 Born at Laigh Corton, Alloway, Ayrshire to John Tennant (1725–1810) and his second wife, Margaret McClure (1738–1784).The family had worked the land for generations and were friends with local poet Robert Burns (1759–1796).In Burns' epistle to "James Tennant of Glenconner" Tennant is mentioned as "wabster Charlie" (Scots language