House of Burnett - The Burnetts of Craigmyle, Kemnay, Crimond & Monboddo and the Ramsays of Balmain

House of Burnett

The Burnetts of Craigmyle, Kemnay,
Crimond & Monboddo and the Ramsays of
Balmain

The Burnetts of Craigmyle

James Burnett of Craigmyle was the second son of Alexander Burnett of Leys and Katherine Gordon. At the age of 18 years he married his cousin Elizabeth Burnet, daughter of Thomas Burnet of Craigmyle and Tillihaikie. This Thomas was grandson and representative of William Burnett of Craigour, Campbell and Tillihaikie, who fell at Pinkie in 1547, the ancestor of the Burnetts of Campbell, Elrick &c. Alexander and Elizabeth had a number of children including 4 sons: 1. Alexander who was his successor in Craigmyle; 2. Thomas, who founded the Burnetts of Kemnay; 3. James, who founded the Burnetts of Monboddo; and 4. Robert, who became the "Tutor of Leys".

Aleander Burnett of Craigmyle was admitted to the Scottish Bar in 1642 and was a Commissioner of Supply for Aberdeen and was on the Committee for War for Kincardineshire. He married Christian Fraser of Strichen, with whom he had 5 children. His eldest son, Alexander, succeeded his father in1677. In 1682 he was knighted by Charles II. He married Nicholas Young of Auldbar and produced 3 daughters. Since their were no direct male heirs, considerable litibation ensued after his death. In the end, everything was decided in favor of his daughters, This branch of the family is now extinct in the male line.

The Burnetts of Kemnay

Thomas Burnett was the second son of James Burnett of Craigmyle. He died in 1688, after having purchased the estate of Kemnay on the Donside from Sir George Nicholson and received a Crown Charter of the Kemnay estate. His son, also Thomas, was born circa 1656 and was a member of the Scottish Bar. Alexander, son of Thomas, was born in 1735 and succeeded his father in 1780. He studied in Leyden, Hollnd and was Secretary to the Ambassador to the Prussian Courts and was Charge d'Affaires for a year after the Ambassador's death.

Alexander's grandson, George Burnett, LL.D was a member of the Scottish Bar but is better known as the Lord Lyon King of Arms, whih position he held for 25 years during the 19th century. George succeeded his father in 1847. He was married twice and one of his sons by his first wife was William Kendall Burnett M.A., who was an advocate in Aberdeen and was the compiler of the "Genealogical Tree of the Family of Burnett of Leys and Collateral Branches".

The current head of the family is Susan Letitia Burnett of Kemnay (great-grandaughter of William Kendall Burnett), who succeeded in 1948. Susan Letitia was born in 1922 and married Frederick James Milton.

The seat of the Burnetts of Kemnay is at Kemnay House, Kemnay, County Aberdeen.

The Burnetts of Crimond

Robert Burnett, Lord Crimond (1592-1661) was a brother of Sir Thomas Burnett of Leys, 1st Baronet. He was an eminent member of the Scottish Bar and was so successful that he was able to purchase several estates, including Crimond in Aberdeenshire, which became his residence.

Due to his opposition to the Covenant he left Scotland on three occasions and once remained in exile for 5 years. On his return to the country he lived in retirement on the Crimond estates until the Restoration, at which time he was made a Judge of the Court of Sessions under the title of Lord Crimond. He only lived a few months after his appointment. He married twicw and had 5 sons and 2 daughters. Three of the sons died unmarried and the two others had no male descendants, so the Burnetts of Crimond are extrinct in the male line.

Robert Burnett's youngest son was Gilbert Burnett, Bishop of Salisbury, undoubtedly the most distinguished member of the Burnett family.

The Burnetts of Monboddo

The Burnetts of Monboddo descend from James Burnett of Craigmyle through his third son, also named James. He married twice, his second wife being Elizabeth Irvine of Monboddo, whose estates he purchased from her brothers. His son, Alexander Burnett of Monboddo, married his cousin Margaret Burnett, daughter of Sir Alexander Burnett of Leys, 2nd Baronet. Alexander of Monboddo's grandson, James Burnett of Monboddo, was the famous Lord Monboddo. He and his wife Elizabeth Farquarson had 2 daughters, the elder of which, Heln, married Kirkpatrick Williamson, who then assumed the name and title of William Burnett of Monboddo.

Helen and Kirkpatrick's great-grandson, James Shank Burnett-Burnett of Monboddo succeeded in 1905 and was killed by an elephant in India in 1910. At his death he was succeeded by his older son James Malcolm Burnett of Monboddo, who married Gladys Ingram in 1942.

The Ramsays of Balmain (Paternally Burnetts)

Sir Thomas Burnett, 6th Baronet of Leys married Katherine Ramsay, Heiress of Balmain in 1754. Due to provisions in the marriage contract, Sir Thomas had become heir of line of the Ramsays of Balmain after the death in 1806 of Sir Alexander Ramsay, 6th Baronet of Balmain (Katherine's brother), who left no heirs. Since Sir Thomas' elder son Sir Robert succeeded to Burnett of Leys, the Balmain estates passed to his younger son Alexander Burnett.

Sir Alexander was born in 1757 and became Sheriff of Kincardineshire in 1779. On his succession to Balmain he assumed the name Ramsay by Royal License (as well as by Arms by Warrant of the Lord Lyon), and was created a Baronet of the United Kingdom in 1806 as Sir Alexander Ramsay of Balmain. He died in 1810. He and his wife, Elizabeth Bannerman of Elsick, had 15 children, the youngest of whom, Lauderdale, married her cousin Sir James Horn Burnett of Leys, 10th Baronet, as his second wife.

Sir Herbert Ramsay, 5th Baronet, emigrated to Australia where he married in 1902. His grandson, Sir Alexander William Burnett Ramsay, born in 1937 in New South Wales, Australia, is the current (7th) Baronet of Balmain, as well as the heir presumptive of the dormant Baronetcy of Burnett of Leys.

Information provided by Mary Dunklee, Secretary and Membership Chairperson, House of Burnett