Miss Eliza Speirs
(1840-1927)

Volume 1, page 156, sitting number 826.

The sitter is identified as 'Miss Spiers' in the Silvy daybooks, where the following entry is her mother, 'Mrs Spiers.' On the album page, she was identified as 'Eliza Speirs.'

Eliza Speirs was the daughter of the Scottish politician Alexander Speirs of Elderslie (died 5 October 1844) who sat in the House of Commons from 1835 to 1841 as the Member of Parliament for Richmond. At some point he was also Lord Lieutenant for Renfrewshire. Eliza's mother was Eliza Stewart née Hagart, daughter of Thomas C. Hagart of Bantaskine.

In 1851 Eliza and her mother were staying at the Clarendon Hotel on Albemarle Street, Mayfair. Eliza was born in London in or about 1840. 

On 12 February 1863, Eliza Speirs 'only daughter of the late Alexander Speirs, Esq.' married Lieutenant-Colonel Claud Alexander of the Grenadier Guards (Belfast Newsletter, 16 February 1863). 

When the census was taken in 1881, the couple were living at 11 Great Queen Street, London. Claud was a Colonel on half-pay and a Member of Parliament. From 1874 to 1885 he was the representative (Conservative) for Ayrshire South. He was created a baronet in 1886. 

In 1891 the couple were still at the same address. Also present on the night of the census were two unmarried nieces and eleven servants. 

Sir Claud Alexander of Ballochmyle in Ayrshire died on 23 May 1899 at 24 Great Queen Street, London. His title was inherited by his son Claud, born on 24 February 1867.

Lady Eliza Alexander died 16 July 1927.

[From an album compiled by Elizabeth Van de Weyer, the American wife of the Belgian ambassador to the Court of St James.]