Saturday, October 12, 2024

Iain Alexander Gunn of that Ilk, MBE (1933-2024), Chief of the Clan Gunn

 Iain Alexander Gunn of that Ilk, MBE, Chief of the Clan Gunn, died in Caithness, 9 October, 2024. He was 91.

He was born 25 March, 1933, son of John Bain Gunn (1893-1946), and his wife the former Annie Eleanor Smith.

He was a solicitor and director of the General Council of British Shipping 1976-91, a deputy lieutenant for Caithness. He married in 1963, Aline Lavender James (born 1933), by whom he has issue, a son, John William Gunn of Banniskirk, yr (born 15 Aug, 1964), and a daughter, Helen Mary Aline.

His wife, known as Bunty, and as Bunty James was one of the presenters of the late 1960's and 1970's educational ITV children's series "How" along with Jack Hargreaves, Jon Miller and Fred Dinenage.

On 25 September 2015, the Lord Lyon King of Arms for Scotland issued an interlocutor recognizing Iain Alexander Gunn of Banniskirk as Chief of Clan Gunn. He became Iain Alexander Gunn of that Ilk, Chief of Clan Gunn. At a Family Convention, held in Orkney on July 18, 2015, a petition to the Lyon Court requesting this recognition was approved and sent to the Lyon for action. For the first time in 230 years the Clan has a recognized Chief. Iain previously served as Commander of Clan Gunn for over forty-three years. Iain Alexander Gunn of Banniskirk was appointed the second Commander of Clan Gunn, by commission of Lord Lyon on 9 June 1972. He was Secretary of the Clan Gunn UK Society on its establishment in 1961. The first Commander was his paternal uncle, William Gunn of Banniskirk, who held the title from 1967 to 1968. In 1978, the previous Chief of Clan Keith and the then Commander of Clan Gunn signed a peace treaty at the site of the Chapel of St. Tayrs, ending the feud between the two clans which began in 1478. The Clan Gunn is a highland Scottish clan associated with lands in northeastern Scotland, including Caithness,

 Sutherland and, arguably, the Orkney Isles. Clan Gunn is one of the oldest Scottish Clans, being descended from the Norse Jarls of Orkney and the Pictish Mormaers of Caithness.

His son now succeeds to the clan chieftainship.

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