KENNEDY, John of Dunure ¹

   User ID: W682.

  General Notes:

"The family of Kennedy are traditionally believed to be descended from the ancient Earls of Carrick. The evidence is not wholly conclusive, but there is one very important point in favour of tradition, the Chieftainship (Ceanncineal), first granted to Roland de Carrick in 1256, and repeatedly confirmed to this family. It is wellknown that the old Celtic chieftainship could only go in the male line, which was one of the reasons which led the House of Lords in 1762, to adjudge the title of Earl of Cassillis to Sir Thomas Kennedy of Culzean as heir-male of the body of David, first Earl of Cassillis. The custody of Loch Doon Castle, held by the de Carricks, is also again and again confirmed to the Kennedies. The name Kennedy seems clearly derived from Kenneth, a common name among both Pictish and Scottish Kings, and which is spelt in many different ways as Kenneth, Kened, Cinaed, Cinaeda, Kynedus, Kenedus, Kynel. Kenneth in Gaelic, Cinaed or Cainnig, seems itself to be a name signifying chief. The modern Gaelic of Kennedy is Ceannadach, 'ach' being an adjectival termination signifying of or belonging to ; so Ceannadach means of or belonging to Ceannad.

The Kennedys certainly appear at a very early period in Carrick, in Galloway, and also in the Lennox, and in the earliest notices of the name it takes the form of MacKenede, or the son of Kenneth. Henry Kennedy (or MacKenede) is named in 1185 as one of the leaders and instigators of rebellion in Galloway, and fell in battle on 5 July 1185, fighting against the men of Roland, Lord of Galloway. Other persons of the name of Kennedy appear at early dates in the Carrick district, and a Sir Hugh Kennedy possessed the lands of Kirkintilloch in Lanarkshire in 1296.

The first direct ancestor of the Earls of Cassillis from whom tliere is undoubted and unbroken proof of descent is John Kennedy of Dunure, who is probably the John Kennedy commemorated by Fordun and Wyntoun as sturdily fighting in Carrick against the Galloway men or the supporters of Edward Baliol in the year 1346, before the English domination was finally overcome."

from Scots Peerage (vol 2) ¹

John married Mary.¹ (Mary was born about 1330.)

  Marriage Notes:

"Whoever he was, he was sufficiently prominent in 1354 to have his son and heir named as a hostage for King David II., and Gilbert his eldest son did become a hostage in 1357. Some years later he acquired the lands of Castlys (or Cassillis) from Marjorie Montgomerie, cousin and heiress of Christian Montgomerie, either by purchase or through marriage." (page 444)


"John Kennedy married a lady named Mary, referred to in his charter of 29 November 1371, but who she was is not certain. It has been variously stated that she was the Marjorie Montgomerie from whom or with whom he acquired Cassillis, but if so, she must have been his second wife ; that she was Mary de Carrick, or a Mary Douglas, but no evidence on the point has yet been found. He had issue...." (page 446)

from Scots Peerage (vol 2) ¹