Earl of Dysart

Earldom of Dysart
Argent a fret Sable
Creation date	3 August 1643
Monarch	King Charles I
Peerage	Peerage of Scotland
First holder	William Murray
Present holder	John Peter Grant of Rothiemurchus, 13th Earl
Heir apparent	James Patrick Grant younger of Rothiemurchus, Lord Huntingtower
Remainder to	2nd Countess's heirs of the body lawfully begotten, failing which to her heirs whatsoever
Subsidiary titles	Lord Huntingtower

Earl of Dysart (pronounced "Die-z't") is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in 1643 and held continuously since then by twelve descendants.

Creation

The title was created in 1643 for William Murray, who had earlier represented Fowey and East Looe in the English House of Commons. He was made Lord Huntingtower at the same time, also in the Peerage of Scotland. William Murray had been a lifelong friend of King Charles I, in fact having been his whipping boy while the latter was Prince of Wales.

Succession

Murray was succeeded by his daughter, Elizabeth, the second Countess. In 1670 she resigned the peerage and received a new grant thereof by patent with precedency of her father, and with remainder to her heirs of the body, failing which to her heirs whatsoever. Lady Dysart married, firstly, Sir Lionel Tollemache, 3rd Baronet (see Tollemache Baronets for earlier history of this title), and, secondly, John Maitland, 1st Duke of Lauderdale. She was succeeded by her son from her first marriage, Lionel, the third Earl, who had already succeeded his father as fourth Baronet. Lord Dysart notably represented Orford and Suffolk in the House of Commons and served as Lord-Lieutenant of Suffolk, but declined the offer of an English barony. His son, Lionel Tollemache, Lord Huntingtower pre-deceased him and the title was inherited by his grandson, Lionel Tollemache, 4th Earl of Dysart in 1727. The 4th Earl was elected High Steward of Ipswich and Knight of the Thistle. The title passed to the 4th Earl's eldest son, Lionel, who became 5th Earl in 1770. The 5th Earl died without issue in 1799 and the title passed to his brother, Wilbraham, former Member of Parliament for Northampton and Liskeard, who became the 6th Earl at the age of sixty.

With no direct descendants the Tollemache baronetcy became extinct on Wilbraham's death in 1821. The Scottish titles were inherited by the 5th and 6th Earls' sister, Louisa Tollemache, the seventh Countess, widow of John Manners, then aged seventy-five. On succeeding to the titles Lady Dysart assumed by Royal licence the surname and arms of Tollemache (or Talmash).

Louisa's eldest son and heir apparent, William Tollemache, Lord Huntingtower, was created a Baronet, of Hanby Hall in the County of Lincoln, in the Baronetage of Great Britain in 1793. However, he predeceased his mother and Lady Dysart was succeeded by her grandson, Lionel the eighth Earl (the son of Lord Huntingtower), who had already succeeded his father as second Baronet. Lionel represented Ilchester in Parliament 1827–30. Lionel's son, William Tollemache, Lord Huntingtower, predeceased him in 1872 and, on his death in 1878, was succeeded by his grandson, William, the ninth Earl, Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland.

On the death of the 9th Earl the baronetcy and Scottish peerages separated. The baronetcy was inherited by a male heir, Lyonel, (see Tollemache Baronets for later history of this title) while the lordship and earldom passed to his niece Wynefryde Agatha, the tenth Countess(1889–1975). She was the daughter of Agnes Mary Manners Talmash (sister of the ninth Earl) and her husband Charles Norman Lindsay Tollemache Scott.

Lady Dysart married Owain Edward Whitehead Greaves and was succeeded in 1975 by their oldest daughter Rosamund Agnes Greaves(1914–2003) the eleventh Countess. In 2003 her sister Katherine Grant of Rothiemurchus (1918-2011), the widow of Lieutenant-Colonel John Peter Grant of Rothiemurchus M.B.E. became the twelfth Countess. On her death on 8 November 2011 she was succeeded by their son John Peter Grant of Rothiemurchus DL (b. 1946), the thirteenth Earl and current holder of the title. The family seat is now the Doune of Rothiemurchus, by Aviemore, Inverness-shire.

Earls of Dysart (1643/1670)

• William Murray, 1st Earl of Dysart (d. 1655)
• Elizabeth Tollemache, 2nd Countess of Dysart (d. 1698)
• Lionel Tollemache, 3rd Earl of Dysart (1649–1727)
• Lionel Tollemache, 4th Earl of Dysart (1708–1770)
• Lionel Tollemache, 5th Earl of Dysart (1734–1799)
• Wilbraham Tollemache, 6th Earl of Dysart (1739–1821)
• Louisa Tollemache, 7th Countess of Dysart (1745–1840)
• Lionel William John Tollemache, 8th Earl of Dysart (1794–1878)
• William John Manners Tollemache, 9th Earl of Dysart (1859–1935)
• Wenefryde Agatha Scott, 10th Countess of Dysart (1889–1975)
• Rosamund Agnes Greaves, 11th Countess of Dysart (1914–2003)
• Katherine Grant of Rothiemurchus, 12th Countess of Dysart (1918-2011)
• John Peter Grant of Rothiemurchus, 13th Earl of Dysart (b. 1946)

The heir apparent is the present holder's only son James Patrick Grant of Rothiemurchus, Lord Huntingtower (b. 1977).
The heir apparent's heir apparent is his son John Peter Grant of Rothiemurchus, Master of Huntingtower (b. 2011).

See also

• Tollemache Baronets
• Baron Tollemache

References

• Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990,
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages

This article incorporates text from The Scots Peerage (1904-1914), a publication now in the public domain.