Ninian Dunbar of Grangehill

Ninian Dunbar of Grangehill, Scotland late 1500 to late 1600

• Born: late 1500 and died late 1600.
• Son of: Mark Dunbar and Isabella Dunbar (nee Falconer).
• Brother of: not known.

Ninian married: Marion Dunbar (nee Ogilvy) and then Christian Dunbar (nee Dunbar). Ninian and Marion had issue:

• 1. Sir Robert Dunbar.
• 2. David Dunbar (1630ish to 1691) who married Margery Seaton.

Ninian and Christian had issue:

• 1. William Dunbar.
• 2. John Dunbar.1

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• page 17 of Dunbar pedigree : a biographical chart tracing descent of the Dunbar family through 14 successive centuries, from the early English and Scottish kings ..by Jaggard, William, 1868-1947 Published 1910

biography

From http://www.jjhc.info/dunbarninian16xx.htm

Ninian Dunbar: An Overview

We know about Ninian from the book "Records of the Heath Family", by George Heath 1907.  The entry is as follows:

Ninian Dunbar of Grangehill, who, upon his father's resignation, got a charter of the lands and barony of Grangehill (from the Earl of Dunfermline the superior) as son and apparent heir of his father Mark, dated 20 October 1616.
He also, upon his father's resignation, obtained anther charter under the great seal "Niniano Dunbar de Grangehill et suae sponsae piscationia aquae de Findhorn, &c.," dated 9th August, 1642.

This Ninian, in conjunction with his father, Mark Dunbar of Durris (whom heir and representative Ninian was) , made sale in the year 1607 to Sir John Campbell of Calder, of the Durris properties, in the country of Inverness, in order to pay off a purchase of certain church lands in the parishes of Dyke and Moy, and in the county of Murray, bought from one of the Lords of erection, viz., Alexander Seaton, Lord Tyvie and Urquhart, and thereafter Earl of Dunfermline.  These lands were the barony of Farnen, comprehending Grangehill, Grange Green, Boggs, Longley, Welehead and Muirton, after which they purchased the lands of Kinlessack, and certain salmon fishings on the Findhorn, and these were called the Grangehill properties, after which aquisitions we hear no more of the Durris family, whose line was carried forward in the family of Grangehill.

He married first (Marion) Ogilvy, daughter of Lord Banff, by whom he had two sons.

• 1. Sir Robert, Kt., his heir for whose desendents see Dunbar Pedigree.
• 2. Mr David Dunbar of Kirkhill, who married Marjory, daughter of Sir William Seaton of Pitmedden, and had issue.

He married secondly Christian, daughter of ____ Dunbar of Bannagefield, by whom he had two sons.

• 1. William, of Kintesack and Kincorthie, afterwards Sir William Dunbar of Durn, knighted by King Charles II.
• 2. John, designed of Wellhead, of whom there is no male succession.

notes

Also married Christian Dunbar of Bennagfield. Seems to be some doubt as to whether she, rather than Mary Ogilvy, might perhaps have been the mother of some of Ninian's children.

I have also been sent the following information from Ms J H Forbes-Hood.

Like you I am descended from the Dunbars - many of them; and as you asked for any extra information on the families on your site I decided to email you with the names of the children of Ninian Dunbar of Grangehill, that I know. 
  Firstly his second wife was named on the parish register of Dyke (where the last child ELEN on the PR (Ellen or Helen) was baptised (date below) her mother is down as FINDUELL that is for FINDUELLA DUNBAR she is the daughter of Mr JOHN DUNBAR of Mefts (Meftis) a minister, and his wife who appears to have been MARION SUTHERLAND.  
Now the children of NINIAN DUNBAR were as follows:  With his first wife MARION OGILVIE:  
Sir ROBERT  d 1659 DAVID   d 14 February 1691  
Then with his second wife FINDUELLA DUNBAR  

• FLORENCE  b c1629/30  (possibly an anglified form of Finduella) *
• JOHN  b c 1631
• AGNES  b c 1633   (my ancestress who married PATRICK DUNBAR of Easterbin.)
• ALEXANDER  b 16 Jun 1635
• JAMES  b 5 Jul 1636
• NINIAN  b 1 Sep 1639
• WILLIAM  b 1640  date unknown (first baronet on Durn)
• HELEN (ELEN)  b 24 Jan 1641
• My ancestors Patrick and Agnes named my ancestress their first daughter Florence also and as it does not appear in the family earlier I am pretty certain it is for Finduella.  

Anyway I hope the above has been useful to you and want to take this chance to wish you well with your site and your family research.   
Regards  
"Gene"  (Ms J H Forbes-Hood)

KINLOSS, a parish, in the county of Elgin; containing the village of Findhorn, 2 miles (N. E.) from Forres. This place derives its name from the Celtic words Ceann-loch, signifying "the head of the bay," and descriptive of its situation on the border of Burgh-Head bay, in the Moray Frith, by which it is washed on the north. The church was built in 1765, and thoroughly repaired in 1830. The members of the Free Church have a place of worship.[1]

Tradition bears, that Duff Mac Malcolm, King of Scotland, having been assassinated in the castle of Forres, his body was for a short time concealed under the bridge in this parish, and its name, as if commemorating this tragic event, is by the less educated classes in the surrounding districts sometimes written as Kingloss. There is every reason to disbelieve this legend of the twelfth century. The name seems to be a compound of the two Celtic words cean-loch, pronounced Kinloch, the form in which it actually appears in a charter of endowment of lands granted to the abbey by King William, and which accurately points out its locality, the abbey being situated at the head of the bay.

The parish is bounded on the north, by the Moray firth; on the south by the parishes of Rafford and Forres; on the west, by the river Findhorn; and on the east, by the parish of Alves.

The nearest market-town is Forres, to which there is easy access by an excellent turnpike road to Findhorn. The village of greatest importance is Findhorn, signifying in Gaelic the mouth of the Erne, and hence by Highlanders called Invererne. It is a burgh of barony, and contains a population of above 800. It is the sea-port of Forres.

Kinloss, disjoined from Alves, Rafford, and Forres, was erected into a separate parish in 1657. The patrons are the Earl of Moray and Brodie of Lethen.

The Estate of Grange including Grangehill, West Grange (Grange Hall) East Grange and the Southwest of the parish. Article[1] gives history of the Estate of Grange, and includes Dunbar Family History. List some of the pre-census inhabitants 1651-1950. Facsimile of Charter of Resingnation of the Lands of West Grange 1563. Plans of West Grange about 1750 and 1775.

[1] Arcticle covers years 1563-1850. to be found in The Lands and People of Moray, pt. 22, 2005, pages 46-55. Family History Library Ref. 941.23 H2b pt 22.