Edith Abney-Hastings, 12th Countess of Loudoun explained

Honorific Prefix:The Right Honourable
The Countess of Loudoun
Birth Date:13 May 1883
Office:Countess of Loudoun
Term Start:17 May 1920
Term End:24 February 1960
Predecessor:Charles Clifton
Successor:Barbara Abney-Hastings
Office1:Baroness Botreaux
Baroness Hastings
Baroness Hastings
Term Start1:23 February 1921
Term End1:24 February 1960
Predecessor1:Vacant
Abeyant since 1920
Title last held by Charles Clifton
Successor1:Vacant
Abeyant
Office2:Baroness Stanley
Term Start2:1921
Term End2:24 February 1960
Predecessor2:Vacant
Abeyant since 1594
Title last held by Ferdinando Stanley
Successor2:Vacant
Abeyant
Children:Ian Abney-Hastings, Lord Mauchline
Barbara Abney-Hastings, 13th Countess of Loudoun
Lady Jean Abney-Hastings, Campbell of Loudoun
Lady Iona French
Fiona de Fresnes, Baroness de Fresnes
Lady Edith Maclaren
Parents:Hon. Paulyn Abney-Hastings
Lady Maud Grimston
Relatives:Elizabeth Philipps, Viscountess St Davids (sister)
Norrie MacLaren (grandson)

Edith Maud Abney-Hastings, 12th Countess of Loudoun (13 May 1883  - 24 February 1960) was a British peeress.

Family

She was the first daughter and coheir of Hon. Paulyn Abney-Hastings (the second son of Charles Abney-Hastings, 1st Baron Donington, and Edith Rawdon-Hastings, 10th Countess of Loudoun) and his wife, Lady Maud née Grimston (the third daughter of James Grimston, 2nd Earl of Verulam).

On 12 December 1916, she married Captain Reginald Huddleston, who adopted her surname. They divorced in 1947 after having six children:

Peerages

On 17 May 1920, she inherited the earldom of Loudoun from her childless uncle, Charles Clifton, 11th Earl of Loudoun.

On 19 October that year, she and her sister, Viscountess St Davids, petitioned the Committee for Privileges for the baronies of Botreaux, Hungerford, de Moleyns, Hastings (de Hastings) and Hastings (de Hungerford), which were abeyant between them and their other sister, Lady Flora, since the death of the 11th Earl.[2] They also petitioned for the baronies of Strange (de Knockyn) and Stanley as descendants of the last holder, Ferdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of Derby.[3] The sisters were confirmed as co-heirs to the baronies on 17 December.[4] [5] On 23 February 1921, the viscountess was granted the baronies of Hungerford, de Moleyns and Strange (de Knockyn), whilst those of Botreaux, Stanley and Hastings (de Hastings) were granted to the countess on 7 March.

On 23 June that year, the two sisters also petitioned for the earldoms of Warwick and Salisbury, and for the baronies of Montagu, Montacute, Monthermer and Pole of Montagu, as descendants of Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, and Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury, and for the latters attainders to be reversed.[6] [7] However, James Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of Salisbury, and Francis Greville, 5th Earl of Warwick, counter-petitioned and the attainders were not reversed.[8] [9] [10] [11]

On Lady Loudoun's death in 1960, her earldom passed to her eldest surviving child, Lady Barbara, whilst her English baronies became abeyant again, between her five daughters.

The Great Fire

On 1 December 1941, the family comprising Lady Loudoun, her daughters and infant granddaughter Sheena, were sleeping in their rooms under the first floor library in Loudoun Castle. Heating was by coal and log fires and it is thought that burning resin came back down the library chimney setting the wooden floor alight. The resulting fire destroyed the building, except for the stone walls. No one from the family has slept in the castle since that night. In 1995 the castle grounds were converted into a popular amusement park.

References

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Notes and References

  1. http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2068381/ Record at Commonwealth War Graves Commission
  2. https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords-reports/1920/oct/19/baronies-of-botreaux-hungerford-de#S5LV0042P0-00109 Lords Hansard (19 October 1920) - Baronies of Botreaux, Hungerford, de Moleyns and Hastings
  3. https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords-reports/1920/oct/19/baronies-of-strange-of-knokin-and-stanley#S5LV0042P0-00110 Lords Hansard (19 October 1920) - Baronies of Strange of Knockin and Stanley
  4. https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords-reports/1920/dec/17/baronies-of-botreaux-hungerford-de#S5LV0039P0-02409 Lords Hansard (17 December 1920) - Baronies of Botreaux, Hungerford, de Moleyns and Hastings
  5. https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords-reports/1920/dec/17/baronies-of-strange-of-knokin-and-stanley#S5LV0039P0-02422 Lords Hansard (17 December 1920) - Baronies of Strange of Knockin and Stanley
  6. https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords-reports/1921/jun/23/earldoms-of-warwick-and-salisbury#S5LV0045P0-02328 Lords Hansard (23 June 1921) - Earldoms of Warwick and Salisbury
  7. https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords-reports/1921/jun/23/baronies-of-montagu-montacute-monthermer#S5LV0045P0-02329 Lords Hansard (23 June 1921) - Baronies of Montagu, Montacute, Monthermer and Pole of Montagu
  8. https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords-reports/1922/mar/02/earldoms-of-salisbury-and-warwick#S5LV0049P0-00812 Lords Hansard (2 March 1922) - Earldoms of Salisbury and Warwick
  9. https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords-reports/1922/mar/09/earldoms-of-salisbury-and-warwick#S5LV0049P0-01173 Lords Hansard (9 March 1922) - Earldoms of Salisbury and Warwick
  10. https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords-reports/1928/dec/10/barony-of-monthermer-1309#S5LV0072P0-01000 Lords Hansard (10 December 1928) - Baron of Monthermer (1309)
  11. https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords-reports/1928/dec/10/baronies-of-montacute-and-monthermer#S5LV0072P0-00992 Lords Hansard (10 December 1928) - Baronies of Montacute and Monthermer