Margaret o Mar, 31st Coontess o Mar

**Margaret o Mar, 31st Coontess o Mar an 24t Lady Garioch**, (born 19 September 1940) is a crossbench member o the Hoose o Lords, an electit hereditary peer, the holder o the oreeginal Earldom o Mar, the auldest peerage title in the Unitit Kinrick an a farmer an specialist cheesemaker in Worcestershire. She currently is the ae *[[suo jure]]* Coontess in the Hoose o Lords.

## Early life

She wis born **Margaret Alison Lane**, the eldest dochter o Millicent Mary Salton an James Clifton Lane later James o Mar, 30t Earl o Mar  the Heir Presumptive o Lionel Erskine-Young, 29t Earl o Mar, his first cousin ance removed (baith wur descendit frae a sister o John Goodeve-Erskine, 27t Earl o Mar).

Margaret haed twa yunger siblings: David o Mar, Master o Mar, an Lady Janet o Mar. In 1959, her faither wis offeecially recognised in the style *o Mar* an frae that year his three childer wur an aa styled *o Mar*, the name *Lane* bein abandoned.

## Mistress o Mar

When Margaret's faither succeedit as 30t Earl o Mar in 1965 she became Lady Margaret o Mar, an her brither became The Master o Mar, Lord Garioch. When Lord Garioch dee'd in 1967, Margaret became *The Mistress o Mar* as the elder heir-portioner presumptive in general o her faither.

## Coontess o Mar

When in 1975 her faither the 30t Earl dee'd, Lady Margaret became the 31st holder o the Mar earldom, the Premier Earldom o Scotland, an entered the Hoose o Lords, makin her maiden speech in Apryle 1976. Efter the passing of House of Lords Act 1999, Lady Mar wis electit tae serve as ane o the ninetie-twa hereditary peers retained in the Hoose, whaur she sits as a cross-bencher, meanin she is no aligned wi ony parteecular poleetical pairty.

As Coontess o Mar she is an aa Titular 11t Duchess o Mar in the Jacobite Peerage (in which Peerage she is numbered as 32nt Coontess o Mar, as the attainder o 1716-1824 is no recognised bi the Jacobites).
 
Note: Awin tae a nineteent-century dispute an mistake, thare is an aa anither Earl o Mar, James Erskine, 14t Earl o Mar an 16t Earl o Kellie, a kinsman o Margaret's. Margaret, housomeivver, is the undisputit haulder o the auncient earldom.  The 1565 earldom, which wis creatit retrospectively in the 1870s, is held bi the Erskine side o this auncient Scots faimily.

Lady Mar haes held a nummer o poseetions athin the Hoose o Lords:
* Deputy Chair o Committees 1997–2007
* Select Committee on European Communities Sub-Committee C (Environment, Public Health an Consumer Protection) 1997–1999
* Deputy Speaker 1999–2007
* Select Committee on European Union Sub-Committee D (Environment, Agriculture, Public Health an Consumer Protection / Environment an Agriculture) 2001–2005

Lady Mar is currently a member o the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments, a member o the Lords Refreshment Committee, an a member o the panel o Deputy Chairmen o Committees.
Lady Mar is an aa secretary o the Aw Pairty Parliamentary Group on Pesticides an Organophoshates.

Lady Mar haes an aa held a variety o non-poleetical offices:

* Member o the Immigration Appeal Tribunal 1985-2006
* Chairman, Honest Food 2000-2005
* Chairman, Environmental Medicine Foundation 1997-2003
* Preses, Guild of Agricultural Journalists 2007-
* Patron, Dispensing Doctors' Association 1985-1986
* Patron, Worcestor Mobile Disabled Group 1991-2003
* Patron, Gulf Veterans' Association
* Preses, Elderly Accommodation Counsel, 1994-
* Honorary Associate o the Ryal College o Veterinary Surgeons 2006- 
* Honorary Associate o the British Veterinary Association 2007- 

## Family

Lady Mar haes mairit three times: first tae Edwin Noel Artiss, then tae John Salton, an finally tae John Jenkin. Frae the first marriage she haed a dochhter: Susan Helen o Mar, Mistress o Mar (born 1963), the heiress presumptive tae her mither's peerage.

## Titles an styles
***1940-1959**: Margaret Alison Lane
***1959-1965**: Margaret o Mar
***1965-1967**: The Lady Margaret o Mar
***1967-1975**: The Mistress o Mar
***1975—present**: The Coontess of Mar an Lady Garioch

## References

* Burke's Peerage
* Debrett's Peerage
* Extracts of Matriculations of Arms
*Lundy, Darryl (Juin 19, 2005). ThePeerage.com - Person Page 8460. Retrieved Juin 23, 2005.
*dodonline.co.uk 
*Lady Mar's record in the Hoose o Lords
*Forward-ME  o which Lady Mar is chairman
*Parliamentary contributions bi Lady Mar