The Kennedy - de Carrick Connection
Some notes from secondary sources
Iain Kennedy
December 25th, 2006
Copyright © 2007 Iain Kennedy
The thorny
question of how the Kennedy and de Carrick lines are connected was discussed at
some length by two prominent Ayrshire historians, James Paterson and J. Kevan
MacDowall. The following are some excerpts from these two key works. When I get
some more time I will delve more into the primary sources behind them.
Update
December 24th, 2006. Paterson (see below) quotes from the following
source which I have now read at the National Library and here summarise. The
numbered footnotes are mine.
Some
account of the Ancient Earldom of Carric by Andrew Carrick Esq MD (To which are
prefixed notices of the Earldom after it came into the families of de Bruce and
Stewart)
by
James Maidment Esq Advocate 1857 (based on notes by Andrew Carrick dated 1809).
The
notes are accompanied by a covering letter to George Chalmers (of ‘Caledonia’
fame) written from Clifton on the 8th June 1809.
Introduction:
...
Almost everything I know of the matter indeed independent of Fordun is derived
from Nesbit (1) and Douglas (2) two very inaccurate and credulous authors. But
I think it not improbable that some farther information might be obtained from
a careful inspection of Lord Cassilis's charters, of the chartularies of
Crossraguell and Maybole, if extant, and of the title deeds of many of the
Ayrshire estates which may possibly fall into your hands in the course of your
present enquiries (3).
NB the
copy of Nesbit from which I quote is that lately printed at Edinburgh by
[Blackwood, in 1804]. I have not seen Douglas these 20 years. This is a
wretched market for books of that description.
(1) Carrick
calls this source Nesbit throughout except once where he spells it Nisbet. It
appears to be a reference to Alexander Nisbet (1657-1725)’s System of Heraldry.
Originally published in Nisbet’s lifetime it was reprinted by A. Lawrie &
Co in Edinburgh in 1804 and then by Blackwood in 1816. The Blackwood reference
above was in square brackets in the original and appears to be a later error
possibly by Maidment.
(2) Douglas
is only rarely mentioned, presumably he is referring to Sir Robert Douglas’
Peerage of which the 1st Edition was published in 1764.
(3) Carrick’s
entire research then has eschewed primary sources.
Carrick’s
main article occupies 30 pages of which he devotes 10 pages to the Kennedy – de
Carrick connection. Here I summarise his key paragraphs; note that large sections
consist of quotes from Nisbet with his commentary below. Nisbet appears within
double quote marks; my remarks are in square brackets; the rest is Carrick. The
name Kennedy first appears on page 31:
‘...
which grant King Alexander III confirms and it was afterwards confirmed or
rather renewed by King Robert II to the family of Kennedy
Gilbert
de Carrick son of Rolland de Carrick "submits a difference between him and
the nuns of North Berwick in 1285 to Robert Bruce Earl Carrick to which Gilbert
de Carrick's seal is appended having the very same shield of arms which the
family of Cassillis carry at this day; which shows they had the double tressure
flory and counter flory with fleursdelis to their arms long before they matched
with the royal family"*
*where
is this charter and seal [asks Carrick]? has the seal the 3 crosses which
constitute the distinction between the arms of Carrick and those of Kennedy? if
it has not, we should have in this a cogent proof of the falsity of the
pretended change of sirname from Carrick into Kennedy.$
$the
original is at Panmure [this appears to be an editor’s later note]. it has been
printed amongst the North Berwic [sic] charters and the arms of Gilbert are a
cheveron between 3 cross crosslets fiches.
"King
Robert I grants a remisison to Sir Gilbert Carrick son of the above Sir Duncan
for surrendering the castle of Loch Doon to the English and restores to him the
government of the same with the lands thereunto belonging which still continue
part of the Earl of Cassillis's property"
"at
this time or a little before" says Nesbit, “they begun to take the surname
of Kennedy as ‘caput progeniei’, several charters have Carrick in the bosom and
Kennedy in the margin" yet Nesbit adds "they had taken the name of
Kennedy long before; for John Kennedy chancellor to King John Baliol is
mentioned in Prynne's history and Dominus Alexander Kennedy and several others
of that name in page 652".
The
memoirs in Nesbit presuming the change of surname then goes on to tell us that
Sir John Kennedy son of the above Sir Gilbert Carrick is one of the
commissioners mentioned in Rymer at the treaty of Newcastle for releasing King
David II in 1354, ...
It is
somewhat surprising that Nesbit after the account has had given of these
affairs in v i p158 should have inserted the forgoing memoirs without any
comment or attempt to reconcile the contradiction. On p158 he tells us that the first of the name of
Kennedy was "Kenneth, an Irish Scot or Highlander. He then goes on to
mention Henry Kennedy who assisted Gilbert Lord of Galloway in his wars",
and other Kennedys from the Ragman Roll as above. He afterwards informs us
"that in the reign of King David II John Kennedy of Dunure got several
lands from that king as ‘per rotula davidis II’ and likewise that he added to
his patrimonial inheritance the barony of Cassillis by his wife Mary".
Here is
at once the clue to the mystery; and why Nesbit should have let it slip through
his fingers it does not seem difficult to guess. Nesbit was not only credulous
but interested and venal. These genealogical historians are the most docile
creatures imaginable; always ready to countenance the most barefaced fiction
sooner than incur the smallest risk of losing a noble patron.
His
first report of this affair (p158) was probably his real sentiments; then 2nd
appendix p36 appears to have been handed to him by some of the Cassillis family
and was inserted without any correction or animadversion whatsover.
Out of
all this however the necessary deduction seems to be that Sir Gilbert Carrick
the same who was captured with King David II at Durham left no son and that
his daughter and heiress Mary was married to John Kennedy.
"he
added to his patrimonial inheritance the barony of Cassillis by Mary his
wife". Nesbit indeed does not actually say she was the daughter of Sir
Gilbert Carrick but taking the dates and circumstances together it is
impossible not to infer that she was so.*
* it
would however be satisfactory to ascertain from written documents that the
barony of Cassilis was actually the patrimonial estate of Sir Gilbert Carrick.
Upon
this supposition all is clear and easy. The patrimonial inheritance of Nicolaus
and Rolland Carrick, the caput progeniei, the bailliary of Carrick, the
addition of the cross crosslets to the arms of Carrick, all glide most smoothly
into the family of Kennedy without the smallest necessity for a change of
surname; whereas without this supposition all is confusion contradiction and
absurdity.
Had
this transaction happened some centuries later he would probably have adopted
the name of Carrick in place of his own. The practice however of adopting the
names of heiresses was not introduced so early. But in process of time it was
judged desirable to indulge the idea of a change of surname, without forfeiting
the claim of male representation; to which pretension the accidental
resemblance of the name Kennedy to two or three Irish vocables signifying head
of a house happened luckily to supply something like a colourable sanction.
From
the renewal of earl Nigel’s charter by King Robert III to Sir James Kennedy no
inference of the identity of the surnames of Kennedy and Carrick can fairly be
drawn; but directly the contrary. Had there been no break in the male
succession of the family of Carrick but only a change in name there could have
been no room nor necessity for this 2nd confirmation of the charter, King
Alexander’s confirmation of it to Roland Carrick being sufficient for his
latest hiers-male.
...
there was to be sure something unnatural and contradictory in pretending to
constitute any but a Carrick the chieftain of the surname of Carrick but such
trifling inconsistencies in favour of a king's son-in-law are easily
overlooked.
Another
circumstance to be adverted to is the observation of Nesbit or rather of the
memorialist above mentioned that in the time of King David II the name of
Carrick began to be changed to Kennedy and that accordingly there are charters
of this period with "Carrick in the bosom and Kennedy on the margin".
But who does not at once perceive in this the hand of the interpolator? In the course of a century or so from the
marriage with Mary of Cassillis when it became desirable that the fiction of
the change of surname should pass current such little artifices as this, I mean
the marginal annotation would very naturally be resorted to, in an age, by the
bye, pregnant with forgeries. Had matters been reversed, had we had these
charters with Kennedy in the bosom but Carrick in the margin then inded there
would have been a something greater show of probability for the change in
position but there is no such thing.
The
similarity of the armorial bearings of the two families has been considered as
a proof of their identity but this like those above noticed will vanish upon
investigation. The arms of the earls of Carrick are argent, a cheveron gules
which seems indeed to have been the bearing of the whole house of Fergus; for
we have in Nesbit (pt iv p14) the seal of Rolland l of Galloway with the very
same shield of arms. The bearings of the Kennedy earl of Cassillis is argent, a
cheveron gules, between 3 cross crosslet fitchet sables and these within a
double tressure flory counter- flory
with fleur-de-lis since the marriage of James Kennedy with Mary daughter of
King Robert III.
From
hence it is probable almost to certainty that the original bearing of the
Kennedys was the 3 cross crosslets which upon the marriage to the king’s
daughter were added as augmentation to the paternal coat of Carrick.
Andrew
Carrick then sums up his case:
To
conclude in whatever way we view it the inconsistency and absurdity of the
supposition of a change of surname are too palpable to bear a moment's
reflection. The difficulties it involves are insurmountable and we can only
class this foolish story with the innumerable legends and fictions which
obscure and disgrace our early history.
...
I should have passed the idle assertions of Nesbit and Douglas and others
interested in silence had not such a truly respectable author as Lord Hailes
(1) without due reflection adopted the conceit.
The
arguments I have adduced to disprove it appear to me conclusive; yet I can
truly aver, that if I have taken up a wrong opinion on the subject no person
could be more happy than myself to see it corrected.
(1)
Lord Hailes (David Dalrymple) qv – possibly the Annals of Scotland (1776-9),
tbc - IK
History of the county of Ayr: with a genealogical account of the families of Ayrshire, Vol. II, James Paterson, 1852
Paterson has
extensive notes on many of the Kennedy families, under the appropriate parish
entry. The following selection is taken from the entry for Kirkoswald.
'Strange
enough there is an incomplete charter by Robert II to Gilberto de Carryk de
omnibus suis terris in bk 3 no 8 of the crown records and must have been in the
early part of that monarch's reign much about the same time that John Kennedy
obtained his. This Gilbert de Carrick coexistent with John Kennedy of Dunure
must have been one of the direct representatives of the de Carrick family.
The author
then quotes from the 'Historical Account of the Noble Family of Kennedy' (anon.
1849 Edinburgh)
"there
is not in the charter chest of the Marquis of Ailsa any original grant of the barony
of Dunure whereby it might be seen how that estate came into the family...
about 1290 a charter was granted by Malcolm earl of Lennox in favour of Gilbert
de Carrick of the lands of Bukmonyn-Kennedy, Cromicaine and Blairfode in the
earldom of Lennox (*on 28 oct 1393 Duncan Earl of Lennox confirms a grant by
Sir Gilbert Kennedy of Dunure in favour of John Kennedy son of Fergus Kennedy
of the lands of Buckmonyn in the earldom of Lennox. The presumption here is
that Sir Gilbert Kennedy of Dunure had succeeded Sir Gilbert de Carrick as heir
to these lands when he granted them to John Kennedy son of Fergus Kennedy.)
This Gilbert de Carrick was one of the prisoners taken at the battle of Durham
in 1346. [Paterson disputes this: the editor must be wrong, he writes;
supposing him to be only 21 in 1290 when he succeeded his father sir gilbert he
would have been 75 at the battle of durham! in short there is no evidence that
this Kennedy was related to the de Carricks save the lands he possessed and
some similarities in the family arms]
The
earliest charter in Lord Ailsa's charter chest is 18 jan 1357 by David II
confirming for John de Kennedy all the lands acquired by him. This is the first
time the name of Kennedy appears in the title deeds. It has been supposed that
this John de Kennedy who in another charter about the same period is called 'of
Dunure' changed the name from Carrick to Kennedy."
...
The author
[Paterson] relates who he stumbled across a pamphlet 'An historical sketch of
the very ancient family and sirname of Carrick printed privately in 1824 by
Andrew Carrick Esq from an MS of Andrew Carrick of Kildees both descendants of
the Carricks of Moredon, a branch of the original de Carricks. Dr Carrick does
not give his authorities in detail but he states that much interesting
information was obtained on the subject from George William Johnstone Esq MD of
Lochhouse a descendant of the family on the mothers side and Robert Riddel of
Glenriddle Esq a well known antiquary. In this pamphlet it is unhestitatingly
stated that Sir John Kennedy married Mary Carrick daughter or grandaughter of
Sir Gilbert Carrick who had no surviving male issue. This marriage took place
it is said about 1350. Here we have the true source of the very intimate
connection between the Kennedies and the de Carricks. John Kennedy married Mary
de Carrick the heiress of Sir Gilbert de Carrick and assumed the arms and
position of the de Carricks. By this marriage also from the connection of the
de Carricks with the Royal House of Stewart he was entitled to be called by
Robert II 'dilectus consanguineus noster'.
Carrick Gallovidian, J. Kevan MacDowall FSA Scot (1947).
This
gentleman has impressive credentials listed on the flypage - Fellow Soc
Antiquaries in Scotland; President Galloway Assoc. of Glasgow; Convener,
Place-names committee of Council of the Saint Andrew Society Glasgow; Member,
Glasgow Ayrshire Soc; Rep for Ayrshire on Council of Burns Federation;
President Mauchline Burns Club; Hon Sec Scottish Burns Club. We will draw our own
conclusions however on the scholarliness of his research.
The book
includes a number of pedigree charts of the Kennedy families of Ayrshire, plus
10 pages of discussion of the Kennedy clan. It has an extensive bibliography of
57 printed resources.
Here I will
just quote mainly from what he says about the de Carricks, more on another page
sometime. Bear with the author, a MacDowall, as he slips in an unusually high
number of MacDowall name-dropping references!
<stuff
about Henry Cinidh snipped>
'John
Kennedy of Dunure d 1385 was a descendant of this Henry Cinnidh (chart B) he
married Mary MacDowall de Carrick in c 1340 the heiress of the home or Galloway
branch of the MacDowall lords of Galloway.This Mary was the representative of
the 3rd senior branch of the family of the ancient Gallovidian lords, the other
2 having gone far beyond the confines of Galloway. Through these lines ending
in females the old name of MacDowall that of the chief family of the black
Gaels of Galloway had becaome lost in those of their husbands.
The scion
of the family was Fergus MacDowall lord of Galloway b 1096 ...
Between 5th
Jul 1175 when Henry Cinnidh or Cinneadais was slain by Roland MacDowall and
1340 it has not been posible for the author to trace the exact genealogy of the
Kennedy family. He has however been able to extract from various records the
following names representing persons presumably descended of or related in some
manner to Henry Cinnidh; viz in 1230 there was a Marcow MacKennedy a steward
and judge in Carrick under Duncan MacDowall 1st Earl of Carrick. In 1250 there
was also a Marthou MacKenede (probably same as Marcow MacKennedy) a witness to
the charter of St Cuthbert of Maybole. In 1266 there was a Fergus MacKenede an
attorney in Ayr. In 1272 canon Alexander Kennedy in Glasgow, presumably the Sir
Alexander Kennedy canon of Glasgow referred to along with Sir Hugh Kennedy of
Kirkintilloch in the Ragman's roll. In 1280 a Fergus Kennedy was a stewart and
judge in a court at Lenzie under Comyn (possibly the Fergus MacKennedy attorney
in Ayr 1266 who had dropped the Mac after the death of his father). In 1296
records refer to a Sir Hugh Kennedy of Kirkintilloch ; in a charter
granted 1345 by King David II there is
a reference to a John MacKennedy de Muntercasduff. From various references and
facts this person is thought by the author and also by the late 4th Marquis of
Ailsa to have been the person later known as John Kennedy of Dunure. In 1385
records refer to a Gilbert Kennedy.
... these
facts as to earlier Kennedys than John Kennedy of Dunure should dispose of
finally the apparently groundless claim that the name Kennedy signified chief
of the clan.
On 29th Nov
1371 he [JK of Dunure] founded a chapel near Maybole and endowed it 'to celebrate
masses for himself, Mary his wife and their children'. The eldest son of John
and his wife Mary MacDowall was named Gilbert. He in 1385 consented to a grant
by his father John of certain lands to the burgh of Ayr. John's wife was
referred to as Mary (MacDowall) de Carrick.
The author
has dealt in some detail with this John Kennedy de Dunure because the Scots
Peerage ed Sir James Balfour Paul Lord Lyon refers to these facts and John's
wife, "Mary de Carrick". The writer however states "who she (Mary)
was is not certain" and he proceeds to make various conjectures.
Earlier in
this article the lady referred to has been identified as the daughter of
Gilbert MacDowall de Carrick who was taken prisoner at the battle of Durham in
1346 and who was the gggs of Fergus mac Dubh Ghael, lord of Galloway.
Fergus lord
of Galloway
Gilbert
MacDowall d 1185
Roland
MacDowall de Carrick
Gilbert
MacDowall
Gilbert
MacDowall de Carrick
Mary
MacDowall de Carrick = John Kennedy of Dunure desc of Henry Kennedy brother of
William the Lion'
Further
remarks on Henry Cinnidh/Kennedy added 25th December 2006:
Note that above, to save library
time, I skipped the equally pressing matter of the references to the early ‘Henry
Cinnidh’ or Henry Kennedy. It would seem that some believe this gentleman was
brother to William the Lion, however to date I can find no convincing evidence
of this. I have consulted ‘William the Lion : Kingship and culture
1143-1214’ by D.D.R. Owen and William’s entry in the Oxford National Dictionary
of Biography and both are adamant that William was one of three sons of Henry
Earl of Northumberland and Ann de Warenne, those sons in order being Malcolm,
William and David. There were also three daughters Ada, Margaret and Maud or
Matilda.