A Brief History of the Kennedy's of Scotland

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The Kennedy family became associated with the south-west of Scotland when 'Cunedda', (which means 'grim-headed'), a chieftain of the Votadini (located in what is now Lothian) was sent to establish settlements there at a time when Gaelic was the main language there. The name is particularly associated with Carrick in Ayrshire. In early times it was a forename and therefore is found initially as 'MacKenedi' and the name is found as early as the reign of William the Lion (1165-1214).

The Kennedy's claimed to be related to the Earls of Carrick and supported Robert the Bruce who came from that line. In 1372, King Robert II confirmed John Kennedy of Dunure as chief of the clan and in 1457 John's direct descendant, Gilbert, was created Lord Kennedy. He was one of the regents of the infant King James III.

The 3rd Lord Kennedy was created Earl of Cassillis but died four years later at the Battle of Flodden in 1513.

The Kennedy Clan was strong and powerful, dominating southwestern Scotland for centuries. They were astute enough to support the strong Scottish kings and to oppose the weak ones. This support enabled them to retain their lands and position and to expand them, sometimes at the expense of their neighboring clans. At the time of the Reformation in the 1500s, a schism developed within the Kennedys when one faction (Bargany) favored Henry VIII’s Reformation and the other side of the clan (Cassillis) favored remaining loyal to Rome. Long after the Cassillis branch embraced John Knox and Protestantism, the split remained, resulting in disputes after every clan chief’s death over who should succeed and lead the clan. The issue finally was resolved in favor of the Cassillis branch, and the title of Marquess of Ailsa is passed down through that side of the family even today.

Other splintering occurred in the period 1400–1500. One Ulric Kennedy committed a serious crime, reputed to be the murder of a local royal official who had raped his wife. He fled northward and settled in an area near present day Fort William known as Lochaber. This area was in a section of Scotland controlled by the Highland clan Cameron. Ulric swore allegiance to the Cameron chief, and that branch of the Kennedys was claimed as a sept of the Camerons. Ulric’s family joined him later, and they settled further up into the Highlands in the area of Moray. They became an independent clan, “Ulric,” but they are accepted as the Kennedys that they really are. Some of Ulric’s descendants settled in the western islands.

In the early 1600s, following a revolt by Catholic Irish lords in the northern part of Ireland, the king’s army defeated them at the battle of Boyne. They fled to France, and the king seized their lands. He then offered those lands to groups of English and Scottish citizens for settlements called “plantations.” The offer to Scots was limited to the lowland clans, who were closest to the English border and had converted to the Episcopal or Presbyterian faith following the Reformation. The intent of the English king was to dilute the Catholic influence in Ireland by bringing in “good” English and Scot Protestants. Many Kennedys took advantage of this opportunity, since economic conditions were poor and availability of farmable land was limited in their area of Scotland. Besides, if they got homesick, on a clear day they literally could see the Kennedy homeland in Scotland across 18 miles of Irish Sea (the Firth of Clyde).

In time, in this new homeland, economic conditions became poor and Catholic hostility became stronger. Many of the Scots, including Kennedys, moved on to the Canadian and American colonies. A major portion entered by way of Philadelphia and moved further westward in Pennsylvania. Indian opposition turned this influx southwest, down the Shenandoah valley and into western Virginia and central and western North Carolina. These immigrants almost all were Protestant Scots, and much of this emigration from northern Ireland occurred before the American Revolution. Many of the Kennedys found today in Pennsylvania and North Carolina have their roots in these early pioneers.

There were very few Kennedys in the battle of Culloden; those who were there went to battle as individuals. The last attempt of the Stuarts to reclaim the throne ended at Culloden and was followed by Highland Clearances. This was the end of the clan system as it had been practiced. Many of the surviving chiefs cleared the crofters off the land to have hunting preserves and to pasture sheep. There were mass migrations of Scots to the Americas, Australia, Canada, and other parts of the British Empire. Most of the Highlanders settled in the parts of the colonies that most resembled their original homelands, primarily in the Carolinas and Virginia.

The 10th Earl of Cassillis engaged Robert Adam to build the magnificent Culzean Castle at the end of the 18th century.  If you have not viewed photos of Culzean Castle you really should do so.  It is one of the the most beautiful castles in all of Scotland.  It was also General Eisenhower's alternate headquarters during WWII. Culzean Castle - The Kennedy Home

The 11th Earl had settled in America and although he tried to be impartial in the War of Independence, many of his New York properties were confiscated, including Number 1, Broadway which was taken over by George Washington.

In the Napoleonic Wars, Sir Clark Kennedy personally captured the eagle and colours of the 105th Regiment of French Infantry at the Battle of Waterloo.

In the early 1800s, the Industrial Revolution began in England. The lowland Scots prospered during this period, due in no small part to the fact that the lowland clans had supported the English King during the attempts of the Stuarts in the 1700s to install a Scots Catholic king on the throne of England. Glasgow, just north of Kennedy lands, grew to be the industrial center and largest city of Scotland. This happy time continued until the 1860s, when the American Civil War disrupted the flow of cotton and tobacco to England and caused a major economic depression. In addition, the potato blight, better known for its tragic impact on Ireland, spread to Scotland and caused food shortages there. All of these factors led to the last major migration of Scots—this time, lowland Scots (unlike the late 1700s, when the Highland Scots were being evicted for revolting against the king). This final group of immigrants to the United States entered primarily through the northeastern and middle Atlantic states, some remaining there and some pushing westward into the Midwest and on to the newly opening western states. Again, Kennedys were included in great numbers in this final exodus from Scotland. These final Scots brought with them many trades and skills they had acquired during the industrialization of southern Scotland; these skills were sorely needed and warmly welcomed in the United States (immigrants from many other countries were not so fortunate).

The Scots, and particularly the lowland Kennedys, made major contributions to the political, economic, and industrial development of the United States.

The Kennedy Clans of Ireland

Two Kennedy clans occupy the Emerald Isle: One is Irish and the other is Scots. Therefore, many confuse the two families and the lands they are from.

The majority of the Kennedys who settled in Northern Ireland are of Scottish origin from the territories of Galloway and Ayr just across the Irish Sea some twenty miles away. These Scottish Kennedys intermarried with local Irish and thus they are Scots-Irish in blood.

The other Kennedy family is located in southwest Ireland with its foundation in the bloodline of Cormac Cas, King of Thomond and Munster. Cormac Cas is the progenitor of the clan known as the Dal Cais or Dalcassians, translated to mean descendants of Cas. They were a minor clan of Ireland and ruled the northern section of Munster Province known as Thomond (all County Clare, southern Galway and northern Limerick, northwest Tipperary), while their cousins, the Eugenians (McCarthys and O’Sullivans) ruled the south of Munster known as Desmond. The kingship of Munster switched between these two clans every other generation.

Two great families came from the Dalcassian Clan: The O’Briens and the O’Kennedys.

Cinneidigh (Kennedy), King of Thomond, died in 954 A.D. He was succeeded by his son, Brian. In time Brian rose in power and gained the kingship of Munster, obtained the allegiance of the other five provincial kings of Ireland, and eventually became High King of Ireland. Because he exacted tribute, his second name became Boru, meaning tribute. He is known as one of the greatest kings of Ireland, and in 1014 he defeated the Vikings at Dublin at the age of 88.

King Brian Boru decreed a law around 1000 that all families or clans should possess a surname and suggested that they should choose an illustrious ancestor after whom to name themselves. Due to his achievements, Brian’s family chose to call themselves O’Brien, descendants of Brian.

One of his brothers was Donchuan (Duncan?), whose son was named after Donchuan’s father, Cinneidigh. It is this line from which the Irish O’Kennedys descend. They held the title of Lords of Ormond and were powerful until the 1500s. O’Kennedy/Kennedy is the 16th most popular name in Ireland, with the majority living in County Tipperary. Other strong areas are Clare and Dublin in the south and Antrim in the north (these being mostly Scots Kennedys).

Note:  The above has been compiled from various sources on the Web including an article Garry Bryant on the Irish Kennedys .   His sources in turn came from: Irish Families, Their Names, Arms, & Origins by Edward MacLysaght; Irish Pedigrees by John O'Hart; Great Families of Ireland, page 225; and If You’re a Wee Bit Irish by William Durning.

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