NAIRNE, Carolina, Lady see OLIPHANT, Carolina, Lady Nairne (1766—1845)

NAIRNE, Margaret, 2nd Lady Nairne, born Edinburgh 1669, died Nairne House, Perthshire 14 Nov. 1747. Jacobite, estate manager. Daughter of Margaret Graham, and Robert Nairne, Lord Strathord and 1st Lord Nairne.

The only surviving daughter, Margaret, Lady Nairne, was contracted to marry Lord George Murray, son of John Murray, Marquess of Atholl. When Lord George became ill, she and her mother successfully negotiated a new contract to marry his brother, Lord William Murray (1664—1726) in 1690. He became the 2nd Lord Nairne.

Plans for a French invasion and Scottish rising in 1707 resulted in the arrest of Lord Nairne. Lady Nairne set off to secure his release from prison in London and her letters detail her journey and audience with Queen Anne. This type of episode is recounted in many Jacobite histories and while there is no doubt she was a staunch Jacobite, she was also proficient in many other areas. She undertook planning and construction work, building a new mansion in Perthshire in 1709, and she created an impressive network which expanded her Jacobite connections. As was common to many noblewomen, she worked hard over the years to secure the family interest. Like many Jacobite women, she displayed tremendous management skills, business and legal capabilities which became even more evident after their estates were forfeit. Margaret Nairne outlived her husband, married her daughters into other Perthshire Jacobite families, and even entertained Charles Edward Stuart before the ‘45. NMC

• Blair Castle Archive, Blair MS; NRS: Dalhousie Papers GD4J.

Cowmeadow, N. (2013) ‘Only a Jacobite heroine? Margaret, Lady Nairne (1673—1747)’, in A. MacInnes and D. Hamilton (eds) Jacobitism, Enlightenment and Empire, 1680—1820; eODNB (Nairne, William).

NAN EACHAINN FHIONNLAIGH see MACKINNON, Nan (1902-82)

NASMYTH, Jane, born 29 March 1788, died 11 May 1867; NASMYTH, Barbara, born 15 April 1790, died 21 Feb. 1870; NASMYTH, Margaret, born 11 April 1791, died 3 Nov. 1869; NASMYTH, Elizabeth, mi Terry, m2 Richardson, born 2 Sept. 1793, died 10 July 1862; NASMYTH, Anne, m. Bennett, born 13 Nov. 1798, died 28 Jan. 1874; NASMYTH, Charlotte, born 17 Feb. 1804, died 26 July 1884. All born Edinburgh, died Putney. Landscape artists. Daughters of Barbara Foulis, and Alexander Nasmyth, landscape artist.