HUNTER OF HUNTERSTON or of that ilk.

The estate of Hunterston, comprising Hunterston and Campbeltoun, two conterminous properties, which, retaining their distinctive names and rights, have been for centuries incorporated, is situated on the coast to the westward of Southannan. It is the only portion of the parish which, from its earliest division in the twelfth century, has remained, unalienated, and is the seat of the Hunters of Hunterston, or of that Ilk, a family of great antiquity.

The surname of Venator or Huntar is of early Norman origin. The use of fixed surnames arose in France about the year 1000, came into England about sixty years later with the Norman Conquest, and reached us in Scotland, speaking roundly, about the year 1100.
In 1116, we find in our Cartularies the name of William Venator as a witness with Hugh de Morville to an inquisition by David, Prince of Cumbria.
Surnames, descriptive of personal peculiarities, and of callings or occupations, were not general until the thirteenth century, and it would appear therefore that the designation of Venator, which originated in the eleventh century, must have been derived from the office of the first of the name who bore it. Renowned moreover as were the Normans for proficiency in venatic pursuits, and common to all as were the sports of the chase, a special application must necessarily have been given to this appellative, and it is evident that the surnames of Grosvenor and of Venator were conferred distinctively on Le Gros Veneur the holder par eminence of an hereditary office.
In the early charters the name assumes many forms of spelling, and is recorded as Huntr, Huntar, or Huntare; but in all the more recent documents it is written Hunter, according to the present mode of orthography.
It matters little whether the designation "Hunter of that Ilk" arose from the family having assumed the name of the lands they acquired, or conferred their own upon them, there is evidence enough in the writings of our best genealogists, and in the expression "of that Ilk" itself, that the name of the property and the proprietor were the same. Bellenden explains "of that Ilk" to mean, that he who is thus designed "has a title the same with his surname."
Sprung from the same source, descended from a common ancestor, two families of the name, whilst acknowledging the identity of origin, contested for some centuries the honour of precedence - that of which we treat, and Hunter of Polmood in Tweddale, now extinct. But it is noteworthy that the rival house was invariably designated of Polmood, and was never styled "of that Ilk," a distinction accorded, as we have stated, to the Ayrshire family.

The records of the Lyon Office afford strong heraldic evidence of the common origin of the Hunters of Hunterston and of Polmood, the ancient arms of the former as "Praefectus Venatorum Regiorum in Cuninghame" being on, three hunting horns green, and of the latter are three hunting horns black.
The earliest example of these bearings now extant is to be found at Melrose Abbey, where on a shield carved at the base of a now ruined niche on the fifth buttress from the south transept, are sculptured the arms of Abbot Andrew Hunter.
This Abbot Hunter was confessor to James II., and filled many important offices from 1448 to 1460. He held the office of Lord High Treasurer of Scotland from 1449 till 1453.

" This family would appear to have had possession at least of the original territory of Hunter's-toun proper as early as the days of the De Morvilles, and it would seem at least probable that these lands were originally held in connection with an office relating to the chase in the semi-regal establishment of the district;" and he truly remarks, in a further notice of the house of Hunterston, that "it is certainly pleasing to find that this very ancient family have ever continued in possession of this their original title territory through direct hereditary succession down to the present time, a period of perhaps at least eight centuries, whilst most of the principal barons and great landholders under De Morville have long utterly disappeared, and have been forgotten in their wide domains and proud feudal prerogatives.

"The first of the family of whom, as it has been stated, authentic record exists, was Norman Hunter, who lived between A. D. 1080-1165. Armstrong supposses him to have followed the Norman Conqueror to England, but to have fled from the arbitrary oppressions of his successors, and to have sought shelter in Scotland; but he would rather appear to have been one of the many who, passing over to England subsequent to the Conquest, came northward in the train of David the First, who was then Prince of Cumberland.
The marriage of David with Maud, a grand-niece of the Conqueror, led on his accession to the throne to a fresh influx of Anglo- Normans into Scotland, amongst whom was Hugh De Morville, who was appointed High Constable of the Kingdom, and Lord of the Baropy of Cuninghame, and the arrival of Norman and of William Venator must have been almost contemporaneous, as the latter appears as one of the witnesses with Hugh de Morville to the inquisition by David, when Prince of Cumbria, of the lands pertaining to the Church of Glasgow, A.D. 1164.
The whole of the signatures attached to this document are those of men of high rank and consideration, and with a reciprocity of evidence they establish beyond cavil the distinguished position held at Court by the subscribers.

Nisbet, in treating of the antiquity of the family of Hunter, makes mention of a charter of King Alexander III. ("Quam in Capella nostra irrevocabile fecimus, anno gratias 1271")in which the estate of Manners, resigned by Nicholas Corbet into the hands of the Crown, is conferred upon William Baddebie (or Bakby), with the exception of such lands as had been granted to Norman Hunter by King Malcolm IV., (" Excepta terra quondam Normani Venatoris quod Rex Malcolmus frater Regis Wilmi. avi nostri ei dedit,") and this document is likewise referred to in the "Haddington Collections."
In his "Remarks on Ragman Roll," the same author states that "Aylmar de la Huntar is for certain the Hunters of Arneil, designed of Hunterston and of that Ilk.
In an ancient bounding charter of lands it (Arneil) is bounded with 'terris Normani Venatoris,' which is plainly the lands of Arneil- Hunter, sic the lands of Hunterston;" and it appears, therefore, highly probable that this second grant may have been conferred upon him consequent on his appointment to the charge of Royal Forests in the neighbourhood, an office which there exists abundant evidence to prove, became hereditary with his successors, and of which the last mention in a Royal Charter is recorded in a grant by King James V., dated 31st May, 1527, by which the island of Little Cumbrae is conferred on Robert Hunter of Hunterstoune and Jonet Montgomerie, his spouse, and their heirs; "of which island and lands, with pertinents, the said Robert and his predecessors were in times past for us and for out predecessors the hereditary keepers."
(Quasquidem insulam et terras cum pertinenciis dictus Robertus et predecessores
sui de nobis et predecessoribus nostris in custodia hereditarie prius habuerunt.)

John Huntar or Venator, the next who appears, is witness, together with Gilbert, brother of the Sheriff of Traquhair, to two deeds, the one conveying the lands of Stobbow, and the other the lands of Ingolfhiston, in the reign of Alexander II., and likewise to a deed by Malcolm, the Constable, of the lands of Edulfiston in the reign of Alexander III.

We have already, in our remarks on the "Ragman Roll, adverted to the Anglo-Norman or Saxon lineage of the great majority of the subscribers to that document who were resident in Ayrshire; and true to his Norman descent, we find Aylmer de la Huntar, of the County of Ayr, one of the "Magnates Scotiae" who, a.d. 1296, signed the noted submission to Edward I. of England in the question of succession to the Scottish Crown between Bruce and Baliol. His name appears between those of his neighbours, Robert de Boyvil or Boyle, and Raulf de Eglintoun, ancestors of the noble families who still possess the estates of Kelburne and of Eglintoun, adjoining that of Hunterston.

Thus far as to the origin of the Hunters of Hunterston. Their possessions were formerly far more considerable than at present, much land having been alienated from time to time, more especially by the great-grandfather of the present proprietor. In addition to Hunterston and Campbelton, which alone remain in the family, they possessed Annanhill- Huntar, near Kilmaurs ; Langmuir in that parish, and Hielies in Dalry, in the county of Ayr; South Kames in the Great Cumbrae, the King's lands and the Island of Little Cumbrae, the Holy Isle or Lamlash, with certain lands on the opposite shore of Arran, in the county of Bute; Meikle Calderwood, in Lanarkshire; and Inschok, Banblane, Muirhouse, Longholls, and Housefield of Brownlands in Forfarshire.

Amongst those descended, or claiming descent, from the parent stock of Hunterston may be named the following : -

1. Hunter, or Orby Hunter, of Croyland Abbey, county Lincoln.
2. Hunter of Restinet, county Forfar.
3. Hunter of Long-Calderwood, county Lanark.
4. Hunter of Kirkland. county Ayr.
5. Hunter of Abbotshill, county Ayr, now of Barjarg, county Dumfries, claiming descent from a younger son of Kentigern, or Mungo Hunter, of whom presently.

   From this family are descended. -
     6. Hunter of Thurston, county Haddington.
     7. Hunter of Doonholm, county Ayr.
     8. Hunter-Blair (Baronet) of Blairquhan, county Ayr.

During the first eight descents of the Huntars but little is now to be found in addition to that above recorded, nor, indeed, can the name of the immediate successor of Aylmar de la Huntar with any certainty be affirmed.
Many of the earliest charters and documents of the family have been lost in the troublous times of our history in which its members played their part, or have perished owing to carelessness or neglect.
Even some of those very carefully perused by Crawfurd, as above-mentioned, no longer find a place in the Hunterston charter chest; and but for the record contained in the lands themselves, it would have been impossible to bridge over the chasm thus created with aught more reliable than a theory, more trustworthy than an assertion, or to fill up the breach of forgotten names save but with traditions more or less mythical or legendary.

But whilst the parchments have perished, the broad acres of which they told have remained, and they in their integrity dispel all doubts and resolve all difficulties.

The next on record is William Huntar of Arneil, or Ardneil, who obtained a Crown Charter from King Robert II., "for faithful services rendered" to that monarch, of all that land of Arnele which had been held by "Andre Cambell militis," and had been duly resigned by him.
This ancient charter, which is in excellent preservation, is the earliest original document now in the possession of the family, and is dated at Stirling the second day of May, in the fourth year of the King's reign (a.d. 1374), shown here:

It would seem probable that the lands granted to Norman Huntar, and held by his descendants down to Aylmer de la Huntar - whom we have seen was an adherent of John Baliol - were forfeited in the wars of succession either by Aylmer, or, as appears more probable, by his immediate descendant, of whose name, consequently, no record, as we have stated, has been preserved.
Sir Andrew Campbell was doubtless the Knight of Loudon who was Sheriff of Ayr in 1367, and who died in the reign of Robert II., and he and his father, Sir Duncan, may have held the estate during the reigns of Robert I. and David II., William Huntar only obtaining reinstatement of the change of dynasty "for faithful services rendered" to King Robert II.
It is possible, however, that Sir Andrew Campbell may have held the lands temporarily on a grant of non-entry from the Crown, such being a casualty of ordinary occurrence, the Crown enjoying the privilege of giving away the non-entry or escheat of its vassals.
As the next Laird of Arnele-Huntar on record, paid on his entry, eleven years arrears of blench-duty, duly accounted for in the Exchequer Roll for 1447, in addition to the double fee as entry money, it may be concluded that William Huntar died about the year 1436, and that his successor, whose name has not come down to us, died in the interval between 1436 and 1447, without paying fees on entry ; the next laird on record being probably the grandson of the above-named William Huntar.

William Huntar of Arnele-Huntar, was infeft in his estate prior to 1447, as appears from the subjoined extract from the Exchequer Rolls, the duplication of the blench-duty of one penny in silver being payable to the Crown on entry only : -
" Idem compotans onerat se, &c. &c. &c. Et de IId. de albe firme per duplicationem terrarum de Arnele-Huntar per sasinam datam Willo. Huntar de eisdem. Et de XId. albe firme dictarum terrarum de Arnele-Huntar de undecim annis infra hoc computum."

This compt is dated 26th June, 1447.
He was infeft in Hielies, in the Barony of Dalry, on 5th March, 1452, as appears from a charter by Andw. Lyn of that Ilk, and an instrument following thereon, executed at Irvine on that date, Archibald Craufurd of Pryveke, Alexr. Huntar, and John Huntar being among the witnesses.
In 1453 he is recorded in the Exchequer Roll as Custos or Hereditary Keeper of the Forest of the Little Cumray, an island which was then a Royal Forest, well stocked with deer and rabbits, and affording pasturage to a certain number of cattle.
On the erection of the Principality of Scotland by Robert III. in 1404, this island was included in its domains. Munroe, who visited it in 1584, calls it "Cumbray of the Dais, because there is many Dayis intill it;" but they have entirely disappeared, and the remembrance of their existence is not even preserved traditionally in the locality. The rabbits are, however, still extremely numerous, and tend to raise to a very respectable amount the rental of the island.

The salary of the Hereditary Forester was at first twenty shillings per annum, and subsequently two chalders of oats, which was continued to the Earl of Eglintoun on his obtaining possession of the Little Cumbray in 1535, as appears by the following extract from an order by James Colvile, Comptroler to the Sheriff of Bute, dated 28th November, 1586 :-
"Schirreff of Bute : Ze sall answer and pay to my Lord of Eglintoun twa chalder of aittis of this last zeir bigane, siclik as ze did to the Lard of Hunterstoun, for Litil Cumray ........And giff ze failze hereintill, I haiff ordanit to put ze to the horne, for I haiff ressauit fra the said Erll payment as vse and wont is."

Certain rights of pasturage, and probably other contingent perquisites, were attached to the office. William Hunter died about the year 1454, and was succeeded by his son,
Archibald Huntar of Arnele-Huntar, who not being of age at his father's death, was not infeft in the estate until 1456, and for the same reason John Huntar above-mentioned obtained, on the death of his brother William, the office of Hereditary Forester, which he retained during the lifetime of his nephew. This John had a son named Archibald, who was appointed Receiver of the salary on his father's account, as is shown by the Roll of 1465.

Prior to 1462, Archibald Huntar married Margaret Ker, daughter of William Ker, laird of Kersland, as appears from the following Discharge by his cousins, Robert Crawfurde of Auchinhames, and Archibald Crawfurde of Pryveke, dated 14th June, 1462:-
"Be it maide kennyt till all men be thir present letteris, ws Robert Crawfurde off Auchinhamis, ande Archibalde Crawfurde off Pryveke, conjunctly and severally, till hafe resawyte and fullely till haffe hade, be the handis off ane vorschipfull man, Vilzame Ker, Larde of Kerislande, in dawry, ane hundreth mark off vsuale mone off the kynric off Scotland, for all and hall the sovme acht till ws be the said Vilzam for the marriage off oure cusynge Archibalde Huntar, Larde off Ardneill; pertenande till ws, the quhilk forsuth mariage we sellyt and gaffe to the saide Vilzame Ker, to his dochtir Margarete Ker, for the sayde sovme of ane hundreth mark as sayde is; Off the quhilk forsayde sovme of ane hundreth mark, we halde ws weyll content ande payit, and in all thinge acht for the saide mariage fullely assythit for euermar ; and the forsayde Vilzame, his ayeris and all vtheris quham it afferis, or may affer, for ws, our ayeris, and all vtheris quhilkis has or may haffe thar off be law or resoun ony interes, quhitclamys be thir oure presente letteris: In witnes off the quhilk thing we the said Robert Crawfurde and Archibalde Crawfurde to thir oure present letteris of quhitclame and discharge we haff hungyng oure propir seillis, at Achinhamys, the forten day off the moneth off June the yher off oure Lorde a thousande four hundreth sexty and twa yheris."

He died prior to 1487, in which year his son,
John Huntar of Huntarstoune or of that Ilk was infeft in his estate, and paid dues on his sasine in the lands of Almolach (Holy Isle, or Lamlash) and in the office of Hereditary Forester.
He received his fee of twenty shillings at Custos of the Little Cumbray until 1461, in the compt of which year he is paid "for that time only, as the King receives no advantage from that island."
The salary was probably restored when King James IV. was in Bute, in 1495, as John Huntar was paid the usual sum in the accounts of 1496, and the years following.
He married Margaret, daughter of John, Second Lord Cathcart, by Margaret, daughter of Sir William Douglas of Drumlanrig.
On the 10th June, 1505, he produced the charter granted to his ancestor by King Robert II. before the Court of the Itinerating Justices in Ayr, to prove that his lands were held blench of the Crown for payment of one silver penny in full of all duties and services, which holding was duly recognized, and he was exonerated from all other claims. His father-in-law, Lord Cathcart, was one of the witnesses to this writ.

(So designed in Sasine, 9th April, 1511. The name of the estate having been evidently changed
from " Ardneil," or " Arnele-Huntar," to " Huntarstoune," between the years 1462 and 1511.)

He (John) was infeft in the lands of Hielies on the 9th April, 1511.
He was killed at Flodden on the 9th September, 1513, and was succeeded by his son,

Robert Huntar of Huntarston or of that Ilk, who was a minor at the time his father fell, but who was infeft by John Lyn of that Ilk, as superior of the lands of Hielies, on the 6th May, 1515. He married Jonet, daughter of John Montgomerie of Giffen, a branch of the Eglintoun family, and widow of John Craufurd of Craufurdlaud, between that date and 1522, as he resigned Hielies in the hands of the superior, and was again infeft, along with his wife, in conjunct fee, on the 7th November of that year.
During the troublous times consequent upon the Battle of Flodden and the minority of James V., the Royal Forest of the Cumray was overrun by those -with whom right -was might, and the young laird of Hunterston finding himself powerless to prevent their aggressions " without supply or help" seems to have represented the matter to the King, and prayed for assistance, for on this ground the Regent Albany, in the name of the King, granted, on the 28th October, 1525, a charter to Hugh, first Earl of Eglintoun, as "Fiar, Correkar, and supplear of the ile of Litill Comeray," setting forth, after the customary preamble, that . . . . " forsumekle as we and our derrest cousing and tutour, Johne Duke of Albany, etc., protectour and governour of oure realme, ar sikerlie aduertist that the ile of Litill Comeray, liand within our baillerie of Cunynghame, and schirefdome of Are is waistit and distroyit be divers personis that slais the dere and cunyugis thairof, and pasturis bestis thairintill maisterfully be way of dede without licence, tollerance, or consent of Robert Huntare of Huntarstoun, forestar of heretage of the said ile the quhilk personis the said Robert may nocht resist, because he is nocht of substance and power without supple and help : - Tharefor we. with advise and consent of our said tutour and governour for reformacioun, gud reule, and saufte of the said ile in tyme cummyng, hes maid constitut and ordanit, and be thir our letteris, makis, constitutis and ordanis our louit cousing and counsalour Hew Erle of Eglingtoun and his assignais ane or maa, our fearis, correkaris and supplearis of our said ile of Litill Comeray - etc., etc., etc., etc."

This charter was to endure until the King was fifteen years of age. Under it " Huntarstoun" appears to have retained certain rights of pasturage; and, on the 31st May, 1527, he procured a charter from the Crown, conferring upon him and his spouse full possession of the island, which, as the text runs, the said Robert and his predecessors held as hereditary keepers of and under the King and his predecessors.

The neighbouring proprietors on the mainland appear to have been very anxious to obtain possession of this much-coveted island ; and, not with standing the above charter, Robert, son and heir of William Lord Sempill, obtained a grant of it in 1532. He did not, however, long retain it, for by an instrument dated the 12th November, 1534, King James V. revoked the said grant, and confirmed that formerly made to Robert Huntar of Huntarstoun, who shortly after sold the island to the Earl of Eglintoun, and made resignation of it in his favour in the hands of King James V., from whom the Earl obtained a charter dated 16th March, 1535,
- since which time it has continued the property of the Eglintoun family, and has frequently served them as a place of refuge in troublous times.
On the 8th July, 1527, Robert Huntar, styled in the writ " Lord Huntarstoun," made over his rights in the Holy Isle, or Island of Lamlash, to James Lord Arran, by resignation " ad perpetuam remanentiam."
In 1532, he sold to William Wood of Bonnytown the lands of Inschok, Banblane, Muir House, Langholls, Housefield of Brownlands, and pertinents in Barony of Innirshallow and shire of Forfar - which sale was confirmed by charter of James V. on 10th September of that year.

In 1536 he sold the lands of Meikle Calderwood in Lanarkshire, to James, brother of Robert Hamilton of Torrance and Christian Stewart his spouse, which sale was confirmed by James V. by charter dated 1st June, 1536.
On the 25th February, 1535, he obtained a charter from Hugh first Earl of Eglintoun, of the lands of Annanhill, lying within the Lordship of Roberton and bailliary of Cuninghame, followed by a charter of confirmation by James V,, dated 16th March following, and again by royal charter on 1st January, 1541.

In 1535 he acquired from William Cuninghame, Lord Feuar of the Earldom of Glencairn and Lordship of Kilmaurs, the lands of Campbeltown, as appears by charter of sale dated 10th November, and charter confirming the same by James V, of 29th December of the same year.

It would appear that he suffered from ill health, as he was not present at the Walpynshawing (edit= muster of men and weapons) of Cuninghame held at Irvine on the 15th October, 1532; the roll bearing record, "The Lard of Huntar and all his tenandis absent, " and this supposition is further borne out by the license granted on 24th October, 1542, by James V. to the said Robert and to William Montgomerie of the Stane, to remain at home from the war on account of their being "vaik and tender of complectioun, and triiblit with seeknes and infirmite, and may nocht travell without grete danger of thair lyvis," etc., etc. "Dischargeing all our lieutennentis and all vtheris oure ofiiciaris present and to cum, and thare deputis and schireffis in that part, of all calling, vnlawing, preceding, attaching, arreisting, trubling, or intrometting with the saidis Maister William Montgomery and Robert Huntar, thair landis or guidis tharefore, and of thair offices in that part, be thir presentis foreuir: Providing alwayis that the saidis Maister William and Robert send thair eldest sonnys, with thair men, tennentis, and servandis, to this our oist and weiris, and all vtheris our oistus and weiris, to do ws seruice tharein."

The latest deed in which his name occurs is an instrument of sasine in favour of his son Kentigern Huntar in fee and heritage, and Robert Huntar, and Jonet Montgomerie, his wife, in life-rent of the lands of Campbeltoun, dated 25th May, 1542, and he died prior to 1546 : -
His daughter Isobel married John Crauford of Giffordland, who was killed at the battle of Pinkie, 1547.
His wife, Jonet Montgomerie, " Lady Huntarstoune," died in 1547, as appears by a notarial instrument of the 27th January, 1548.

He was succeeded by his son              Part 2