ORIGINS OF THE FAMILY & THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE KENNEDY’S 9 (See footnote 9 for the reference to consult concerning this entire section.)

There are several versions of how the Kennedys got started, but when one goes in and examines things, what turns out is that the origins of the Kennedys is Ireland are very clear. They are descendants of Brian Born (also known as Brian Caeneddi) and his nephew who spelled it Cinneide. The name thereafter was O’Kennedy. They originally were a Dalcassion sept, and were in the area near Killahoe, and Killokennedy parish is a reminder of that ancient fact. The O’Briens and MacNamaras forced them into new territories where they became the Lords of Ormond--what is now north Tipperary. Most Kennedys in Ireland today are still found in that area. The Kennedys remained powerful into the 16th century.

The Kennedy family divided up into 3 branches:

1. Don (brown)
2. Fionn (fair)
3. Rua (red)

THE SCOTTISH KENNEDYS
Around 1600 a Scottish branch of the Kennedys appeared. There are several stories as to how they got their name Kennedy, and it is possible that they were not from Ireland. However, interestingly, genealogists have ascertained that whether the various branches of the aristocratic Kennedys in Scotland and Ireland may have different origins (because the origins of the Scottish branch is unclear)--it can be shown that they all subsequently intermarried and became related if they were not related to begin with. Gayle Marie Kennedy points this out on page 3 of her book My Kennedy Ancestors..., ‘It is believed that all the foregoing Kennedy families are related either by virtue of being descendants of common ancestors, or by intermarriage." I looked up in Burke’s General Armory to get a listing of the aristocratic Kennedys and here is what I got:

·       Kennedys of Ardmillan, County Ayr, Scotland

·       Kennedys of Auchtyfardell, County Lanark, 1752

·       Kennedys of Blairquhan, County Ayr, Scotland

·       Kennedys of Clowburn. County Ayr, Scotland

·       Kennedys of Cultura, County Down, Northern Ireland

·       Kennedys of Dublin Fun Ent, 1595, Ulster, Ireland

·       Kennedys of Girvanmains, County Ayr, Scotland

·       Kennedys of Hill Foot, Ireland

·       Kennedys of Kirkmiehael, County Ayr, Scotland

·       Kennedys of Kirmucks, Aberdeen, Scotland

·       Kennedys of Londonberry, Northern Ireland

·       Kennedys of Tombrechan, County Tipperary, Ireland

·       Kennedys of Underwood, County Ayr, 1850, Scotland

·       Kennedys of Visit Dublin, 1607, Ireland

·       Johnstown-Kennedy of County Dublin, Ireland

·       Kennedys of Bargany and Ardstencher, County Ayr, Scotland

·       Kennedys of Kirkhill from the Bargany group, 1678, Scotland

It is clear that there have been quite a number of powerful aristocratic Kennedys. One of the more powerful recent Scottish aristocrat Kennedys was the Marquess of Ailsa (1872-1943). Because he is often called the Marquess of Ailsa you might not know him by his name Archibald Kennedy, who was the 15th Earl of Cassillis. This branch of the Kennedys married into Scottish royalty. For instance, Sir James Kennedy married Mary, a daughter of King Robert III, and their son was Sir Gilbert Kennedy was made Lord Kennedy before 1458. Archibald Kennedy was an extremely powerful Freemason and held numerous key positions in the Grand Lodge of Scotland. He was 1st Grand Principle from 1913 to his death in 1943. At his death his titles passed to his brother Charles. Archibald Kennedy was initiated in Holyrood House Lodge No. 44, Edinburgh, Nov. 17, 1896. (10,000 Famous Freemasons, Vol. l,--put out by the Missouri Lodge of Research, p. 8).