Virtual Hunterston

Page 10 of 14

The great grandson of Archibald younger brother of John Hunter of Long Calderwood is William Hunter MD of Wood bank Largs late of the Coldstream Guards who was gazetted to the regiment on the 10th February 1814 and retired after haviug been surgeon major for the last seven years on the 2d September 1845 He served with that distinguished corps in the Peninsula and was present at the sortie by the French from the citadel of Bayonne where the Coldstreams lost 8 officers and nearly 200 men in killed and wounded He was present at the battleB of Quatre Bras and Waterloo at the capture of Paris and remained in France with the army of occupation until Nov 1818 when the regiment returned to England He married Helen daughter of the Rev David Wilkie and sister of the celebrated David Wilkie RA .

Patrick Hunter of Hunterston had likewise by his wife Jean Cuninghame two daughters

1 married about 1640 to Alexander Cuninghame of Carlung a cadet of the Glencairn family

2 Jean married about 1653 to David Kennedy of Balmaclana chan and Craig He was succeeded by his eldest son Robert Hunter of Hunterston or of that Ilk who is designed younger of Hunterston in the Roole of the Remonstrators 1650 as well as in a charter dated 19th November 1658 by Richard Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England in favour of himself and of the heirs of his marriage with his late wife Elizabeth daughter of Patrick Craufurd of Auchinames by his cousin and wife Jean Crawfurd of Cors bie in the lands of Hunterston.

He married secondly Marion eldest daughter of James Cuninghame of Aiket a descendant of the house of Glencairn by Euphan daughter of the Rev William Russell minister of Kilbride as appears by a precept of sasine following the above charter of the 7th December 1658 He with Marion Cuninghame was infeft as heir of his father in Hielies in 1669 and his last deed is dated in June 1674 By his second marriage he had no issue by his first he had four sons and one daughter

1 Patrick his heir

2 Robert Huntor AM (1643) of Glasgow University, minister of Kilbride ancestor of the Hunters of Kirkland.

3 James bred to the bar who married Margaret Spalding the Rev John Spalding minister at Urcghorn by whom had General Robert Hunter who died Governor of 1734 He married Lady Mary Dalziel only child of fourth Earl of Carnwarth and widow of John Lord colonel of the Scots Greys second son of John second Tweeddalc His descendants are the Orby Hunters of land Abbey Lincolnshire

4 Hugh who was a physician in Kilmarnock

1 Jean who married Rev John Spalding minister of Deghorn.

He died in December 1679 and was succeeded by his eldest son

Patrick Hunter of Hunterston or of that Ilk whose retour is dated 19th January 1680 and who married Marion daughter of John Cuninghame of Langmuir (whose son Alexander is styled of Kerrie Lament in the Isle of Bute) by Dorothea Cuninghame, his wife during the lifetime of his father and of his grandfather in 1662. By this marriage he acquired the lands of Langmuir. His title to his estate was ratified by King William III and the estates of Parliament on the 27th June 1698 "in consideration of good and faithful services done and performed to his Majesty and his royal progenitors". He died towards the end of 1699 leaving the following issue

1 Patrick who succeeded

2 Henry who was ordained minister of Mcarns in 1713 and died in 1733

3 John

1 Dorothea married to Henry Cuninghame of Carlung and had a numerous issue

2 Marian married in 1604 to John Peebles of Crawfield without issue

3 Anna married in 1702 to Alexander Cuninghame of Cloghe, county Tyrone

4 Margaret

He was succeeded by his eldest son Patrick Hunter of Hunterston or of that Ilk who having at a meeting of gentlemen at Largs on the 1st July 1689 acknowledged a leaning towards King James VII would have been treated as a rebel but for the timely interference of Crawfurd of Kilbirny, who broke his sword and privately wrote to his father the Laird of Hunterston as follows :-