Nationality British Offices Chief of Clan Mar | Name Margaret Mar, Role Hereditary peer | |
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Born 19 September 1940 (age 83) ( 1940-09-19 ) Heir Susan of Mar, Mistress of Mar Spouse(s) Edwin Noel Artiss (div.), John Salton (div.), John Jenkin Children Susan of Mar, Mistress of Mar | ||
Margaret of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar (born 19 September 1940), is a crossbench member of the House of Lords, an elected hereditary peer, the holder of the original Earldom of Mar, the oldest peerage title in the United Kingdom, and a farmer and former specialist goats cheesemaker in Great Witley, Worcestershire. She is the only suo jure countess in the House of Lords.
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Early life
She was born Margaret Alison Lane, the daughter of Millicent Mary Salton and James Clifton Lane, later James of Mar, 30th Earl of Mar, the heir presumptive of Lionel Erskine-Young, 29th Earl of Mar, his first cousin once removed (both were descended from a sister of John Goodeve-Erskine, 27th Earl of Mar).
Margaret had two younger siblings: David of Mar, Master of Mar, and Lady Janet of Mar. In 1959, her father was officially recognised in the style of Mar, and from that year his three children were also styled of Mar, the name Lane being abandoned.
Mistress of Mar
When Margaret's father succeeded as 30th Earl of Mar in 1965 she became Lady Margaret of Mar, and her brother became The Master of Mar, Lord Garioch. When Lord Garioch died in 1967, Margaret became The Mistress of Mar as the elder heir-portioner presumptive in general of her father.
Countess of Mar
When in 1975 her father the 30th Earl died, Lady Margaret became the 31st holder of the Mar earldom, the Premier Earldom of Scotland, and entered the House of Lords, making her maiden speech in April 1976. After the passing of House of Lords Act 1999, Lady Mar was elected to serve as one of the ninety-two hereditary peers retained in the House, where she sits as a cross-bencher, meaning she is not aligned with any particular political party.
As Countess of Mar she is also titular 11th Duchess of Mar in the Jacobite Peerage (in which Peerage she is numbered as 32nd Countess of Mar, as the attainder of 1716–1824 is not recognised by the Jacobites).
Lady Mar has held a number of positions within the House of Lords:
Lady Mar is currently a member of the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments, a member of the Lords Refreshment Committee, and a member of the panel of Deputy Chairmen of Committees. Lady Mar is also secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Pesticides and Organophosphates.
Lady Mar has also held a variety of non-political offices:
Illness
In the summer of 1989, while dipping her sheep through a tank of organophosphorous chemicals, Lady Mar was subjected to a splash of chemicals on her foot, and three weeks later developed headaches and muscular pains. She was eventually diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. Since then Lady Mar has used her seat in the House of Lords almost exclusively to press the government to provide suitable care and support for patients with similar long-term and poorly understood medical conditions, and to better regulate the use of organophosphates. This also led to her membership on the EU sub-committees listed above.
As a consequence of her illness, Lady Mar founded the organisation Forward-ME to co-ordinate the activities of a fairly broad spectrum of charities and voluntary organisations working with patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, which is also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).
Family
Lady Mar has married three times: first to Edwin Noel Artiss, then to John Salton, and finally to John Jenkin. From the first marriage she had a daughter: Susan Helen of Mar, Mistress of Mar (born 1963), the heiress presumptive to her mother's peerage. Lady Susan is married to Bruce Alexander Wyllie, and has two daughters, Isabel and Frances.