General Notes

REFN: 6338AN
The Hunterston Hunters gained a charter for the Ayrshire area in which Hun
terston is built, on the 2 May 1374 from Robert II. The charter was giv
en to William Hunter, for his faithful service to the King, for a char
ge of a silver penny ( which is still kept in Hunterson, if ever the payme
nt is asked for). At that time William Hunter was the tenth Laird of the H
unter Clan, in other words he was their tenth Clan Leader, Head or Lord.
The Hunters earliest recorded historical appearance was in the Ragman Ro
ll in 1296 where William and Norman Hunter signed allegiance to the Edwa
rd I of England, although they used the Latin form of their name, Venator.
But a major strand of the name was a Norman family of Hunters who settl
ed in Ayrshire in the 13th century, giving their name to the village of Hu
nter's Toune - now Hunterston. A parchment, signed by King Robert II in 13
74 confirming ownership to William Hunter (the 10th owner), still surviv
es there. The rent was a silver penny and to this day the Laird of Hunters
ton keeps silver pennies from the reign of Robert II - just in case the mo
narch drops by looking for the rent!
Yone Venatore witnessed a charter in Beauly in 1231 and Adam Hunter was gr
anted a hereditary office in the lands of Newbattle Abbey in 1259. In 13
27 Maurice Hunter was provost of Stirling and Aymon Hunter was burge
ss of Cullen on the Moray Firth.
In the 15th century the Ayrshire family were hereditary keepers of the roy
al forests in Arran and Little Cumbrae in the ClyDe estuary. John Hunte
r, the 14th Laird, died at the Battle of Flodden in 1523 and John's grands
on was killed at the Battle of Pinkie in 1547. The 20th Laird graduated fr
om Glasgow University in 1643. Robert Hunter, a grandson of the 20th Lai
rd became Governor of Virginia and then New York. Hunterston House, an ele
gant manor, was built in the late 18th century. The present chief of the f
amily, recognised by the Lord Lyon, is the 30th. At one stage the Hunte
rs of Polmood challenged the precedence of the Hunterston line but this w
as rejected as they had never been styled "of that ilk."
Gilbert De Venables (Venator, Veneur, Hunter,) was from Venables, Evre
ux in Normandy in the barony of Le Veneurs so named because they were here
ditary huntsmen to the Dukes of Normandy. Gilbert was a palatine Bar
on to Hugh Lupus, held the barony of Kinderton in Cheshire. Many lines a
nd surnames were descended, including the Butlers of Chester. Richard w
as also palatine Baron of Hugh Lupus, and became Barons of Warrington. Ano
ther brother, Raoul, was baron of Chester, held in capite, and ancest
or of the Grosvenors, Dukes of Westminster, Earls of Wilton and Lords of E
lbury. The Hunter family moved north into Scotland where William Venator w
itnessed a charter by Earl David, later King David in 1124 and this fami
ly generally assumed the surname of Hunter. Venables became a prominent Ch
eshire and Lancashire surname, but Hunter had already achieved a large foo
thold in Cheshire before the move north with the Domesday Book showing Gil
bert Hunter holding Brereton, Davenport, Kinderton and Witton (Northwich s
uburb) and Ralph Hunter holding Stapleford in Cheshire and Soughton in Wal
es.
Named in charters of King Alexander II