Lady Eliza D'Oyly Burroughs

Eliza D'Oyly Traill-Burroughs, Lady Burroughs (née Geddes, 9 May 1849 – 1 February 1908) was a British archaeologist from Scotland. She described the discovery of the rare Taversöe Tuick chambered cairn on the island of Rousay, Orkney, Scotland in May 1898 in her journal, which was published and discussed in Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland in 1985.

Biography She was born in 1849 in Leamington Priors, Warwickshire, England, and grew up in the Meadows in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Eliza was the youngest daughter of Colonel William Geddes of the Bengal Horse Artillery and his wife Emma. Aged 21, she married Lt-General Sir Frederick Traill-Burroughs (1831–1905) on 4 June 1870. Lady Burroughs was a painter, and trained their butler at Rousay, John Logie, to paint.

Lady Burroughs' interest in art, politics, and charity meant that she was strongly involved in life on Orkney.

Discovery of Taversöe Tuick In 1893, work began building Lady Burroughs' and her husband's home, Trumland House, which is where the Taversoe Tuick Chambered Cairn was discovered in 1898. thumb Lady Burroughs wrote a report on Taversoe Tuick, which provides a detailed chronological overview of the events leading up to the discovery and the excavation of the cairn, accompanied by sketches, plans, and measurements. She signed off her report with 'Veronica' and not with her own name. thumb Lady Burroughs' Taversoe Tuick report was transcribed and published in 1987 by Diana Reynolds. She is buried in London, England.