William Sutherland, 18th Earl of Sutherland facts for kids
William Sutherland, 18th Earl of Sutherland (1735–1766) was a Scottish nobleman. He held the title of Earl of Sutherland, which was passed down through his family.
His Early Life
William Sutherland was born on 28 May 1735. His parents were William Sutherland, 17th Earl of Sutherland and Lady Elizabeth Wemyss.
In 1759, when he was a captain in the 56th Regiment of Foot, William helped create a special army unit. This unit was called the original Sutherland Fencibles. He gathered soldiers from his own family group, known as Clan Sutherland. Their job was to protect Scotland from a possible invasion by France.
Family and Important Events
In the summer of 1761, William married Mary Maxwell of Reston in Edinburgh. Mary was sixteen years old. Her mother had remarried Charles Erskine, Lord Tinwald, who was also known as Lord Alva.
William and Mary went to London for the coronation of George III on 22 September 1761. Many people noticed how beautiful his wife was at the event.
In May 1765, they had a daughter named Elizabeth.
A Sad Ending
William became very ill and went to Bath to try and get better. His wife, Mary, visited him there. Sadly, she caught the same illness and passed away on 1 June 1766. William was not told about her death.
Just a few days later, on 16 June 1766, William also died from the same illness. It seemed he knew his wife was gone, as his last words were "I am going to join my own dear wife."
William and Mary were buried together in a single ceremony. This took place in the family burial ground at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh on 9 August 1766.
