Susan Lilian Primrose Cunliffe-Lister, Baroness Masham of Ilton

Susan Cunliffe-Lister, Dowager Countess of Swinton, DSG, DL, Baroness Masham of Ilton in her own right (born 14 April 1935) is a crossbench member of the House of Lords. She is the senior female life peer. She has been Lord Lieutenant of the East Riding of Yorkshire since 2005.

She was born as Susan Lilian Primrose Sinclair, the daughter of Major Sir Ronald Sinclair, 8th Baronet.

From http://www.thepeerage.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=267

David Yarburgh Cunliffe-Lister, 2nd Earl of Swinton, of Dykes Hill House, Masham, Ripon, North Yorkshire; b. 21 March, 1937; succeeded his grandfather, 27 July, 1972; JP and DL for North Yorkshire; County Councillor for the North Riding, 1961-74 and for North Yorks 1973-77; Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords, 1982-86 and Captain of the Queen's Body Guard of Yeomen of the Guard, 1982-86; &c.
He married 8 Dec, 1959, Susan Lilian Primrose Sinclair (created a life baroness as BARONESS MASHAM OF ILTON 1970), yr dau of Major Sir Ronald Norman John Charles Udny Sinclair, 8th Baronet, JP, DL, of Dunbeath, 2 adopted children, John Charles Yarburgh Cunliffe-Lister, b. 10 May, 1967, and Clare Caroline Cunliffe-Lister, b.30 June, 1965.

She was educated at the Heathfield School and London Polytechnic. In 1959 she married Lord Masham (1937–2006), who became The 2nd Earl of Swinton in 1972. By this marriage Susan Cunliffe-Lister became Countess of Swinton. Lord and Lady Swinton adopted two children. Lady Swinton was widowed in 2006.

She is a prominent Roman Catholic convert and a patron of the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology.

Lady Swinton was disabled in a riding accident in 1959, and subsequently became a champion for causes related to disability.

She was a member of the British team at the Paralympics in Rome 1964 where she was successful in the pool, winning 2 medals -

• Gold Medal - 25m Breaststroke Complete Class 2
  
• Silver Medal - 25m Backstroke Complete class
  

She was created a life peer in 1970 as the Baroness Masham of Ilton, of Masham in the North Riding of the County of York. She and her husband are one of the few couples to both hold titles in their own right.

Lady Swinton was the subject of This Is Your Life in February 1976 when she was apparently surprised by Eamonn Andrews in the foyer of the De Vere hotel in Kensington, London.

She is an active member of the House of Lords, where she continues to be known as the Baroness Masham of Ilton, a title she holds in her own right. She takes a particular interest in issues surrounding disability, health and penal reform. She continues to run the Masham Riding Centre in Masham, North Yorkshire.

In 2011 she was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the Royal College of Nursing.

Sources and References

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Cunliffe-Lister,_Countess_of_Swi...
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swimming_at_the_1960_Summer_Paralympics