The Hunter Family is of royal descent from EDWARD I, King of England, through his second son, Edmund, Earl of Kent, whose daughter, Lady Joan Plantagenet, was the wife of Thomas, Lord Holland. Her great-great-granddaughter, Princess Jane Stuart, became the wife of George Gordon, second Earl of Huntly and Lord Chancellor. Their daughter, Lady Isabel Gordon, was married to William Hay, third Earl of Erroll. Their greatgrandson, Andrew Hay, became the seventh Earl. By his wife, Lady Agnes Sinclair, daughter of the fourth Earl of Caithness, he had a son, Hon. Sir George Hay, of Killour, who married Elizabette, daughter of Sir Patrick Cheyne, of Esselmont. Their daughter, Anne, became the wife of William Moray of Abercairney, who died in 1642. Their son, Robert Moray, was knighted by Charles I. His daughter, Anne, married David Graham, of Fintry, ninth Earl in descent from William Graham of Kincardine and the Lady, Mary Stuart. Their daughter, Amelia Graham became the wife of Alexander Hunter, of Blackness, co. Forfar, in 1741. (See also, Americans of Royal Descent). Burke’s Landed Gentry states that “Two ancient families of the name of Hunter existed in Scotland for many centuries. These were the Hunters of Tweeddale, now extinct, and the Hun ters of Hunterston, co. Ayr, who owned the present estates as early as the time of Alexander II, King of Scotland. In 1375 William Hunter obtained a charter from King Robert II, for a part of the Barony of Amele. These lands were known as Campbellton, and are still possessed by the family. Dr. John Hunter discovered the circulation of the blood, and was a member of the family of Hunterston.”
