William Adair, Sr of Kilhilt was born 1565 in Kilhilt Tower, Portpatrick, Wigtownshire, Scotland, United Kingdom to Ninian Adair (1531-1608) and Elizabeth Gordon (1535-1608) and died 4 November 1626 Kilhilt Tower, Portpatrick, Wigtownshire, Scotland, United Kingdom of unspecified causes. He married Rosina Reilly McClellan (1565-1626) 1582 JL in Scotland, United Kingdom.
Historical Records
Historical sources: National Records of Scotland:
15 May 1611: Precept of Clare Constat by John McDowell of Logane, directed to David Asloane, dwelling in Logane as bailie to infeft Andrew Agnew as son and heir to the deceased Walter Agnew of Killumquha in the 2½ merkland of Killumquha-Agnew and the 20/- lands of Nether Grenane in the barony of Logane, held in feu of the said John McDowell according to the charter given to the said deceased Walter Agnew. Wit:- Gilbert Adair, brother to William Adair of Kinhilt, Gilbert Agnew, burgess of Stranraer, Andrew McDowell in Culcossane and James Glover notary. Signed by granter and witnesses. No tag or seal. Endorsed with abbreviate of sasine, 20 June 1612. Wit:- William Agnew of Croach, Gilbert Adair, brother to Wm. Adair of Kinhilt, Gilbert Agnew, son of said Wm. Agnew and John Agnew, dwelling at Grenane. [1]
17 April 1612: Instrument of sasine at the hand of James Glover, N.P., narrating that William Adair of Kinhilt infeft his brother Mr. Archibald Adair and Janet Houstoun, his future spouse, in the 3 merklands of Dounvin in the barony of Kinhilt and parish of Inch. Wit:- William McCulloch of Myrtoun William Houstoun of Coltreoch, elder, William Houstoun, his elder son, Patrick Adair of Pigmanoct and John Adair of Ganoch. [2]
Kilhilt Tower
Kilhilt was the name of the Adair Family castle / manor home that stood in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries in the village of Portpatrick, County of Wigtownshire, Scotland. Nothing remains of the site today. Portpatrick sits on the southwest cost of Scotland and on a clear day you can see Ireland only 21 miles west. In the 17th century, much of the Adair Family moved to County Antrim in Ireland as part of the Ulster Plantation.
- See Also Kilhilt Castle - Stravaiging.com
Ballymena Castle built circa 1640, became a centre for the Irish estates of Adair, and thereafter the family was increasingly based in northern Ireland, although the remainder of the Kinhilt estate (Scotland) was retained until 1736, when it was sold to the 2nd Earl of Stair by Col. Sir Robert Adair (1659-1745).
Ballymena Castle
From a postcard of the early 20th Century.
Ballymena is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The Adairs were active in helping Scotch settlers settle the "Ulster Plantation" in Northern Ireland. In the 1600s Sir Robert Adair (d. 1655) built Ballymena Castle as a centre for their Irish estates. But a great portion of the Adair Family continued at their main residence in Kilhilt Tower in Wigtownshire, Scotland. For time Ballymena was renamed "Kinhiltshire".
Marriage and Family
- Robert Beatty Adair (1583-1655) - settled Adair family at Ballymena Castle in Northern Ireland. He was very active in the efforts of the King of England to conquer and subdue Ireland and was awarded a major estate there at Ballymena.
- William Adair (1591-1684) - retained family castle at Kilhilt in Wigtownshire
- Marianne Adair (1593-1630)
- Rev John Adair of Genoch (1598-1675) - retained Genoch Manor in Wigtownshire - His greatgrandson (Rev Patrick Cathcart Adair (1625-1694) - would later help organize the Presbyterian Church in Belfast but was born and educated in Scotland.[3]
- Anna Adair (1599-1670)
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Robert Beatty Adair (1583-1655) | 1583 Kilhilt Tower, Old Luce, Wigtownshire, Scotland, United Kingdom | 1 March 1655 Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland | Jean Edmonstone (1606-1675) |
| William Adair (1591-1684) | 1591 Kilhilt Tower, Old Luce, Wigtownshire, Scotland, United Kingdom | 1684 Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland, United Kingdom | Isabel Montgomery (c1598-) |
| Marianne Adair (1593-1630) | 1593 Kilhilt Tower, Old Luce, Wigtownshire, Scotland, United Kingdom | 1630 Scotland, United Kingdom | William Houston (1575-1631) |
| John Adair (1598-1675) | 1598 Genoch House, Old Luce, Wigtownshire, Scotland, United Kingdom | 1675 Scotland, United Kingdom | Helen Cathcart (1590-1640) |
| Anna Adair (1599-1670) | 1599 Kilhilt Tower, Old Luce, Wigtownshire, Scotland, United Kingdom | 1670 Scotland, United Kingdom | Thomas Kennedy (1585-) |
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| William Adair (1565-1626) | 1565 Kilhilt Tower, Portpatrick, Wigtownshire, Scotland, United Kingdom | 4 November 1626 Kilhilt Tower, Portpatrick, Wigtownshire, Scotland, United Kingdom | Rosina Reilly McClellan (1565-1626) |
| Patrick Adair (1567-1635) | |||
| Ninian Adair (1569-) | |||
| Alexander Adair (1571-) | |||
| Archibald Adair (1580-1647) | 1580 Kilhilt Tower, Portpatrick, Wigtownshire, Scotland, United Kingdom | 1647 Bristol, England, United Kingdom | Janet Houston (1598-1618) |
| Gilbert Adair (1582-1635) | 1582 Kilhilt Tower, Portpatrick, Wigtownshire, Scotland, United Kingdom | 1635 Wigtownshire, Scotland, United Kingdom | |
| Thomas Adair (1584-1610) | |||
Residences
References
See Also
- William Adair
- Adair Family
- Adair Family Ancestry
- Adair in Wigtownshire
- William Adair at thePeerage
- William Adair of Kilhilt and Dunskey Castle - Geni.com
- Adair of Ballymena Castle and Flixton Hall, Baronets - Landed Families of England Blog.
- Townend, Peter. Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 105th edition. London, U.K.: Burke's Peerage Ltd, 1970. (pg 24)