Barbara Abney-Hastings, 13th Countess of Loudoun

Barbara Huddleston Abney-Hastings, 13th Countess of Loudoun (3 July 1919 – 1 November 2002),[1][2] was a Scottish countess in her own right, and a member of the House of Lords. Lady Loudoun was the oldest daughter of Reginald Mowbray Chichester Huddleston and Edith Abney-Hastings, 12th Countess of Loudoun. Her father took her mother's last name. Her only brother, Ian Huddleston Abney-Hastings, styled Lord Mauchline (1918–1944), was killed in Italy in World War II, so as the eldest sister, Barbara succeeded to the earldom in 1960.

The Countess of Loudoun
Countess of Loudoun
In office
24 February 1960 – 1 November 2002
Preceded byEdith Abney-Hastings
Succeeded byMichael Abney-Hastings
Personal details
Born3 July 1919
Died1 November 2002(2002-11-01) (aged 83)
Spouse(s)Walter Strickland Lord
Gilbert Frederick Greenwood
Peter Griffiths
Children6, including Michael Abney-Hastings, 14th Earl of Loudoun
Parent(s)Edith Abney-Hastings, 12th Countess of Loudoun
Reginald Huddleston
RelativesElizabeth Philipps, Viscountess St Davids (maternal aunt)
Norrie MacLaren (nephew)

Lady Loudoun was a member of the House of Lords until 1999, when the right of hereditary peers to sit in the Lords was abolished. She sat as a cross-bencher, and was concerned with social justice. She lived in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire.

Ancestry edit

On her mother's side, she was descended from and heir-general of George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence. Her other notable ancestors include Mary Tudor, Queen of France; King James IV of Scotland; William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley; and Alice Spencer, Countess of Derby.[citation needed]

Marriages and children edit

Lady Loudoun married three times. She married, firstly, Captain Walter Strickland Lord on 5 September 1939. They had one child:

Her second marriage was on 21 November 1945 to Captain Gilbert Frederick Greenwood. They had two children:

  • Lady Selina Mary Abney-Hastings (b. 1946)
  • Hon. Frederick James Abney-Hastings (b. 1949)

Her third and final marriage was to Peter Griffiths on 15 September 1954. They had three children:

  • Lady Margaret Maud Abney-Hastings (b. 1956)
  • Lady Mary Joy Abney-Hastings (b. 1957)
  • Lady Clare Louise Abney-Hastings (b. 1958)

On her death, she was succeeded by her oldest son.

References edit

  1. ^ Staff (3 July 2002). "Birthdays". The Times. London, UK. p. 30.
  2. ^ Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Barbara Abney-Hastings, 13th Countess of Loudoun
Peerage of Scotland
Preceded by Countess of Loudoun
24 February 1960 – 1 November 2002
Succeeded by