Clan Kennedy is a
Scottish clan
A Scottish clan (from Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared identity and descent to members, and in modern times have an official structure recognised ...
of the
Scottish Lowlands.
[Way, George and Squire, Romily. ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia''. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The ]Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs
The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs (SCSC) is the organisation that represents the Chiefs of many prominent Scottish Clans and Families. It describes itself as "the definitive and authoritative body for information on the Scottish Clan System ...
). Published in 1994. Pages 182 - 183.
History
Origins of the clan
The
Votadini were a tribe in Lothian and their chief, Cunedda, was sent by the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
leader,
Vortigern
Vortigern (; owl, Guorthigirn, ; cy, Gwrtheyrn; ang, Wyrtgeorn; Old Breton: ''Gurdiern'', ''Gurthiern''; gle, Foirtchern; la, Vortigernus, , , etc.), also spelled Vortiger, Vortigan, Voertigern and Vortigen, was a 5th-century warlord in ...
, to establish settlements in order to resist
Picto-Scottish sea raids in the south west of
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
.
These settlements spread down the west coast as far as
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
.
Cunedda is rendered as ''Cinneidgh'' in the
Celtic language, meaning ''ugly'' or ''grim-headed''.
The name became associated with the district of
Carrick, Scotland
Carrick (Irish Gaelic) is a former ''comital'' district of Scotland which today forms part of South Ayrshire.
History
The district of Carrick originally formed part of the 11th- to 12th-century Kingdom of Galloway, whose lords ruled it until 1 ...
.
During the early part of the reign of
William the Lion
William the Lion, sometimes styled William I and also known by the nickname Garbh, "the Rough"''Uilleam Garbh''; e.g. Annals of Ulster, s.a. 1214.6; Annals of Loch Cé, s.a. 1213.10. ( 1142 – 4 December 1214), reigned as King of Scots from 11 ...
, Gilbert Mac Kenedi witnessed a charter to
Melrose Abbey
St Mary's Abbey, Melrose is a partly ruined monastery of the Cistercian order in Melrose, Roxburghshire, in the Scottish Borders. It was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks at the request of King David I of Scotland and was the chief house of th ...
granting lands in Carrick.
During the reign of
Alexander II of Scotland
Alexander II ( Medieval Gaelic: '; Modern Gaelic: '; 24 August 1198 – 6 July 1249) was King of Scotland from 1214 until his death. He concluded the Treaty of York (1237) which defined the boundary between England and Scotland, virtually un ...
Gillespie Kennedy is named in charters as the senechal of Carrick.
Wars of Scottish Independence
Kennedys supported
Robert the Bruce
Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventual ...
during the
Wars of Scottish Independence
The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.
The First War (1296–1328) began with the English invasion of ...
.
Kennedys inherited the Earldom of Carrick from the line of Sir John Kennedy of Dunure's wife, Mary de Carrick, who descended from Sir Gilbert De Carrick. In 1372,
Robert II of Scotland
Robert II (2 March 1316 – 19 April 1390) was King of Scots from 1371 to his death in 1390. The son of Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland, and Marjorie, daughter of King Robert the Bruce, he was the first monarch of the House of St ...
rewarded John Kennedy of Dunure as chief of his name and baillie of Carrick.
15th and 16th centuries
In about 1457 John's direct descendant, Gillbert, was created
Lord Kennedy
Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...
.
He was also a regent to the infant
James III of Scotland
James III (10 July 1451/May 1452 – 11 June 1488) was King of Scots from 1460 until his death at the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488. He inherited the throne as a child following the death of his father, King James II, at the siege of Roxburgh ...
.
James Kennedy, brother of the first Lord Kennedy, was one of Scotland's best loved bishops.
James served briefly as
High Chancellor of Scotland and was also
Bishop of Dunkeld
The Bishop of Dunkeld is the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Dunkeld, one of the largest and more important of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics, whose first recorded bishop is an early 12th-century cleric named Cormac. However, the first ...
, and also later Archbishop of
St Andrews.
In 1455 he founded
St Salvator's College.
Hugh Kennedy of Ardstinchar was a Scots mercenary who fought at the
Siege of Orléans
The siege of Orléans (12 October 1428 – 8 May 1429) was the watershed of the Hundred Years' War between France and England. The siege took place at the pinnacle of English power during the later stages of the war. The city held strategic an ...
for
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...
.
As a result, Joan figures on the arms of Kennedy of Bargany.
In 1509, Sir David Kennedy, the third Lord Kennedy was created
Earl of Cassillis.
He was killed at the
Battle of Flodden
The Battle of Flodden, Flodden Field, or occasionally Branxton, (Brainston Moor) was a battle fought on 9 September 1513 during the War of the League of Cambrai between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland, resulting in an English ...
in 1513.
The second Earl of Cassillis was murdered in 1527.
Gillbert Kennedy, the third Earl, was one of four Scottish commissioners who were poisoned on their return from the marriage of
Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567.
The only surviving legitimate child of James V of S ...
to the
Dauphin of France in 1558.
The third Earl had inherited his title at the age of twelve and one of his first acts was to sign the death warrant of
Patrick Hamilton, the first Scottish Protestant martyr.
The Moray Kennedys were a branch of the clan who travelled north with the sister of the third Lord Kennedy,
Janet Kennedy who had a son by
James IV of Scotland, as part of the possession of the
earldom of Moray.
The Moray Kennedys became a
sept
A sept is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish or Irish family. The term is used in both Scotland and Ireland, where it may be translated as ''sliocht'', meaning "progeny" or "seed", which may indicate the descendants of a person ...
of the
Clan Cameron
Clan Cameron is a West Highland Scottish clan, with one main branch Lochiel, and numerous cadet branches. The Clan Cameron lands are in Lochaber and within their lands lies Ben Nevis which is the highest mountain in the British Isles. The Chie ...
.
17th century and Civil War
In 1601 the Kennedy Earls of Cassilis were involved in a feud against their relations, the Kennedy
Lairds of Bargany.
[Way, George and Squire, Romily. ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia''. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The ]Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs
The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs (SCSC) is the organisation that represents the Chiefs of many prominent Scottish Clans and Families. It describes itself as "the definitive and authoritative body for information on the Scottish Clan System ...
). Published in 1994. Pages 136 - 137. The Earls of Cassillis were supported by the
Clan Fergusson and the Laird of Bargany was killed.
From 1649 to 1651,
John Kennedy, 6th Earl of Cassilis
John Kennedy, 6th Earl of Cassilis, PC (died April 1668) was a Scottish peer, the grandson of Gilbert Kennedy, 4th Earl of Cassilis, and nephew of John Kennedy, 5th Earl of Cassilis. He succeeded to the titles of 8th Lord Kennedy and 6th Earl ...
was Lord Justice General of Scotland and a zealous Protestant.
He and his son, the seventh Earl, were both firm supporters of Parliament during the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
.
The Justice General also sat in
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three K ...
's House of Lords.
The Kennedys suffered for their beliefs but their estates remained largely intact.
The Kennedy of Kermuck branch of the clan were hereditary constables of
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
from at least 1413.
The Kennedys of Kermuck were outlawed when in 1652 the father and son of the family mortally wounded John Forbes of Watertown.
18th and 19th centuries
When the Eighth Earl of Cassillis died there was a court dispute lasting three years to determine the succession.
The titles and estates of the Kennedys were claimed by William Douglas, afterwards duke of Queensberry, a great grandson in the female line of the 7th earl and also by Sir Thomas Kennedy, Bart., of Culzean, a descendant of the 3rd earl, i.e. by the heir general and the heir male. In January 1762, the House of Lords found in favour of Thomas.
On 30 November 1775, Thomas died unmarried, and was succeeded by his brother David, who commissioned
Robert Adam
Robert Adam (3 July 17283 March 1792) was a British neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam (1689–1748), Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him. With his ...
to build
Culzean Castle
Culzean Castle ( , see yogh; sco, Cullain) is a castle overlooking the Firth of Clyde, near Maybole, Carrick, in South Ayrshire, on the west coast of Scotland. It is the former home of the Marquess of Ailsa, the chief of Clan Kennedy, but is ...
, and died unmarried on 18 December 1792.
With David, the baronetcy became extinct. The earldom of Cassillis now passed to a cousin,
Archibald Kennedy, a captain in the royal navy, whose father, Archibald Kennedy (died 1763), had migrated to America in 1722 and had become collector of customs in New York. His son, the
11th earl, had estates in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
and married an American heiress; in 1765 he was said to own more houses in New York than any one else. He died in London on 30 December 1794, and was succeeded by his son
Archibald
Archibald is a masculine given name, composed of the Germanic elements '' erchan'' (with an original meaning of "genuine" or "precious") and ''bald'' meaning "bold".
Medieval forms include Old High German and Anglo-Saxon .
Erkanbald, bishop of ...
(1770–1846), who was created Baron Ailsa in 1806 and marquess of Ailsa in 1831. His great-grandson
Archibald
Archibald is a masculine given name, composed of the Germanic elements '' erchan'' (with an original meaning of "genuine" or "precious") and ''bald'' meaning "bold".
Medieval forms include Old High German and Anglo-Saxon .
Erkanbald, bishop of ...
(born 1847) became 3rd marquess.
Lieutenant General Sir Clark Kennedy served through the entire
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...
and in 1815 he commanded the centre squadron of the
Royal Dragoons
The Royal Dragoons (1st Dragoons) was a heavy cavalry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1661 as the Tangier Horse. It served for three centuries and was in action during the First and the Second World Wars. It was amalgam ...
at the
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (at that time in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium). A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two of the armie ...
.
At Waterloo he personally captured the eagle and colours of the 105th Regiment of French Infantry.
Sir Clark was from the Kennedy of Moray branch of the clan.
20th century
The lawyer, historian, author and campaigner for the righting of legal injustice,
Ludovic Kennedy
Sir Ludovic Henry Coverley Kennedy (3 November 191918 October 2009) was a Scottish journalist, broadcaster, humanist and author best known for re-examining cases such as the Lindbergh kidnapping and the murder convictions of Timothy Evans an ...
was a notable member of the Kennedy clan. In his collected writings, he recalls the story of his forebear, Captain Archibald Kennedy returning from New York at the end of the 18C to
Culzean Castle
Culzean Castle ( , see yogh; sco, Cullain) is a castle overlooking the Firth of Clyde, near Maybole, Carrick, in South Ayrshire, on the west coast of Scotland. It is the former home of the Marquess of Ailsa, the chief of Clan Kennedy, but is ...
to assume the earldom of Cassillis
Castles
*
Cassillis House, near
Maybole
Maybole is a town and former burgh of barony and police burgh in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It had an estimated population of in . It is situated south of Ayr and southwest of Glasgow by the Glasgow and South Western Railway. The town is bypass ...
. Seat of the chiefs.
*
Culzean Castle
Culzean Castle ( , see yogh; sco, Cullain) is a castle overlooking the Firth of Clyde, near Maybole, Carrick, in South Ayrshire, on the west coast of Scotland. It is the former home of the Marquess of Ailsa, the chief of Clan Kennedy, but is ...
was a former seat of the chiefs.
*
Dunure Castle
Dunure Castle is located on the west coast of Scotland, in South Ayrshire, about south of Ayr and close to the village of Dunure. Today the castle stands in ruins on a rocky promontory on the Carrick coast, overlooking the small harbour of Dunur ...
in
South Ayrshire was the original stronghold of the chiefs.
*
Dalquharran Castle
Dalquharran Castle is a category A listed building in South Ayrshire, Scotland, designed by Robert Adam and completed around 1790. The first recorded lord of the property which already included a castle, was Gilbert Kennedy, as stated in a 1474 Ch ...
in
South Ayrshire once owned by the Kennedys of Kirkhill and Dunure; now a ruin
*
Cruggleton Castle
Cruggleton Castle is a multi-period archaeological site on the coast of the Machars, in the historical county of Wigtownshire in south-west Scotland. It is located at Cruggleton Point, around east of Whithorn and south-east of Sorbie. Excavati ...
,
Sorbie
Sorbie ( gd, Soirbidh) is a small village in Wigtownshire, Machars, within the Administration area of Dumfries and Galloway Council, Scotland.
It is located midway between Wigtown and Whithorn on the A714 road.
Farming forms the principal loc ...
,
Wigtownshire
Wigtownshire or the County of Wigtown (, ) is one of the historic counties of Scotland, covering an area in the south-west of the country. Until 1975, Wigtownshire was an administrative county used for local government. Since 1975 the area has f ...
*
Dunduff Castle
*
Greenan Castle
Greenan Castle is a 16th-century ruined tower house, around southwest of Ayr in South Ayrshire, Scotland. Situated at the top of a sea cliff, it was originally a promontory fort converted into a motte-and-bailey in the 12th century. In the 15th ...
in
Ayr
Ayr (; sco, Ayr; gd, Inbhir Àir, "Mouth of the River Ayr") is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. It is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire Subdivisions of Scotland, council area and the historic Shires of Scotlan ...
*
Maybole Castle
Maybole Castle is a 16th-century castle located on High Street in Maybole, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Originally built for the Earls of Cassillis, it is an L-shaped construction with Victorian two-storey extensions. It is associated with a lege ...
Base of Scottish family tree
Here is the base of the family tree:
* John Kennedy of Dunure and Cassillis M Heiress of the Carrick Earls
** Sir Gilbert
*** James M Princess Mary (2nd daughter of
Robert III)
**** Gilbert (Became Lord Kennedy in about 1457)
*** .x James Kennedy (He served as High Chancellor of Scotland and was Bishop of
Dunkeld
Dunkeld (, sco, Dunkell, from gd, Dùn Chailleann, "fort of the Caledonians") is a town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The location of a historic cathedral, it lies on the north bank of the River Tay, opposite Birnam. Dunkeld lies close to t ...
, and later
Archbishop of
St Andrews. At St Andrews he founded St. Salvator's College in 1455 and is one of the founders of the
University of St Andrews
(Aien aristeuein)
, motto_lang = grc
, mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best
, established =
, type = Public research university
Ancient university
, endowment ...
)
***** Hugh Kennedy of Ardstinchar (Part of the Great Army of Scotland during the
Hundred Years War and fought at the
Battle of Bauge, and with
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...
at the
Siege of Orleans)
****** Sir David (Third lord of Kennedy, created Earl of Cassilis in 1509)
Scottish chief
* The Most Hon. David Thomas Kennedy, 9th
Marquess of Ailsa, who is also
Earl of Cassillis,
Lord Kennedy
Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...
,
Baron Ailsa and
Chief of the Name and Arms of Kennedy, of Ailsa.
burkespeerage.com
/ref>
* Arms: Scottish: Argent, a chevron Gules between three cross crosslets fichée Sable, all within a double tressure flory counterflory Gules.
References
External links
Kennedy Society of North America
{{Scottish clans
Kennedy
Scottish Lowlands