David Kennedy, Esq., of Ballycultra

David Kennedy, b. 1622

Will

From The Scottish antiquary, or, Northern notes & queries. Volume 11, page 44-45 Archive.Org

The wills of David and Hugh Kennedy, of Ballycultra, County Down, are also of interest, showing by the family names mentioned that they were of one or other of the Scottish families above named ; and in David Kennedy's will a James Kennedy of Donaghadee is mentioned, who was evidently a connection of some sort, although described as a ' Tailour,' — but this is nothing, considering that many of the best families in Scotland were in difficulties about this time. Kennedy of Benane was ruined and forfeited his estates in 1601, and even the heir to Cassilis turned up in New York in the occupation of an excise officer.

The following is an extract from the will of Hugh Kennedy of Ballycultra, County Down, 'Doctor of Physick.'

'My brothers David and John, my eldest son David, my son Arthur, my third and youngest son John, my wife (Mary), daughter of Arthur Upton, my contract of marriage dated July 22, 1679.' Witnesses to will, Arthur Hamilton, John Ramsay, James Hamilton and ? Hamilton. Will proved June 26, 1685.

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Extract from Will of David Kennedy of Ballycultra, Esqr., dated April 24, 1697.

’My nephew, James Ramsay of Bangor, Co. Down. My six nephews, sons of my eldest brother John Kennedy of Edinburgh, Apothecary, viz. John, David, Hugh, William, Gilbert (Cassilis name), and Oliver. My nephews, minors (1697), sons of my younger brother Hugh, Dr. of Physick, viz. Arthur, and John his youngest son. My nephew Hugh Hamilton. Thos. Cobham of Holywood, Clk. James Kennedy of Donaghadee, Taylour, or if he be dead his widow and children. Katherine Hamilton, also Kennedy, of Bangor. My housekeeper, Agnes Creighton of Ballycultra, widow. The poor of the parish of Holywood. John Koll, Jas. Russell, Jas. Magee. My brother-in-law, Archibald Hamilton of Killinchy, Co. Down, clk., Mary, his wife, my dear sister, their eldest son, my nephew, Jas. Hamilton. Gawen Hamilton of Sosowen, and Jane, his wife, my niece. John Peacock of Lisburn, Dr. of Physick, and Mary, his wife, my sister-in-law (widow of Hugh, his brother). Keirtown (?) of Hillsboro', gent., and Jane, his wife, my niece. Robert Hamilton of Bangor, clk., and Mary, his wife, my niece. I nominate my trusty and well beloved friends, Robert Hamilton and Thomas Crawford of Belfast, Executors. My friends Arthur Upton of Castleton and Arthur Maxwell has dof Drum. My brother Hugh by his last will and testament. Arthur Kennedy, his son under 21, and John, younger brother to Arthur. Mary, vwife of John Peacock, mother of said Arthur and John. John Kennedy, eldest son of my brother John. My friend Andrew Maxwell of Boll. Witnesses, Ran. Brice, Robt. Dunn, Thos. Cornwall. Schedule due to me by Sr. Hans Hamilton by bond dated Aug. 1667. William Hamilton, 1672. Hu (?) Hamilton, 1665. John Hamilton, son and heir of Wm. Hamilton. Capn. Jas. Hamilton, Capn. Gavin Hamilton, and Robert Hamilton, both dead. Bond dated 19th Oct. 1666. Capn. Andrew Crawford, 1669. John and Laughlin Masterson and Shaen (?) M'Kernan, 1674. Josiah Hindman, 1686. Thos. Craig, Andrew Fenahill(P), And. Granger, Jas. Alexander of Dublin, 1693. Archibald Hamilton, Minister of Killhinchy, 1690. Arthur and Clotworthy Upton. Robert Miller, late of Ballyrobert. Alexr. Spence of Belfast. Capn. VHans Stephenson, 1687. My sister Kennedy, now Peacock, condition to return the watch and two rings at the time limited, now past. Henry Hunter. Thos. Thompson, John Koll, Jas. Russell, arrears of rent, c1688. Robert Kite, Capn. Alexr. Stewartt. Sr. Robert Hamilton. Wm. Campbell.' — Will proved March 31, 1699.

From the date 1665 mentioned in above will, it is evident that these Kennedys were in Ireland at or before that time. But Burke, in his Landed Gentry, states that John Kennedy of Cultra was married to Martha Stewart, and 'is said to have settled in Ireland in 1671.' Cultra is evidently the same as Ballycultra, and it is more probable that John Kennedy of Cultra was born in Ireland, and was youngest son of Hugh, Dr. of Physick. John was a minor in 1699, and his father's marriage contract was dated July 22, 1679, a °d the present Kennedys of Cultra evidently are his descendants.

The following extract from an old Dublin newspaper, The Star, lent to me by Alexander Deanes Kennedy of 67 Upper Sackville Street, Dublin, Solicitor, grandson of the 'Doctor Kennedy' mentioned, is probably the most interesting item of this reply : —

The Star, Dublin, Wed., Jan. 30, 1793. — 'Jan. 24, Monday last, the Revd. Dr. Kennedy of Cork, attended by his brother Quintin Kennedy, an eminent attorney, set off for Scotland to get possession of the estates and title of Lord Cassilis, who lately died in Scotland. Dr. Kennedy is the elder branch of the family, and will, besides obtaining a Scottish peerage, receive an unincumbered estate of the yearly value of ,£16,000.'

As is known, Dr. (Alexander) Kennedy did not succeed to the estates and title ; these went to Archibald, son of Archibald, who was second son of Alexander of Kilkenzie, the male descendants of John Kennedy, his eldest son, being extinct before 1792, when David, the tenth earl, died. Archibald Kennedy, the second son, was so remote from the peerage that he was occupied as an excise officer in New York, and his son, who became eleventh earl, is described as 'of the navy.' The latter died December 30, 1794. [by Thos. Manly Deane. Bray, Co. Wicklow.]

Disputed Origins

Seen as son of Colonel Gilbert Kennedy and his wife Isabel Campbell

However:

From https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/soc.genealogy.medieval/OO... Kelsey Jackson Williams 20 August 2017

I commented briefly on the questionable nature of the Dowling pedigree back when it was first brought up in 2013. Looking at it more closely, though (http://gw.geneanet.org/tdowling?lang=fr&pz=timothy+michael&nz=dowli...) it's clear that it's an absolute farrago of fantasy and wishful thinking. To take an example, one of the alleged children of the Gilbert Kennedy and Isabel Campbell you mention is supposed to be a certain Hugh Kennedy who married Mary Upton. This was Dr. Hugh Kennedy of Ballycultra, co. Down (see _Scottish Antiquary_ 11 [1897]: 44) but he neither had a son William nor a father Gilbert - his actual father being Oliver Kennedy, 1st of Breakath, a younger son of the Balmaclanachan family.

notes: Dr. Hugh Kennedy of Ballycultra, David Kennedy of Ballycultra, and John Kennedy of Edinburgh were named in each other’s wills as brothers.

References

• The Scottish antiquary, or, Northern notes & queries. Volume 11, page 44. Archive.Org
• The Presbyterians of Ulster, 1680-1730 By Robert Whan Page 68-69 GoogleBooks Dr. Hugh Kennedy of Cultra, younger brother of David Kennedy of Cultra (d 1697) and his eldest brother John Kennedy, an apothecary in Edinburgh.
• A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of ..., Volume 1 By Bernard Burke. “Hamilton of Hampton Hall.” Page 513. GoogleBooks “Captain Hans Hamilton, M.P. of Carnisure, co. Down (will dated 2 Dec. 1655, proved 20 July, 1G56), d. 28 Dec. 1655, and was buried at Hollywood. He m. Margaret, sister of David Kennedy, Esq., and had issue, ...”