Editing William Venator (1st Laird)

{{Laird
| honorific_prefix   = 
| name               = William Venator<br/>(William the Huntar)
| image              = [[File:Due to the time period this article relates to NO IMAGE IS AVAILABLE.png|200px]]
| other_names        = Guillame Huntar
| birth_name         = Gilbert de Venables IV
| birth_date         = 1080
| birth_place        = [[Normandy]], [[France]]
| death_date         = 1165
| death_place        = [[Ayrshire]], [[Scotland]]
| nationality        = French
| successor          = [[Norman_Venator_(2nd_Laird)|Norman Huntar (Venator)]]
| spouse             = Margary Croxton de Hatton (d. 1157)
| children           = 4
| mother             = Gundrada de Champagne
| father             = Gilbert de Venables
| type               = primary
| title              = 1st Laird of Hunterston
| term               = 1116 - 1153
}}
William Venator (b. 1080) was the first chief of [[Clan Hunter]]. Born in Normandy, France. He became the first chief from 1116-1153.

He was born Gilbert de Venables IV and changed his name to Gilbert Huntar, as to how it transformed to William Venator is still under research by ancestral historians.

It is unkown if he married Margary Croxton de Hatton (b. 1125) from [[Kinderton]], [[Cheshire]] but they had 4 children. Margary died in 1157 in [[Somme (department)|Somme]], [[France]].

{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%; text-align: center"
|-
!Childs Name
!Birth
!Death
!Spouse
|-
|William De Venables
|1134
|1228
|?
|-
|Amibilla of Venables
|1147
|1200
|?
|-
|[[Norman_Venator_(2nd_Laird)|Norman Hunter (Venator)]]
|?
|1200
|Maud
|-
|Gilbert de Venables
|?
|?
|Margaet Hatton
|-
|}

William Venator (William The Hunter) was named in a document of the Royal court of [[David, Prince of the Cumbrians|David Prince of Cumbria]] soon to be King David I of Scotland (ca 1116) together with Hugh de Morville and other men of rank or importance.

Ventor in latin means "The Hunter"

It is suggested that the original chief and his family received a grant of land at Hunterston from William the Conqueror  [[David_I_of_Scotland|David I Scotland]] returned to Scotland after a few years to serve his brother-king in various capacities, including heading up an inquiry to settle the matter of the extent of church lands in the area south and west of Glasgow.  

That session was held in 1116, and the resulting agreement between local principal landholders and the church was signed by William Hunter (actually as “Venator,” in Latin as was done with all legal documents involving the church).  [[David_I_of_Scotland|David]] succeeded to the throne on the unexpected death of his brother in 1124.  

It is suggested that the standing of David and William Hunter was such that the latter was given a grant of land at Hunterston.

{{Lairds of Hunterston}}
[[Category:Scottish clan chiefs]]
[[Category:1080 births]]
[[Category:1165 deaths]]