James Boswell (1740-1795) family tree

Susanna Montgomery, Countess of Eglinton, was born in 1690 at Culzean Castle. She was the daughter of Sir Archibald Kennedy, 1st Baronet of Culzean, and the Hon. Elizabeth Leslie, daughter of David Leslie, 1st Lord Newark. Celebrated for her beauty and her unusual height of 6 feet, she was known for her patronage of Scottish poets and writers. Susanna was also recognized for her extensive knowledge in art, music, literature, science, philosophy, and history, and was fluent in Italian, French, and German.

In June 1709, she married Alexander Montgomery, 9th Earl of Eglinton. Their marriage lasted 20 years, leaving her a widow at 40, and she lived another 51 years. Susanna was known for her distinctive stately walk, termed 'the Eglinton air'. She attended the court of King George II in 1730 and was admired by Queen Caroline of Ansbach. King George II reportedly described her as the most beautiful woman in his dominions. Despite her beauty, she never used cosmetics and was known for maintaining her complexion by washing with sow's milk.

Susanna's interest in literature led to several dedications to her, including Allan Ramsay's 'The Gentle Shepherd' and other poems by Hamilton of Bangour. Her cultural influence extended to her hosting magnificent entertainments. However, she refused to attend King George III's coronation in 1760 due to her Jacobite sympathies.

A full-length portrait of Susanna as Countess in her robes, painted by Allan Ramsay, now hangs in Culzean Castle. This portrait, along with other images of her, demonstrates her enduring beauty and status. Her husband was a covert Jacobite, and she kept a portrait of Charles Edward, the Jacobite claimant to the throne, in her bedroom. Susanna Montgomery's legacy is remembered through these portraits and her contributions to the cultural and literary scenes of her time.

After her son Alexander, the tenth Earl of Eglintoun, was killed by Mungo Campbell in 1769, Susanna withdrew from her social position. She had always referred to her son as Lord Eglinton during his youth and he had a custom of escorting her to dinner every night. Following the incident, the murderer, Campbell, was tried and sentenced to death by the high court of justiciary in Edinburgh. However, he avoided a public execution by hanging himself in prison. Susanna wrote about her intention to bear her suffering quietly and without causing distress to others.

As dowager countess, Susanna initially moved to Kilmaurs Place in Kilmaurs, East Ayrshire, and later relocated to Auchans near Dundonald. Between 1751 and 1762, she wrote letters from Kilmaurs, and from 1765, her correspondence was noted as being from Auchans. In a 1762 letter to her son-in-law, James Moray of Abercairney, she mentioned that her son, the tenth Earl, had given her Auchans House, which she planned to refurbish. Upon the marriage of her second son, Archibald, the 11th Earl, in 1772, she permanently settled at Auchans, where she resided for eight years.