Capt. Archibald Kennedy, II

Captain Archibald Kennedy, 11th Earl of Cassilis (bef. 1736 – 30 December 1794) was a Scottish peer who lived in the English colony of New York which became part of the United States.

Kennedy was the son of Archibald Kennedy (1685–1763) and Maria Walter (1689–1764), the daughter of Robert Walter and Catharine Leisler, who in turn was the daughter of New York colonial governor, Jacob Leisler. His mother had previously been married to Arent Schuyler (1662–1730), who died before they had children.

His father was a descendant of the second son of the 3rd earl, Gilbert Kennedy, 3rd Earl of Cassilis (1515–1558). He lived in New York City at 1 Broadway in the Kennedy mansion until he was recalled to succeed to the Earldom on the death of the 10th Earl, who had died without male issue in 1792.

He succeeded to the titles of 11th Earl of Cassilis, and 13th Lord Kennedy on 18 December 1792. Cassilis was appointed Major Commandant of the Loyal Carrick Volunteers in early 1797.

His first marriage was sometime before June 1765, to Katherine Schuyler (1737–1765), daughter of Peter Schuyler (1710–1762) and granddaughter of Arent Schuyler, his mother's first husband. Katherine was an only child, so she inherited all of her father's estate upon his death in 1762. After her death in 1765, Kennedy inherited the entire estate.

On 27 April 1769, he married for the second time to Anne Watts (1744-1793), the daughter of John Watts (1715–1789) and Ann DeLancey (d. 1784), sister of John Watts (1749–1836), and granddaughter of Stephen Delancey (1663–1741). Like his first wife, Watts was also a descendant of the Schuyler family. They had three children:

Archibald Kennedy, 1st Marquess of Ailsa (1770–1846) Hon. John Kennedy (1771–1859) Hon. Robert Kennedy (1773–1843) m. 22 March 1794 Jane Macomb daughter of merchant Alexander Macomb and Catherine Navarre. (Sophia Eliza, daughter of Robert and Jane (Macomb) Kennedy, married John Levett of Wychnor Park and Packington Hall, Staffordshire. Their son, Capt. Robert Thomas Kennedy Levett, DL, was named for his grandfather Kennedy.) Kennedy owned what is now Liberty Island in the Upper New York Bay off Manhattan from 1746 to 1758, using it as a summer residence.

Descendants His great-grandsons included Sir John Gordon Kennedy K.C.M.G. (1836–1912), who became an eminent diplomat, Admiral Sir William Robert Kennedy G.C.B. (1838–1916), who became Commander-in-Chief, The Nore, and Gilbert George Kennedy (1844–1909) who played for the Scottish XI in the second international football match against England.

• The Scots peerage, Vol. II, page 494-497