Page 11 of 14

 Keisoland 2d July 1680
Sir,
The kindness I have for you and your family forced me to inform you with very  much trouble, that your son had the misfortune yesterday to own King James's interest  and to quarrel with the gentlemen who were witnesses to it who urge rae mightily to  acquaint the publick with it, which I must do for my own safety if you get it not  prevented being engaged in the service of the jurisdictione and therefore my best  advice to you is that you would come to the Largs about four o clock in the afternoon  and to try if you can prevail with the gentlemen that your son be not represented in  which I will do your son all the kindness I can as I did yesterday though I was  forced to break his sword to prevent his greater danger. Let none know that  I have  given you this advertisement
I am, Sir,
Your humble servt,
Kilbirny

He married Marion eldest daughter of Thomas Crawfurd of Crawfurdsburn or Cartsburn on  the 5th May 1704. Hospitable and extravagant it was not until he had alienated a  considerable portion of the estates of the family that he was induced by Lord Glasgow  to execute a conveyance of his rents of Hunterston to his eldest son Patrick out of  the sincere regard he had for the preservation of his family with power to him to  uplift and employ the samen for the best uses of mentaining and preservation of the  memory of the family, reserving to himself to be mentained in the house of  Hunterstoun in bed board and washing as the circumstances will allow.

This curious document is written by David Earl ef Glasgow and subseribed at Kelburn  House on the 3d January 1729. He died on 9th November 1738 having had issue by Marion  Crawfurd his wife five sons and five daughters.

1 Patrick who predeceased his father in 1732 unmarried

2 Robert who succeeded

3 Thomas

4 Henry

5 David who married Miss Milliken of Port Glasgow by whom he had Patrick Hunter  merchant in London from whom is descended Captain Charles Fleming Hunter 72d  Highlanders Captain Hunter servod in the Crimea from June 1855 including the  expedition to Kerteh siege and fall of Scbastopol and attack of the 18th Jnne Served  through the operations in Central India and pursuit of the rebel forces under Tantiu  Topee and Rao Sahib in 1858-69.

1 Rebecca who died unmarried

2 Elizabeth married to John Hyndman of Lunderston

3 Marion married to Hugh Muir

4 Dorothea married firstly to William Kelso of Hullerhirst and secondly to Hugh Weir  of Kirkhall

5 Margaret married to Robert Caldwell descended from n family which settled in the  neighbourhood of Larne county Antrim during the religious persecutions which raged in  Scotland towards the close of the seventeenth century By her ho had in 1763 a son  Robert of whom presently.

The Laird of Hunterston was succeeded by his eldest surviving son Robert Hunter of  Hunterston or of that Ilk who married in 1762 Janet daughter of Matthew Aiteheson by  Eleonora daughter of John M Gilehrist of Easter Porsill Mrs Hunter died in 1787 but  her husband survived her some years dying in 1796 at the patriarchal age of 86. He is  thus deseribed by Mr John Fullarton of Overtoun West Kilbride in a recent interesting  work from his prolific pen
© 1999 - 2022