Anne Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland (21 April 1829 – 25 November 1888), 1st Countess of Cromartie in her own right and known as the Marchioness of Stafford from 1849 to 1861, was a British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 peeress

Peerage

The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...

.

Born Anne Hay-Mackenzie, she was the daughter of John Hay-Mackenzie of Newhall and Cromarty

Cromarty

The Royal Burgh of Cromarty is a burgh in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland.-History:It was previously the county town of the former county of Cromartyshire...

 and the great-great-granddaughter of George Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Cromartie (who took part in the Jacobite rising of 1745 and was attainted

Attainder

In English criminal law, attainder or attinctura is the metaphorical 'stain' or 'corruption of blood' which arises from being condemned for a serious capital crime . It entails losing not only one's property and hereditary titles, but typically also the right to pass them on to one's heirs...

 in 1746).

On 27 June 1849 she married George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Marquess of Stafford

George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of Sutherland

George Granville William Sutherland Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of Sutherland , styled Viscount Trentham until 1833, Earl Gower in 1833 and Marquess of Stafford between 1833 and 1861, was a British politician.-Background:Sutherland was the son of George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland...

, eldest son of George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland

George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland

George Granville Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland KG , styled Viscount Trentham until 1803, Earl Gower between 1803 and 1833 and Marquess of Stafford in 1833, was a British peer....

. He succeeded as third Duke of Sutherland

Duke of Sutherland

Duke of Sutherland, derived from Sutherland in Scotland, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom held by the head of the Leveson-Gower family. It was created by William IV in 1833 for George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Marquess of Stafford...

 on 22 February 1861. The Duchess of Sutherland had succeeded to her father's lands in the year of her marriage. On 21 October 1861 the title held by her great-great-grandfather was revived when she was created Countess of Cromartie in her own right, with remainder to her younger sons and her daughters. She later served as Mistress of the Robes

Mistress of the Robes

The Mistress of the Robes is the senior lady of the British Royal Household. Formerly responsible for the Queen's clothes and jewellery, the post now has the responsibility for arranging the rota of attendance of the Ladies in Waiting on the Queen, along with various duties at State ceremonies...

 to Queen Victoria

Victoria of the United Kingdom

Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....

 from 1870 to 1874.

On her death in 1888, aged 59, she was succeeded in her earldom according to the special remainder by her younger son Lord Francis Leveson-Gower. The Duke of Sutherland died in 1892 and was succeeded by their eldest surviving son Cromartie

Cromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 4th Duke of Sutherland

Cromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 4th Duke of Sutherland , styled Lord Cromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower until 1858, Earl Gower between 1858 and 1861 and Marquess of Stafford between 1861 and 1892, was a British peer and politician.-Background:Sutherland was the son of George...

.

Criticism

The Duchess was heavily criticized by Karl Marx

Karl Marx

Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...

 in The People's Paper for practical genocide, in order to appropriate 794,000 acres of land in Sutherlandshire

Sutherland

Sutherland is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic administrative county of Scotland. It is now within the Highland local government area. In Gaelic the area is referred to according to its traditional areas: Dùthaich 'IcAoidh , Asainte , and Cataibh...

 in the northern part of Scotland. As the local Gaels where driven away by British soldiers and into the sea shore, the article mentions that "An old woman refusing to quit her hut was burned in the flames of it". The facts where also carried over in Carlo Cafiero's

Carlo Cafiero

Carlo Cafiero was an Italian anarchist and champion of Mikhail Bakunin during the second half of the 19th century.-Early years:...

The Compendium of The Capital [1878].

Titles and styles

• 21 April 1829 – 27 June 1849: Miss Anne Hay-Mackenzie
• 27 June 1849 – 21 October 1861: Marchioness of Stafford
• 21 October 1861 – 25 November 1888: Her Grace The Duchess of Sutherland