Genealogy

Tune: Battle Hymn of the Republic Bonnie Scotland our dear Hunter fathers lived and died, At Hunterston, their ancient home, in Ayrshire, near the Clyde. At Hunter name what Scottish blood but beats with joy and pride! The Clan goes marching on! Chorus: Glory to the House of Hunter! Glory to the name of Hunter! Hurrah, hurrah for all the Hunters! The Clan goes marching on! The Hunter blood is mingled with the Royal bloods of old. Among the world’s great families the Hunters are pure gold. Each century our numbers have increased a hundred-fold. The Clan goes marching on! … Read more

Sir Bernard Burke, of Heralds College, London, said “Heraldry is prized by all who can show honorable ancestry or who wish to found honorable families.” While Coats of Arms are not recognized by law in the United States, more American families than ever before are displaying Coats of Arms used by their forebears in Europe. Very often you now see family Arms displayed in American homes and offices as well as on correspondence stationery. The Coat of Arms shown on the cover of this volume is the Arms of the Hunter Family, of Hunterston, Scotland, from whom the American Hunters … Read more

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 … Read more

Norman Ventor or Hunter lived between 1080 and 1165, and William Ventor, whose name appears as one of the witnesses to an inquisition, A.D. 1116, by David I, of the lands pertaining to the Church of Glasgow, are the earliest of the family on record. They are said to have passed over to England soon after the Conquest, 1066. Norman received a grant of land on the extreme west coast of co. , (later called “Arnell Hunter”), which now forms part of the state of Hunterston (previously called “Huntarstown.” Aylmar de la Huntar signed the noted submission to Edward I, … Read more

B114 EDWARD HUNTER: of Polmood. B115 NORMAN HUNTER: married Elspeth Manners, an attendant to Queen Margaret (Tudor). He is said to be the 9th Laird of the name Norman. Died 1512. B116 WALTER HUNTER: married 1525. B117 ROBERT HUNTER: d. 1569. B118 ROBERT HUNTER: d. 1586. B119 JAMES HUNTER: “Tudor of Polmood.” B120 JOHN HUNTER: of co. Haddington. B121 WILLIAM HUNTER: d. 1738. B122 JOHN HUNTER: d. 1765. B123 DAVID HUNTER: of Falla, co. Haddington. B124 WILLIAM HUNTER: of Tynemount; d. 1852. B125 REV. ANDREW J. HUNTER: born 1844. B126 HENRY MALCOLM HUNTER: b. 1877.

C127 RICHARD HUNTER: of Troy House, co. Londonderry, Ireland. He was a descendant of Hunter of Hunterston. C128 NATHANIEL HUNTER: of Troy House; b. 1762; d. 1811. C129 RICHARD HUNTER: born 1788. (1) Nathaniel Maxwell: born 1819. (2) John Charles Frederick: now of Straidarran. The Arms used by this branch of the family differed very little from the Arms of Hunterston.

D130 JAMES HUNTER: of Abbotsford, Co. Ayr, a younger son of Hunterston; acquired lands in Ayr by charter dated May 19, 1569. D131 JAMES HUNTER: acquired lands of Reddingwood; died 1617. D132 JAMES HUNTER: Provost of Ayr. (1) Robert-D133. (2) Adam. (A) James: b. 1672. (a) Andrew: b. 1695. 1. Rev. Andrew: b. 1744. D133 ROBERT HUNTER: Provost of Ayr. D134 ROBERT HUNTER: born 1665. D135 JAMES HUNTER: Provost of Ayr; b. 1698. D136 ROBERT HUNTER: married 1764. D137 JAMES HUNTER: m. 1811. D138 JAMES HUNTER: d. 1879, of Thurston, E. Lothian. The Arms of this branch of the family … Read more

H164 JOHN HUNTER: married 1680. H165 JAMES HUNTER: married 1722. H166 JAMES HUNTER: b. 1816. H167 SIR CHARLES HUGHES HUNTER: created Baronet 1910. H168 SIR WILLIAM BLAKELEY HUGHES HUNTER. Motto: Dum Spero Spero.

ALEXANDER HUNTER: M.D. (1729-1809), physician born at Edinburgh in 1729, was eldest son of a druggist. He was sent to the grammar school at ten, and at fifteen to the university, where he remained until he was twenty-one, having devoted the last three years to medicine. He spent the next year or two studying in London, in Rouen (under Le Cat), and in Paris (under Petit), and on his return to Edinburgh graduated M.D. in 1753 (thesis, “De Canthardibus”). After practicing for a few months at Gainsborough, and a few years at Beverly, he was invited to York in 1763, … Read more

ANDREW HUNTER: D.D. (1743-1809), professor of Divinity at Edinburgh, born in Edinburgh in 1743, was the eldest son of Andrew Hunter of Park, writer to the signet, of the Abbotshill branch of the Hunters of Hunterston, Ayrshire. His mother was Grizel, daughter of General Maxwell of Cardoness in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright. After an education at a private school in Edinburgh, he passed to the University, where he completed the final course of study in arts and divinity. He subsequently spent a year at the University of Utrecht studying Theology. He was licensed as a preacher by the presbytery at … Read more

SIR CLAUDIUS STEPHEN HUNTER: (1775-1851), Lord Mayor of London, born at Beech Hill, near Reading, Feb. 24, 1775, was the youngest son of Henry Hunter (1739-1789) of Beech Hill, Berkshire, a barrister, by Mary, third daughter of William Sloane, the greatnephew of Sir Hans Sloane, bart. His sister Mary (d. 1847) was second wife of William Manning, M.P., for Leamington, and was thus mother of Cardinal Manning. He was educated at Newcome’s School at Hackney, and afterwards by a protestant clergyman in Switzerland. He entered as a student of the Inner Temple, but was subsequently articled for five years to … Read more

GEORGE ORBY HUNTER: (1773?-1843), translator of Byron into French, was probably the English officer of the name who was appointed Ensign in the old 100th Foot in 1783, pro moted Lieutenant in the 7th Royal Fusilers in 1785, and after holding the adjutancy of the latter corps for a few years, sold out of the army in February 1790. The name does not occur in either the English or Indian army lists from 1790 to 1843. The register of deaths at Dieppe shows that “Georges Orby Hunter, Colonel of English Infantry, of the supposed age of 70, parentage and wife … Read more

HENRY HUNTER: (1741-1802), divine, born at Culross, Perthshire on Aug. 25, 1741, was the fifth child of David and Agnes Hunter. In 1754 he was sent to the University of Edin burgh, and became tutor first to Alexander Boswell, afterwards Lord Balmuto, and subsequently, in 1758, in the family of the Earl of Dundonald at Culross, Abbey. On 2 May 1764, he received license to preach from the presbytery of Dunfermline, and was ordained minister of South Leith on 9 Jan. 1766. He died at Bristol on 27 Oct. 1802 and was buried on 6 Nov. in Bunhill Fields. In … Read more

JOHN HUNTER: (1728-1793), anatomist and surgeon, born on 11 February 1728 at Long Calderwood, in the parish of East Kilbride, Lanarkshire; was the youngest of ten children. His father John Hunter (d. 1741, aged 78), was descended from an old Ayrshire family, Hunter of Hunterston, and was a man of intelligence, integrity, and anxious temperament. His mother Agnes Paul, daughter of the treasurer of the city of Glasgow, was an excellent and handsome woman. As a boy Hunter showed little taste for books, country sports, and being allowed to neglect school, never overcame the defects of his education. When about … Read more

JOHN HUNTER: M.D., (d. 1809), physician, was born in Perthshire, and studied medicine at Edinburgh, where he graduated M.D. in 1775. His college thesis, “De Hominum Varietatibus et harum causis,” shows him to have had a good education as well as a turn for research and correct reasoning. It was republished in an English translation by Bendyshe in 1865, as an appendix tc Blumenbach’s treatise on the same subject in the publications of the Anthropological Society. He was admitted a licentiate of the College of Physicians of London in 1777, and appointed physician to the army through the interest of … Read more

JOHN HUNTER: LL.D. (1745-1837), classical scholar was born in the autumn of 1745 at Closeburn, Dumfriesshire, his father, it is said, being a farmer there. Although left an orphan in boyhood, he received a good elementary education before entering Edinburgh University, where he was a distinguished student, although supporting himself largely by private teaching. His scholarship attracted the attention of Lord Monboddo, who employed him as his private secretary for several years after he left college. In 1796, he published at St. Andrews a complete edition of Sallust, and in 1797 an edition of Horace which he reissued in 1813 … Read more

JOHN KELSO HUNTER: (1802-1873), artist and cobbler, second son of one Hunter of Chirnside who removed to Ayrshire in 1799, and died there about 1810, was born at Dunkeith, Ayr shire, on Dec. 1802, and was for some time employed as a herdboy. He was apprenticed to a shoemaker, and on the expiration of his indentures settled at Kilmarnock in the pursuit of his calling. He afterwards taught himself portrait-painting, attained to a respectable position as an artist, and removed to Glasgow, where he was employed alternately as an artist, and a shoemaker. In 1847 he exhibited a portrait of … Read more

JOSEPH HUNTER: (1783-1861), antiquary, was born at Sheffield on 6 February 1783, being the son of Michael Hunter, who was engaged in the cutlery business. His mother dying while he was quite young, he was placed under the guardship of Joseph Evans, a Presbyterian minister, who sent him to school near Sheffield, where he received the rudiments of a classical education, while he devoted all his spare time to antiquarian studies and to the collection of church notes, filling many volumes, still in existence, with copies of monumental inscriptions, coats of arms, and the like. He was removed in 1809 … Read more

SIR MARTIN HUNTER: (1757-1846), General, second son and heir of Cuthbert Hunter of Medonsley, Durham, by his wife Anne, daughter of the Rev. John Nixon of Haltwhistle, Northum berland, was born in 1757. On August 30, 1771 he was appointed Ensign in the 52nd Foot, in which he became Lieutenant 18 June 1775, Captain 21 Nov. 1777, and Major 30 October, 1790. He was with his regiment at Bunker’s Hill, and in Boston when blockaded by Washington, and made the campaigns of 1776-78, including the battles of Long Island and Brandywine, the storming of Fort Washington, the surprise of Wayne’s … Read more

PETER HUNTER: British soldier, b. in Scotland in 1746, d. in Quebec 21 August, 1805. He entered the army, and had attained the rank of Lieutenant-General when he was appointed in 1799 to administer the government of Upper Canada, succeeding Lord Semcoe, and made Commander in Chief of the forces in Canada. He was eminently successful in his administrations, and to his policy Canada is indebted for many proofs that probably it would otherwise never be known. His brother John (the celebrated anatomist) erected a monument to him in the England Cathedral of Quebec.