Ayrshire > Volume 2

12 HISTORY OF AYRSHIRE
prominent person during the reign of Queen Mary.
The Kennedys of Dunure and Dalquharran are descended
from Sir Thomas Kennedy of Kirkhill, Provost of
Edinburgh, and a descendant of Gilbert, third son of
Alexander Kennedy of Bargany. He bought Girvan-
mains from the original family in 1694, and about the
same period acquired Dunure from the seventh Earl of
Cassillis. Kirkhill was sold by Thomas Francis
Kennedy, Esq., of Dunure, in 1843, to Colonel Bartin.
In her day and station Lord Kennedy's sister Janet
was famous in Scotland. She was a woman of great
beauty, and had a romantic and a chequered career.
In 1492 she was betrothed to Alexander Gordon, son
and heir of John Gordon, of Lochinvar, and on July 17
of that year her father paid two hundred merks towards
her tocher. Five years later the marriage was still
uncompleted, although the bridegroom appears to have
been quite ready to implement his part of the bargain.
The following year she was contracted — according to
herself, she was married — to Archibald, fifth Earl of
Angus, but she is nowhere designated the Countess of
Angus. She is called Lady Bothwell. Under that
name she had charters of various lands, including the
lordship of Bothwell. About 7.499 sne became the
mistress of King James IV., and her son by him, born
the following year, was created by his father the Earl of
Moray. The King settled on Lady Bothwell the splendid
domain of Turnaway Castle, the principal residence of
the old Earls of Moray previous to their forfeiture.
In the grant of the property she is designated Jane
Kennedy, Lady Bothwell, and she was to eni,oy the
gift " als lang as she remayns but (without) husband or
uther man, and dwellande in ye castle of Dernway,
with ye King's son and hurris, James Stewart." To
this famous beauty the King was much attached. It is
evident from the Treasurer's accounts for the period
that he treated her generously. There is a charge for
eight ells for " small white, to be blankets and wylycottis
for the bairn," another charge for the day that the bairn