of the Kennedy (Seneschal) of Carrick in Scotland and cadets of the Carrick family of McLures of Bennane. These are all Galloway folk.
In the Acta Dom. Audit., published by the government in 1839, there is, under date of October 6, 1488, a decree that Johne Lord Kennydy, Johne of Montgomery and Michiell McLure shall devoid, &c., the lands of Barbeth to Janete Hamiltown. There is a record of January 24, 1489, that Johne Lord Kennydy, Johne of Montgomery, and Michell McClure shall pay to Janete Hamiltown, &c. (Note the two spellings of the name in this short extract.)
Barbeth is close to Kirkintulloch, northeast of Glasgow.
It is claimed by some that the original home of the McClures in Scotland was in the southwest, probably in Galloway.
Andrew McClure, late of Glasgow, now of London, states that Ayrshire is full of McClures. In Munsey's Magazine, February, 1911, in an article on Robert Burns, illustrated with a photograph of old Alloway Kirkyard, the name George McClure appears on one of the stones. Many of the family are buried here. Rev. J. Campbell McClure, Kincardineshire, Scotland, belongs to this family. There is a family tradition that one of his ancestors, an ecclesiastical reformer, suffered persecution under Charles II in those well known days when the heroic and faithful Covenanters were subjected to such unholy treatment. His home in Dalmellington was invaded and all his furniture taken out and burned.
A member of one of the Scottish families states: "The earliest ancestor we actually know of is Martin McClure, who lived at Balmaghil in Kirkcudbrightshire about 1750, where, I believe, he is buried. He had five sous: William, John, David, Robert and Andrew, all of whom came south, we being descendents of the eldest, and I know more or less of the descendents of the others. The crest and arms of our branch are,—
Arms: Argent, on a chevron engrailed azure, in chief
