Building a unique archive of our Hunter ancestors.
The ancestors of the early lairds of Hunterston were Norsemen. They came to Normandy in longships with Rollo (c.860-930 AD) and conquered the region, laying siege to Paris in 911 and settling in Northern France with Rollo taking the title Duke of Normandy.
Gulielmus Venator (William The Hunter) was born in Venables in northern France and is named as one of the witnesses, with Hugh de Morville, at an inquisition in 1116 by David, Prince of the Cumbrians (later King David I of Scotland) regarding lands pertaining to the Church of Glasgow.
William is known to have come to Scotland from Normandy after the conquest of England in 1066. Many of the ancient Scottish lowland families have similar Norman origins.
Norman Venator (Norman I) is referred to in a Royal Charter of King Alexander III of Scotland dated 1271 confirming that he had previously been granted lands in the Barony of Arnele on the coast ofAyreshire by King Malcolm IV of Scotland (1153-65). Ardneil farm neighbours Hunterston land and would have been in the possession of the lairds at one time.
Venator (The Hunter) was named in charters of King Alexander II of Scotland who reigned 1214-49.
John Deo Venator the 4th laird, was a witness to a deed in the Glasgow Church records of 1233.
Ardneil Hunter the 5th laird, maintains the link with the land at Hunterston through his name. Ardneil bay extends from West Kilbride toward Portencross on the southern side of the Hunterston peninsula.
Ardneil would have been engaged at the Battle of Largs in 1263 where the Vikings under Haakon Haakonarson, the King of Norway were finally repulsed from the Scottish mainland.
Norman Hunter. Details of the 6th laird are uncertain and so we have named him Norman II. His date of birth would have been about 1240.
We have no information on Norman’s son either and so have named him Norman III. He was the 7th laird. His date of birth would have been approximately 1260.
Aylmere le Huntar (Aylmer I) the 8th laird, was one of the Scottish Magnates who signed the famous Ragman Rolls in 1296, as an act of homage in submission to King Edward 1st of England.
Born in 1320, the Christian name of Aylmer’s son is unknown and so we refer to the 9th laird as Aylmer II.
William Huntar of Ardneil the 10th laird (William I) was granted a Royal Charter by King Robert II of Scotland (1371-1390) signed in Stirling on the 2nd May 1374. This Charter is preserved at Hunterston with the original Royal seal intact. It remains the oldest document in the possession of Clan Hunter consolidating their unbroken link with the lands at Hunterston.
In Scotland, all lands were forfeit to the Crown in times of war. Afterward, being restored in exchange for services to the reigning Monarch. William was born in 1350.
Born in 1390, the 11th laird is referred to as William Huntar II as we have no information excepting that he had two children: William and John.
William III the 12th laird of Hunterston is on record as paying 11 years Blench Duty and Double Succession Money accounted for in the Exchequer Roll for 1447. On William’s death in 1454 his younger brother John succeeded as Hereditary Forester as his nephew, William’s son Archibald was a minor at the time.
The 13th laird, Archibald Huntar of Ardneil, married Margaret Kerr on 14th June 1462.
An entry in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland 1488 translated from Latin reads: Account of Robert Chamberlaine of Bute … and he charges himself with 30 shillings being rent of the land of Almolach and for the office of Forester of Arran and with 3 chalders of oats and 2 silver pennies being payment for Blenche Ferme due to the King by John Hunter.
The lairds are thus established as Hereditary Keepers of the Royal Forests on the islands of Cumbrae and Arran (Holy Isle). Venison was a significant source of meat at this time and these islands were ideal for confining deer. Blenche Ferme was a nominal sum paid to the Crown in recognition of a Royal appointment.
Archibald’s son John became the 14th laird of Ardneil and Huntarstoune and married Margaret, daughter of 2nd Lord Cathcart on 13th June 1505.
Producing the Charter granted to his ancestor before the Court of Justices in Ayr, he was exonerated from all claims proving his lands were held …in Blenche of the Crown on payment of one silver penny.
John was killed at the Battle of Flodden on 9th September 1513 in the service of the Scottish Crown.
Robert Huntar (I) of Huntarstoune (15th laird) was a minor when his father fell and inherited on 6th May 1515. He consolidated family land holdings and in 1542 was granted a licence by King James V permitting his absence from wars …he being weak and tender of complexion and troubled with sickness and infirmity. He died in 1546.
Kentigern (Mungo) Huntar of Huntarstoune, the 16th laird …was present with our Sovereign Lady’s army at Dumbarton on the 11th of July 1546, at the siege of the Castle. Mungo died …at the Faith and Peace of Queen Mary under her Standard at the Battle of Pinkie 10th September 1547.
He was named after Kentigern, a 6th century Apostle of the Scottish Kingdom of Strathclyde, also known at Mungo, he founded and is the Patron Saint of the City of Glasgow.
The 17th laird, Robert Huntar (II) was a minor at his father’s death, but he too fought for Mary, Queen of Scots at the Battle of Langside (1568) where he was seriously wounded. Surviving, he became a supporter of the Reformed Religion (Protestantism). He died in 1581.
Robert’s brother James is considered the founder of several genealogical branches of the extended Hunter family (Abbotshill, Barjarg, Thurston, Doonholm, Auchterarder, Hafton and the Hunter-Blair baronets).
Robert Huntar (III) the 18th laird was an infant at his father’s death. Born in 1564, he married Margaret Peibles of Broomlands but they had no children. The lairdship was passed through his sister Jean to her daughter (also called Jean) and Jean’s husband Patrick whom Robert made his heir of entail in 1611. There was no requirement for a name change as Patrick was the son of William Hunter of Beneberrie Yairds, Ayrshire.
Diverting the inheritance through the female line explains the remarkable way the Hunters of Hunterston have maintained their unbroken history in Scotland. A marriage contract dated 1704 states that: In the absence of a Male Heir, a Female may succeed under condition that she marries “A Gentleman who will assume the name of Hunter”.
As Lady Hunterston, Jean and Patrick (I) became co-heirs of Hunterston. Patrick is listed as the 19th laird but the inheritance came through his wife and her mother, both named Jean. They had five children together and Patrick died in 1665 aged 74.
Robert (IV) the 20th laird, entered Glasgow University in July 1627. One of his children also named Robert, was Governor of Virginia and New York 1709-1719. The 20th laird also served in the Ayrshire Yeomanry and died in 1679.
Robert’s brother Francis is the ancestor of the Hunters of Long Calderwood.
As the 21st laird Patrick (II) had his title to the land ratified by King William II on 27th June 1698. Marrying Marion Cunningham of Langmuir, they had 7 children.
Patrick’s brothers Robert and James founded the branches of Hunters of Kirkland and of Croyland Abbey respectively.
Patrick (III) was reputed to have been a gambler and alienated much of the land holding before he was forced to make a disposition to his eldest son (Patrick IV) transferring the remaining lands. Patrick married Marion Crawford and they had ten children. He died in 1738.
Descendants of his brother John connect to the Hunters of Critchton Dean.
Patrick’s younger son Robert (V) became the 23rd laird in 1732, succeeding his elder brother (Patrick IV) who died young and unmarried. Robert married Janet Atchison daughter of Mathew Atchison a Glasgow merchant and they had five children. Thomas and Patrick, their two sons both died young and two of their daughters died unmarried. Their third daughter Eleonora (I) succeeded her father on his death in 1796.
Eleanora (I) Helen Hunter became the 24th laird in 1796. Helen married her cousin Robert Caldwell in the same year. Robert was a mariner and shipowner and he assumed the name of Hunter and they had seven children. Helen was born in 1764 and died in 1851.
Together they made significant improvements at Hunterston. They constructed the first Hunterston House, a Georgian building later remodelled, and greatly improved the farming by draining marshland surrounding Hunterston Castle.
Born in 1799, Robert (VI) trained as a lawyer and Justice of the Peace and was Deputy Lieutenant of Ayrshire. As the 25th laird, he obtained a Royal Charter for the lands at Hunterston from King George IV in 1829.
Robert married Christian, daughter of William Crawford of Cartsburn near Greenock and they had two daughters, Jane and Eleanora (II).
Robert was the last laird to be born in the Castle.
Jane married Gould Read Weston a career officer in the British Indian Army, in 1863. Jane obtained a Royal licence from Queen Victoria to assume the name and Arms of Hunter-Weston in 1880. They had two sons, Aylmer (III) and Reginald.
As the 26th laird, Jane competently managed the estate herself. She was a Lady Justice of the Order of St John of Jerusalem and her husband a Knight of Justice, OStJ. Gould undertook the first genealogical research on the Hunters of Hunterston.
Lieutenant General Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston, KCB, DSO, JP, DL, Member of Parliament to North Ayrshire for over 25 years. 'The General' as the 27th laird is known in the family, married Grace Strang Steel of Philiphaugh, Selkirk in 1905. However, they had no children. Aylmer (III) died in 1940 and Grace in 1954.
Although it might be expected for the Hunterston inheritance go to Aylmer’s younger brother, Reginald, it passed to the descendants of his Aunt, Eleanora (II). Reginald migrated to New Zealand and his Hunter-Weston descendants are actively involved with Clan Hunter today.
On the death of Grace Hunter-Weston, Aylmer’s widow, in February 1954, Eleanora (III) Agnes Cochran-Patrick (Aunt Nora) matriculated Arms as the 28th laird.
As Aylmer and Grace had no children, Hunterston passed across to the descendants of Jane Hunter’s younger sister (Eleanora II).
Neil Hunter the 29th laird (1927-1994) continued the conflict against the incursion of further industrialisation onto the remaining original Clan lands. Known for his sailing prowess, Neil represented the United Kingdom in two Olympic Games and was awarded a silver medal in Melbourne (1956). Neil was a distinguished archer and a member of the Queen’s Royal Bodyguard for Scotland.
Neil married Sonia Furlong of Gloucestershire, England and they had seven children, one daughter and six sons.
Madam Pauline Natalie Hunter became the 30th Chief of Clan Hunter following the death of her father in 1994. The eldest of Neil’s seven children, she has been most active in the promotion of Clan Hunter worldwide, holding regular Clan Gatherings in Scotland and planning a secure future for the spiritual home of Clan Hunter to benefit all Clansfolk and their families.
Pauline is our fifth female Clan Chief following in the footsteps of Jean Hunter (19th ), Helen (24th ), Jane (26th ) and Eleanora, the 28th laird.
We strive to document all of our sources in this family tree. If you have something to add, please let us know.