view from Goldenberry hill

Hunterston Brooch

This brooch was found in the autumn of 1826 by John Walker and James Glass, whilst working on field drains at the foot of the Hawking Crags about 100 yards from the sea.

 

Famous because of its beauty and its size (nearly 5 inches in diameter), it is made of solid silver with gold filigree insets and studded with amber.

 

The style and workmanship date the brooch to about AD700 and may well have been made at Dunadd in Argyllshire. This period was a golden age for craftsmanship and workmanship in the British Isles.

 

The Hunterston brooch is one of Scotland's national heirlooms. Two hundred years after it was made, the brooch was inscribed with Runes; "Malbrigda owns this brooch, Speaker or Lawman in Lar". The second inscription reads "Olfriti owns this brooch" Olfriti is known to be a woman's name.

 

We will never know how the brooch came to be buried at the base of the Hawking Crags below Goldenberry Hill.
There has been speculation that the brooch was being worn by one of the Viking invaders who came with King Hakon and were defeated by the Scots at the Battle of Largs in 1263.

 

The Laird at the time of the find was Robert Hunter and following its discovery he and his brother-in-law, Robert Cochran-Patrick, carried out an archaeological dig and found cloth remains.

 

After the death of Robert, his wife, Christian, sold the brooch for £600 to the National Museum of Scotland in March 1891.

Today the brooch is on view to the public in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh and is one of Scotland's National Heirlooms.

An exact replica is on display to Clan members in Hunterston Castle.

The Charter

This is a Royal Charter, which confirms the grant of the lands of Ardneil ( next to Hunterston) to William Hunter, the 10th Laird.

It is signed by the seal of King Robert II of Scotland on the 2nd May 1374.

This is the oldest document still in the possession of the Hunter Family.

 

Below is the English translation of the Charter originally written in Latin; "Robert by the Grace of God, King of Scots, to all Good Men of his Whole Land, Clerics and Laymen, Greetings:

 

Know ye that we have given, granted and by this our present Charter have confirmed to our loved and faithful William Hunter, for his faithful service rendered and to be rendered to us, that whole land of Arnell with pertinents which belonged to Andrew Campbell, Knight, and which the said Andrew, not being led by force or fear nor falling into error but of his own free and pure will, gave up and purely and simply resigned to us by staff and baton and wholly renounced in all time coming for himself and his heirs, with all right and title that he had or might have in the said land with the pertinents:

to hold and to have to the said William and his heirs male lawfully procreate or to be procreated of his body of us and our heirs in fee and heritage by all their right marches and bounds, with all and singular liberties, commodities, easements and just pertinents whatsoever belonging or in what manner soever shall be justly known to belong in future to the said land, freely, quietly, wholly well and in peace.

 

The said William and his heirs foresaid rendering therefore yearly to us and our heirs one penny of silver only at the said land of Arnell at the Feast of Pentecost in the name of Blenche Ferme for wards, reliefs, marriages, burdens and other services whatsoever.

 

In testimony of which thing we have commanded our seal to be appended to our present Charter.

 

Witnesses: The Venerable Father in Christ, William, Bishop of St. Andrews: John our First born Earl of Carryk, Steward of Scotland: Robert Earl of Ffyffe and of Meneteth, Our beloved son: William Earl of Douglas: John of Carryk our Chancellor: James of Lyndsay our Nephew: And Robert of Erskyne, Knights At Strivelyne (Stirling) the Second day of May the Fourth Year of Our Reign (1374).