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland, 20th Earl of Sutherland (1786–1861)
- George Granville William Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of Sutherland, 21st Earl of Sutherland (1828–1892)
- Cromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 4th Duke of Sutherland, 22nd Earl of Sutherland (1851–1913)
- George Granville Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 5th Duke of Sutherland, 23rd Earl of Sutherland (1888–1963)
- Elizabeth Sutherland, 24th Countess of Sutherland (1921–2019)
- Alistair Sutherland, 25th Earl of Sutherland (born 1947)
The Current Earl of Sutherland
Alistair Charles St Clair Sutherland, the 25th Earl of Sutherland, was born on January 7, 1947. He is the son of Charles Noel Janson and Elizabeth, the 24th Countess of Sutherland. When he was born, his name was Alistair Charles St. Clair Janson. In 1963, he became Lord Strathnaver and changed his last name to Sutherland. He went to Eton College and Christ Church, Oxford university.
He worked for the Metropolitan Police (a police force) from 1969 to 1974. He also worked for IBM (a technology company) from 1976 to 1979.
On December 9, 2019, he became the Earl of Sutherland.
He has been married twice. In 1968, he married Eileen Elizabeth Baker. They had two daughters before getting divorced in 1980:
- Lady Rachel Elizabeth Sutherland (born 1970)
- Lady Rosemary Millicent Sutherland (born 1972)
In 1980, he married Gillian Murray. They have a son and a daughter:
- Alexander Charles Robert Sutherland, Lord Strathnaver (1981–2022)
- Lady Elizabeth Sutherland (born 1984)
Sadly, Lord Strathnaver, Alistair's son and heir, passed away in 2022. Now, the person next in line to inherit the title is his eldest daughter, Lady Rachel Sutherland, who is called the Mistress of Sutherland.
Images for kids
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Lozenge-shaped arms of the Countess of Sutherland
See also
- Clan Sutherland
- Lord Duffus
- Duke of Sutherland
- Leveson-Gower family
