A Hunter family united

12 November, 2024

A Hunter family united

Sandy Mackenzie Hunter with his brother Jim.

Sandy with his brother Jim at his home in Niagra Falls, Canada.

Our Clan Hunter diaspora is expanding worldwide and with every new member there is a new opportunity to share Hunter history and Hunter stories. This time I’ve asked Sandy Mackenzie Hunter to share his extraordinary tale of coincidence with us.

It was a pleasure to welcome Sandy to our Clan Hunter International Gathering this year and he subsequently joined our Zoom call in September.

Sandy Mackenzie Hunter’s story is a heartwarming tale of family reunion and connectivity. Through a series of coincidences, he was able to unite with siblings he didn’t know he had and complete his circle of connectivity.

‘Before I describe the first coincidence I need to explain at the beginning that I had five “cousins” called Hunter who lived in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, Scotland and I lived 10 miles away in Blantyre, south-east of Glasgow. We all got on really well.

Hunter coincidence number one.

Sandy Hunter Mackenzie December 1967, Burnbank Hamilton.

‘I was delivering Christmas cards, one year, in Hamilton when I was a student. I could not get the cards through the letterbox and rang the doorbell. A girl opened the door and told her mum that it was Sandy Mackenzie a former pupil at her school. Her mum kindly invited me in for some tea as it was snowing and I was freezing.

When we were all seated, she asked me how my brothers and sister were? I said that I didn’t have any, that I was adopted. This, apparently, was far from true and she explained to me that our Hunter family story was on the front page of the Hamilton Advertiser. August 1947.

The headlines read: “Young mother dies and leaves 5 children.”

My friend’s mother said she had always wondered what had happened to me as I was only three weeks old at the time of the tragedy.

Hunter coincidence number two.

John Mackenzie Hunter (my brother) December 1967. Ravenscraig Steel Works, Wishaw.10,000 employees.

John visited Ravenscraig once a year as shop steward as he worked in Motherwell Bridge Steelworks. A worker John knew passed by and said “Hello stranger. I always meant to ask how your wee brother is doing?”

John replied ” I don’t have a wee brother.”

When he got home he phoned his eldest brother Jim who told him the story. He was only three years old and I was three weeks old so there was never a good occasion to tell us at the time.

I phoned John from Jim’s phone and drove over and we spent the night making up for lost time. That closed the circle in 1966. I’d found my tribe at last. I remember all the emotions of excitement, apprehension and relief at the same time. It turned out great..

Hunter siblings united

The one that was Mackenzie Hunter worked at Ravenscraig and found out I was his brother three weeks before me. He was three years older and always special for me. When we discovered we were brothers it was life changing for both of us. I had a big brother to look up to aged 23 and he had a wee brother to look after aged 20!

The debate of nature vs nurture was confirmed to be nature for us. We had the same personalities, sense of humour, looked similar though brought up in completely different ways.

Hunter coincidence number three

Sandy, daughter and Dad George Hunter

Largs 1987. Sandy with daughter Sarah and his Dad, George Hunter.

This is my last photograph taken in Largs 1987 of my Dad George Hunter and my daughter Sarah. He was recuperating from his recent prostate cancer operation.

I found out my dad had it by yet another strange coincidence.
My wife Anne’s gran was in the Royal Infirmary, Glasgow. We went to visit her. She was in a large mixed ward and after sitting and talking for a while with her, I looked around the ward.
I couldn’t believe it. There was my dad lying in bed propped up by a pillow across from her bed.
No one had told me he was in hospital. I don’t know who got the bigger surprise.
He wasn’t expecting to see me either. So we had two visits in one. He died two years later on the 9th September 1989.
Sandy Mackenzie Hunter's parents

Sandy Mackenzie Hunter’s parents and siblings

This is the only photograph (left) that exists of my mother Jean Mackenzie Hunter with her hands on my sister Helen. Jim is the baby in my father George Stein Hunter’s arms.

Jim died age 89 on October 2023 at home with his wife Betty and four daughters in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. Luckily I had planned to visit four weeks before and spent a lovely  holiday with him and his family.

When I was there he told me I had another brother George Stein Hunter who died at three months and was buried in an unmarked grave with other Hunter relatives.

Brother George Hunter, three weeks old.

Brother George Hunter, three weeks old. Cursum Perficio.

Returning home I searched the records and eventually found the plot and placed a Hunter plaque with our badge and motto to mark the grave.

I have a photo of us all that first New Year after I found out and another at my wedding 3 years later.

New Year 1969. Three weeks after discovering my cousins were my brothers and sisters at Christmas we celebrated our first New Year together as a full Hunter family. From left to right back row: Jim, Robert, Mackenzie, Alexander (Sandy); from left to right front row: Father George, stepmother May and sister Helen.

Sandy with his father and siblings                         Sandy, his father and wife and children.                                                                                               Dad meeting his grandchildren for the first time. Happy Days.

Sandy.

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DIRECTIONS

You will find us off the A78 just north of West Kilbride. Look for our driveway marked by stone pillars and "Hunterston Estate" 

ADDRESS

Hunterston KA23 9QG
Telephone: 07980 209060
*This number is not continuously manned, so please do leave us a message. 

OPENING TIMES AND ACCESS

Acccess to Hunterston Castle is strictly by appointment. Note that as a historic monument, wheel chair access is limited. More visitor information is available on our visitors page .  Please email us to arrange a visit.