Sage ‘Gunn History’ continued; histories of various coroner Gunn / Crowner Gunn branches and some discussion of early Gunn mainstream history; Thomas Sinclair ‘Clan Gunn History Supplement 34’; 18 August 1903
REVIEW
This has a nice variant on one of the normal Gunn stories. Overall it tells various coroner Gunn sons genealogies and describes some early battles (1500s). The Gunns attitude to war really did get to annoy important people; one suspects the Gunns of the time did not adapt well to the changing world... Perhaps that’s why the Gunns become minor players in Caithness and Sutherland history...
The MacRob line actually very important but I discuss that elsewhere.
KEY PHRASES/ IDEAS / PEOPLE / PLACES
· Robert, son of the coroner... Achanakin suggests Robert’s son was Donald, commonly called Donald M’Rob or Robson, the immediate ancestor of the Gunns of Braemore and that John M’Rob probably Donald’s brother was the ancestor of the Gunns of Bregaul...uncertainty of the years elapsed between John M’Rob and John Gunn Munro of Braemore....wadset Glenorchy...
· Coroner’s son Robert’s son, Donald having a son called John 1547. John had a son Alexander Gunn, by a natural daughter of a natural son of Adam Gordon, Lord Aboyne and Earl Sutherland.
· 1573 Gunns of Braemore...early Braemore history ... Earl of Caithness...Earl of Sutherland... For this Braemore was chastised by Lord Caithness’s so-in-law Hugh Mackay of Farr...who laid waste to Braemore...well retaliated by John Gunn in a similar depredation committed on Strathnaver...’ John Gunn retaliated the slaughter by his enemy. Obtaining assistance from his relative Alexander, Earl of Sutherland, he invaded Strathnaver, slew many of those who followed their chief Hugh, and carried back great booty...
· The first Robson from the coroner was called Hugh...The 2nd was his son Alexander M’Rob... The chasm arising between Donald or his son Alexander M’Rob obliges us to fall into the last two Gunns of the family of Braemore... The 4th M’Rob or Robson was John’s son George Gunn. In him the male line became extinct.
· The 5th in succession was his daughter Janet, who married Rev. John Munro Halkirk. The 6th was John Gunn Munro. Rev John Munro, Janet Gunn’s eldest son. The 2nd son was George Gunn Munro of Poyntzfield , who was knighted as nearest relative to Sir Hector Munro of Novar (why not his brother?) a 3rd son was David Gunn Munro. The 7th Braemore was William Gunn Munro (lately of Braemore) of Poyntzfield being John Gunn Munro’s eldest son who succeeded to Braemore and Poyntzfield. The 2nd son is Captain Innes Munro of the army in India.
· Ross’s ‘Annals’ mention in 1628 a Colonel William Gunn, descended from John Gunn of Braemore, cousin of one of the Earls of Sutherland and born in Garty, Helmsdale...
· John Gunn of Dalmore... Cattaig or Bregaul... his son Captain John Gunn of the Dale volunteers... Family history goes.... From John are descended 1st William, 2nd Peter, 3rd Marcus, 4th Alexander, 5th Patrick, 6thMarcus, 7th John and the Gunns of Campster, and 8th Marcus, William and Murdoch. The Gunns of Campster being being a collateral branch from the younger brother of William, son of John, 3rd son of the coroner..
· Henry 4th and last son of the coroner ‘supposed’ to be ancestor of the Caithness Hendersons... reasons offered...(variant view from the normal) It is alleged that Henry, the son of the coroner, having engaged and killed one of the Keiths at Rumsdale in Strathmore carried home his father’s sword. When his eldest brother James insisted on wearing the sword rather than Henry ... he took this amiss, changed his surname and cuased his posterity to be Hendersons...
· Overall Gunns... had three different fraternal Chieftains in Kildonan, Braemore and Bregaul... Gunns in Sutherland extended themselves wherever Sweyn, Gunn’s eldest brother conquered... Kinbrace, parish of Kildonan, by some called Gunns’ Valley .. they became freebooters, and could be prevailed on at times to espouse the quarrels and feuds of other depredators... They not only fought their own battles, but were auxiliary troops to such as employed them... 1529... ‘The Laird of Duffus was slain at Thurso, in Caithness, by the Clan Gunn, with Andrew Stuart, Bishop of Caithness, inciting them...’... People just got a bit sick of the Gunns warlike ways, especially seemingly for hire... Problem for the Gunns when the Earls of Caithness and Sutherland get to like each other... ‘ The means for effectuating this humane and necessary purpose wa to expel and banish all Gunns inhabiting Sutherland and Caithness...’... John Gordon of Backies... Henry Sinclair of Murkle... ... The Gunns had been informed of their doom, and posted themselves at the foot of Ben Griam... Gunns used local knowledge... the Sinclairs were put to flight, 150 killed among them their commander Henery Sinclair... The Sutherlands prepared for the next battle against the Gunns... Gunns were defeated... Their leader George Gunn captured and taken to Dunrobin castle...released after a year... Leckmelm...1586... Gunns moved to Glenelg...
This has a nice variant on one of the normal Gunn stories. Overall it tells various coroner Gunn sons genealogies and describes some early battles (1500s). The Gunns attitude to war really did get to annoy important people; one suspects the Gunns of the time did not adapt well to the changing world... Perhaps that’s why the Gunns become minor players in Caithness and Sutherland history...
The MacRob line actually very important but I discuss that elsewhere.
KEY PHRASES/ IDEAS / PEOPLE / PLACES
· Robert, son of the coroner... Achanakin suggests Robert’s son was Donald, commonly called Donald M’Rob or Robson, the immediate ancestor of the Gunns of Braemore and that John M’Rob probably Donald’s brother was the ancestor of the Gunns of Bregaul...uncertainty of the years elapsed between John M’Rob and John Gunn Munro of Braemore....wadset Glenorchy...
· Coroner’s son Robert’s son, Donald having a son called John 1547. John had a son Alexander Gunn, by a natural daughter of a natural son of Adam Gordon, Lord Aboyne and Earl Sutherland.
· 1573 Gunns of Braemore...early Braemore history ... Earl of Caithness...Earl of Sutherland... For this Braemore was chastised by Lord Caithness’s so-in-law Hugh Mackay of Farr...who laid waste to Braemore...well retaliated by John Gunn in a similar depredation committed on Strathnaver...’ John Gunn retaliated the slaughter by his enemy. Obtaining assistance from his relative Alexander, Earl of Sutherland, he invaded Strathnaver, slew many of those who followed their chief Hugh, and carried back great booty...
· The first Robson from the coroner was called Hugh...The 2nd was his son Alexander M’Rob... The chasm arising between Donald or his son Alexander M’Rob obliges us to fall into the last two Gunns of the family of Braemore... The 4th M’Rob or Robson was John’s son George Gunn. In him the male line became extinct.
· The 5th in succession was his daughter Janet, who married Rev. John Munro Halkirk. The 6th was John Gunn Munro. Rev John Munro, Janet Gunn’s eldest son. The 2nd son was George Gunn Munro of Poyntzfield , who was knighted as nearest relative to Sir Hector Munro of Novar (why not his brother?) a 3rd son was David Gunn Munro. The 7th Braemore was William Gunn Munro (lately of Braemore) of Poyntzfield being John Gunn Munro’s eldest son who succeeded to Braemore and Poyntzfield. The 2nd son is Captain Innes Munro of the army in India.
· Ross’s ‘Annals’ mention in 1628 a Colonel William Gunn, descended from John Gunn of Braemore, cousin of one of the Earls of Sutherland and born in Garty, Helmsdale...
· John Gunn of Dalmore... Cattaig or Bregaul... his son Captain John Gunn of the Dale volunteers... Family history goes.... From John are descended 1st William, 2nd Peter, 3rd Marcus, 4th Alexander, 5th Patrick, 6thMarcus, 7th John and the Gunns of Campster, and 8th Marcus, William and Murdoch. The Gunns of Campster being being a collateral branch from the younger brother of William, son of John, 3rd son of the coroner..
· Henry 4th and last son of the coroner ‘supposed’ to be ancestor of the Caithness Hendersons... reasons offered...(variant view from the normal) It is alleged that Henry, the son of the coroner, having engaged and killed one of the Keiths at Rumsdale in Strathmore carried home his father’s sword. When his eldest brother James insisted on wearing the sword rather than Henry ... he took this amiss, changed his surname and cuased his posterity to be Hendersons...
· Overall Gunns... had three different fraternal Chieftains in Kildonan, Braemore and Bregaul... Gunns in Sutherland extended themselves wherever Sweyn, Gunn’s eldest brother conquered... Kinbrace, parish of Kildonan, by some called Gunns’ Valley .. they became freebooters, and could be prevailed on at times to espouse the quarrels and feuds of other depredators... They not only fought their own battles, but were auxiliary troops to such as employed them... 1529... ‘The Laird of Duffus was slain at Thurso, in Caithness, by the Clan Gunn, with Andrew Stuart, Bishop of Caithness, inciting them...’... People just got a bit sick of the Gunns warlike ways, especially seemingly for hire... Problem for the Gunns when the Earls of Caithness and Sutherland get to like each other... ‘ The means for effectuating this humane and necessary purpose wa to expel and banish all Gunns inhabiting Sutherland and Caithness...’... John Gordon of Backies... Henry Sinclair of Murkle... ... The Gunns had been informed of their doom, and posted themselves at the foot of Ben Griam... Gunns used local knowledge... the Sinclairs were put to flight, 150 killed among them their commander Henery Sinclair... The Sutherlands prepared for the next battle against the Gunns... Gunns were defeated... Their leader George Gunn captured and taken to Dunrobin castle...released after a year... Leckmelm...1586... Gunns moved to Glenelg...