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Sir Hector Munro, 1st Baronet of Foulis
was a Scottish soldier, noble and clan
chief of the highland Clan Munro. He is
also by tradition the 19th Baron and
22nd overall chief of the clan. Hector
Munro, 1st Baronet was the younger
brother of Robert Munro, 18th Baron of
Foulis (the Black Baron) who left
only daughters and was therefore
succeeded in the chiefship of his clan
by his younger brother Hector. They were
both sons of Hector Munro, 17th Baron of
Foulis.
Hector Munro, 1st Baronet was originally
designated "of Clynes" indicating that
he was bred for the church. However,
early in life he embraced a military
career. He was an officer of distinction
in Sir Donald Mackay, 1st Lord Reay's
regiment, along with his brother Robert,
18th Baron. Hector Munro served in the
Thirty Years' War under Gustavus
Adolphus of Sweden in his campaign in
Germany.
Upon the death of his older brother
Robert Munro, 18th Baron of Foulis in
1633, Hector Munro succeeded in his
estates, and returned to Scotland in
1634 to take possession of the family
estates and assume his position as head
of the clan.
Sir Hector Munro, 1st Baronet had
married in July 1619 at Tongue,
Sutherland, in Scotland. He married Mary
Mackay, daughter of Hugh Mackay of Farr,
Sutherland, chief of the Clan Mackay.
Mary was also the sister of Donald
Mackay, 1st Lord Reay. Sir Hector Munro,
1st Baronet and Mary Mackay had four
children.
Sir Hector Munro, 2nd Baronet of Foulis
(born August 1635). Hector's father the
1st Baronet had died in 1635, the year
Hector the 2nd Baronet was born and his
more powerful cousins, the Munros of
Obsdale and Munros of Lemlair were in
majority. Hector Munro, 2nd Baronet is
said to have died aged just 17 in 1651.
However, different sources give
different details of the circumstances
surrounding his death.
The
Munro MS history written by George
Martine between 1673 and 1697 states
that Hector died at his uncle Donald
Mackay, 1st Lord Reay's house in 1651,
in Durness, Sutherland. However,
Fraser's Wardlaw MS disagrees on the
year of death and hints at 'suspicion of
malfice'. While Burke's Peerage and
Baronetage has always stated that he
died on his travels in Holland. Whatever
the fate of Sir Hector Munro, 2nd
Baronet, he was succeeded in the
chiefship of the Clan Munro in
Ross-shire by his 2nd cousin Robert
Munro of Obsdale. See: Sir Robert Munro,
3rd Baronet. |
