This print shows the celebrated falconer John Anderson in the costume he wore at the coronation of George IV in 1821 when he presented the King with a pair of falcons on behalf of the 4th Duke of Atholl. As Governor of the Isle of Man, the Duke presented the monarch with two falcons on coronation day. The emblem of the Isle of Man can be seen on Anderson’s left sleeve. Anderson worked chiefly for Malcolm Fleming of Barochan. Fleming founded the Renfrewshire Subscription Hawks which, in addition to providing game for the Barochan estate, preserved the tradition of falconry into the nineteenth century.

The tenth Earl of Derby, who became the sixth Baron Strange, was childless and he was succeeded in the barony by his first cousin once removed James Murray, 2nd Duke of Atholl, who became the seventh Baron Strange as well. He was the grandson of Lady Amelia Anne Sophia Stanley, daughter of James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby. On his death the dukedom and barony separated. He was succeeded in the dukedom by his nephew John Murray, 3rd Duke of Atholl, while the barony passed to his daughter Charlotte, the eighth Baroness. She married her first cousin, the third Duke of Atholl. They were both succeeded by their son, the fourth Duke and ninth Baron. In 1786 he was created Earl Strange and Baron Murray of Stanley in the Peerage of Great Britain. The dukedom and barony remained united until the death of his great-great-grandson, the ninth Duke and fourteenth Baron, in 1957.

Historical note: Lady Charlotte Murray (1775–1832), daughter of the 4th Duke of Atholl, married Sir John Menzies, 4th Baronet of Castle Menzies. After his death, she married Admiral Sir Adam Drummond, 7th Laird of Megginch, a son of Colin Drummond (great-grandparents of John Drummond, 15th Baron Strange).

The barony of Strange fell into abeyance between the representatives of the three daughters of the fourth Duke of Atholl, Lady Charlotte, Lady Amelia Sophia, and Lady Elizabeth. The abeyance was terminated by the Queen in 1965 in favour of John Drummond of Megginch, who became the fifteenth Baron. He was the great-grandson of Lady Charlotte and her second husband Admiral Sir Adam Drummond of Megginch. However, on his death in 1982 the peerage once again fell into abeyance, this time between his three daughters. It was called out of abeyance in 1986 in favour of the eldest daughter, Cherry, who became the sixteenth Baroness. She was the wife of Captain Humprey Evans (1922–2009), who along with his wife assumed the name of Drummond of Megginch by decree of the Lord Lyon in 1965. Lady Strange was one of the ninety hereditary peers that were allowed to remain in the House of Lords after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999. On her death in 2005 the title was inherited by her eldest son, the seventeenth and (as of 2017) present holder of the title.

Jean Cherry Drummond of Megginch, 16th Baroness Strange, born on 17th December 1928, was a cross bench hereditary peer in the House of Lords. She also wrote romantic novels and historical works. Strange was educated at Oxenfoord Castle boarding school near Edinburgh, at St. Andrews University (where she read English and history) and at Cambridge University. She married Humphrey Evans, MC, a captain in the Mountain Artillery, in 1952. They both assumed the surname Drummond of Megginch when they moved to Megginch Castle. The couple had three sons and three daughters: Adam Humphrey Drummond, 17th Baron Strange (born 1953); The Hon Charlotte Cherry Drummond (born 1955); The Hon Humphrey John Jardine Drummond (born 1961); The Hon Amelie Margaret Mary Drummond (born 1963): married in 1990 Philippe de MacMahon, 4th Duc de Magenta; The Hon John Humphrey Hugo Drummond (born 1966); The Hon Catherine Star Violetta Drummond (born 1967). Baroness Strange died at Megginch Castle on 11th March 2005. In April 2006, it emerged that Lady Strange had changed her will on her deathbed, leaving her entire estate to her youngest daughter, Catherine, cutting out her other five children.

Friends of the late Baroness Strange came to the conclusion that the peer was aptly named

Although the family home is the 17th-century Megginch Castle in Perthshire, Scotland, the family title, Baron Strange, is in the English peerage. Her father, John Drummond, 15th Baron Strange, had spent many years attempting to terminate an abeyance that arose on the death of the Duke of Atholl in 1957; he was confirmed in the title in 1965. The title went into abeyance once again on his death in 1982, but it was terminated in Cherry's favour in 1986, and she made her maiden speech on 4th March 1987. Upon the Baroness's death the title was inherited by her eldest son, Adam. 

Baroness Strange held traditional conservative views, but resigned the Conservative Party whip in December 1998 when William Hague dismissed Lord Cranborne for negotiating with Tony Blair on reform of the House of Lords. Following reforms which reduced the number of hereditary peers who were entitled to sit in the House of Lords, her 1999 manifesto to be elected to occupy one of the remaining seats (limited to 75 words) was "I bring flowers every week to this House from my castle in Perthshire". She was elected to fill a cross bench seat. She was President of the War Widows Association of Great Britain from 1990.

Strange wrote several romantic novels under the pen name "Cherry Evans", including Love From Belinda (1960), Lalage in Love (1962), Creatures Great and Small (1968) and Love Is For Ever (1988). As Cherry Drummond, she wrote The Remarkable Life of Victoria Drummond - Marine Engineer, a biography of her aunt, Victoria Drummond, the first woman marine engineer in the UK, sailed as an engineer for 40 years and received awards for bravery under enemy fire during World War II as an engineering officer in the British Merchant Navy.

A TOP peer cut her son and heir out of her £3million will - after changing it on her deathbed. Instead, Lady Jean Cherry Strange, known as the Battling Baroness, left her entire estate to her youngest daughter. It meant the mother-of-six's eldest son, the Honourable Adam Drummond, lost out on £2.3million Megginch Castle, near Errol, Perthshire, and his only inheritance from his mum was the barony title. Baroness Strange, who had cancer, signed the new will at 5am before she died, and her last-minute change of heart stunned one of Scotland's oldest aristocratic families. Lord Drummond said: "The document gave all her property and belongings to my younger sister." Describing the U-turn as "a bit of a shock", he added: "My mother spent a lot of time with her when she was in London on parliamentary business, so I suppose they became quite close. "I was very upset at the time because I had also lost my mother. Some may think it is a strange way to do things but this is my family. We all have families and so this will remain private, family business." The hand-written will simply said: "I, Jean Cherry Strange, wish to leave all my assets, both physical and financial, to my daughter Catherine Star Violetta Herdman. This will revokes all my previous wills."

Baroness Strange was a stout defender of the hereditary system after it was targeted for reform by the Labour Government elected in 1997. She rarely missed a Lords sitting after inheriting her father's title in 1987 and once said: "Heredity is the basis of all civilisation. "It's about grandparents and what mummy and daddy hand down to you. Obviously you do get one or two people in the Lords who are a bit odd but you get nutters everywhere. Privilege is like a talent. Like being pretty, or clever, or having lots of money. You have to use what you've been given." When asked why she should remain in the House of Lords after the number of heredity peers allowed to sit was culled to just 90, she said: "I bring flowers to this House every week from my castle in Perthshire."

It is believed the baroness planned to re-write her will after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer two years ago. She died peacefully at Megginch Castle, aged 76, last March, but details of her will have just emerged. Alan Drummond, 53, now the 17th Baron Strange, had even relocated his family from down south to Perthshire in anticipation of moving into Megginch Castle last year. But his lordship, a manager at the Perthshire Housing Association, now lives in a two-bedroom cottage in the shadow of the castle.

Catherine, 39, did not want to comment. Her husband Giles said: "The will is public record. That is all we want to say about the matter", but yesterday, a source close to the family - whose motto is "marte et arte", by skill and by valour - revealed how Lady Cherry's niece, Arabella Buckworth of London, and David Miksovic, a family friend, witnessed the amendment to the will after being called during the night. The friend said: "They were guests at Megginch just before the baroness passed away. Both were awakened at around 4am and asked to go to Lady Jean's room, where she was dying. They were then asked to witness Jean writing her last will, which gave everything to her daughter Catherine. It was all very rushed and last minute. Everyone had assumed Adam, as the eldest son, would inherit the estate. But the new will has changed everything. It is all very confusing and a few people in the family have been left very upset by the way things have turned out. No one really wants to talk about things as it is still a very sensitive issue. But it doesn't seem to be the normal way of doing things. After the way things turned out, Adam was seriously thinking about challenging the will but I don't think he will now. I think he now just wants to put things behind him and get on with his life." 

Her assets included the Megginch estate, which featured in the film Rob Roy, and stocks and shares worth £450,000. She also wrote several novels under the pen-name Cherry Evans, including Love from Belinda (1960) and Love If For Ever (1988). As Cherry Drummond in 1994, she published The Remarkable Life of Victoria Drummond - the story of her aunt who worked as a ship's engineer, but Baroness Strange will be best remembered as president of the War Widows Association of Great Britain. She became a cross-bencher after she left the Tory benches in the Lords in 1999. As well as Catherine and Adam, Lady Strange is survived by her husband, Captain Humphrey Evans, 80, daughters Charlottte, 51, Amelie, 43, and sons, Humphrey, 45, John, 40, and grandchildren.

Source: The Daily Record