Lady Helen Kennedy was born circa 1507 in Maybole, Ayrshire, Scotland, United Kingdom to Gilbert Kennedy, 2nd Earl of Cassilis (1485-1527) and Isabel Campbell (1489-1529) and died 5 May 1572 Genoch House, Old Luce, Wigtownshire, Scotland, United Kingdom of unspecified causes. She married William Adair (1500-1575) 1530 JL in Ayrshire, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Background
During the reign of James V, William Adair (1500-1575) married Helen Kennedy of Maybole, County Ayershire, Scotland. Helen was of the ancient clan of Kennedy, and her grandfather David Kennedy, just like William Adair’s grandfather Alexander, was slain along with the king at Flodden Field. David was a great-great grandson of King Robert III.
In fact, Helen Kennedy could trace her descent from kings Robert II, Robert Bruce, and other ancient kings of Scotland through at least a couple of lines. Likewise, she was descended in several ways from William the Conqueror, and consequently Hugh Capet and other French kings. Her pedigree included Edmund II “Ironside,” who ruled Saxon England and struck the deal with the Viking Canute. As a result, she ties in with Alfred the Great and all of the other ancient kings of England and Wessex. There were even noble ties on Helen’s mother side, who was of the great clan Campbell.
Such royal blood was considered extremely important in medieval nuptials, and the Adair family would have been thrilled with such an alliance. William Adair and the former Helen Kennedy had a son in 1531 in Kinhilt. The boy was named Ninian, after his grandfather Adair, his uncle, and the great Scottish saint. After all, Scotland, including the Adair household, was still very much Catholic in the 1530’s.
However, the beliefs of this family and their countrymen were about to change. Mary Queen of Scots spent much of her childhood with her mother’s family in France. Her husband became the King of France in 1559, and she ruled as the French queen until his death in 1560. The following year she returned to Scotland. However, while Mary was away in Catholic France, her own country had changed dramatically. The Adair Family as well as much of Scotland were becoming quite Protestant in beliefs.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Isabel Adair (1529-1568) | |||
| Ninian Adair (1531-1608) | 1531 Kilhilt Tower, Portpatrick, Wigtownshire, Scotland, United Kingdom | 16 May 1608 Kilhilt Tower, Portpatrick, Wigtownshire, Scotland, United Kingdom | Elizabeth Gordon (1535-1608) |
| John Adair (1533-1600) | |||
| Patrick Adair (1535-1594) | |||
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Helen Kennedy (1507-1572) | 1507 Maybole, Ayrshire, Scotland, United Kingdom | 5 May 1572 Genoch House, Old Luce, Wigtownshire, Scotland, United Kingdom | William Adair (1500-1575) |
| Janet Kennedy (c1510-1566) | |||
| Gilbert Kennedy, 3rd Earl of Cassilis (1515-1558) | 12 May 1515 Cassilis House, Ayrshire, Scotland | 28 November 1558 Dieppe, Seine-Maritime, Upper Normandy, France | Margaret Kennedy (1514-1580) |
| David Kennedy of Culzean (c1518-) | |||
Residences
Notes
- Daughter of Gilbert Kennedy, 2nd Earl of Cassilis (Wikipedia)
References
- History Of The Counties Of Ayr And Wigton, Volume 2: page 331. GoogleBooks
See Also
- Helen Kenneedy
- Kennedy Family
- Kennedy in Wigtownshire
- Kennedy in Ayrshire
- Adair in Wigtownshire
- Lady Helen Kennedy - Geni.com