Marquises of Ailsa Most people in the west of Scotland have Sovereign of the Grand Imperial Council of heard of Ailsa Craig and Culzean Castle. Is Scotland in 1925—40. there any connection with the Craft. Actually Lord Charles Kennedy, 5th Marquess of Ailsa, yes! was born in Scotland on April 10th, 1875. He Archibald Kennewas educated at Eton College. He also attenddy, 4th Marquess ed the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencesof Ailsa, was born ter, England. on May 22nd, 1872 On January 27th, 1894 Kennedy was commisin London, Engsioned a second lieutenant in the 3rd Battalland. He was born ion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers, a line infantry Earl of Cassilis. He regiment of the British Army. He resigned his attended Eton Colcommission in May of that same year. lege and Trinity College before goDuring the Second Boer War, Kennedy fought ing on to Camas part of an Australian regiment called the bridge University and Edinburgh University. Prince of Wales' Light Horse. He was a capIn 1897 he was admitted as an advocate, in tain with the unit. During the war he received the Scottish jurist system a lawyer of superior the Queen's South Africa Medal with three classification. clasps which indicated the campaigns that In 1900, Kennedy joined the British Army and was assigned as a captain to the Royal Scots Fusiliers, an infantry unit, in the 3rd (Militia) Battalion. He served during the Second Boer War from 1900 to 1902. During the war he won two medals and five clasps. After the war he returned to England where he was promoted to the rank of Major. He went on to serve in World War I.
they were awarded for.
In 1914, Kennedy returned to Scotland from the US to serve during World War I. Once in Scotland he enlisted with the Ayrshire Yeomanry, a Army Reserve unit of the British Army. In a correspondence he sent during World War I he indicated that he had been declared as unfit for overseas duty and that he had been made an area gas instruction officer. He also indicated that he was attached to the 18th Division in France on an instruction tour. He resigned from the Ayrshire Yeomanry in 1921.
In 1938, Kennedy succeeded his father as 4th Marquess of Ailsa. He held the position for only 5 years. Kennedy had no children so the title passed to his brother Charles Kennedy in 1943. Kennedy was a member of Acacia Lodge No. Kennedy was a past master of Mother Kilwin- 11 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He also joined the ning (and therefore PGM of Ayrshire), Grand local York Rite, Chapter, Council and ComSuperintendent of Ayrshire Royal Arch Chap- mandery (Knights Templar). He demitted ters, First Grand Principal of the Supreme from the Acacia Lodge and the York Rite bodGrand RAC Scotland 1913—43 and Grand ies in 1921.
Cross Keys March 2021
Page 17
