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Lineage of
the Wedderburn Family
This name was assumed
from the lands and barony of Wedderburn, Berwick, but at what period is
uncertain. It has been said that they were Norsemen, and after raiding the
unfortunate inhabitants of the lowlands of Scotland, remained there. I am
informed by Mr. T. A. Wedderburn of Footlands Close, Sherford, Taunton,
Somerset England that there is a river or tributary in the East Lowlands
of Scotland called Wedderburnand he hazards the guess that the family took
its name from the locality. He thinks the name Weatherburn or Witherburn
would be a corruption because “Wedder Lamb” in Scotland is the same as
“Weather Lamb” in England, both being Saxon for a castrated lamb, and
of course the last syllable of the name (“burn”) confirms its origin
“Sheepstream” perhaps suggesting that originally this family were
sheep farmers, probably long before the 1200s.
Earliest
records show that Walter de Wedderburn swore fealty to Edward 1st
of England at Berwick-on-Tweed 28th August 1296, while
references can also be found to John de Wedderburn in 1364, William de
Wedderburn in 1375, 1407 and 1426 – 1452 as well as to others bearing
the name in the border country. The lands of Wedderburn passed at an early
date (possibly by marriage to an heiress) to a branch of the powerful
family of “Home”, and have ever since remained with the Homes of
Wedderburn. This is confirmed by the fact that they are a sept of the clan
Home, and Sir Walter Scott in his “Day of the Last Minstrell” relates
how “the seven spears of Wedderburn fought alongside the Home clan in
Border warfare.
Contemporary
with the decline of the Wedderburns in Southern Scotland, we find an
influential family of the name in the county of Forfar. Then, in about
1400, four distinct but closely connected branches of this family are
found in Dundee. One of these
was that of James Wedderburn and Janet Barry, three of whose sons James,
John and Robert were among the earliest Scottish reformers, all having
united to produce the famous “Gude and Godlie Ballates” or Wedderburn
Psalms, while Robert, sometime Vicar of Dundee, was with little doubt the
author of the remarkable “Complaynt of Scotland”. From the eldest of
these brothers descended James Wedderburn, Bishop of Dunblane, who as the
friend of Archbishop Laud, and a staunch episcopalian , was driven from
Scotland in 1638, and retired to Canterbury where he died in 1639, and was
buried in the cathedral there. His elder brother John settled as a
physician in Moravia and left issue, whose descendants are
believed to be flourishing on the continent under the name of “Wetherborn”.
Two
other Dundee families were of Walter Wedderburn in Welgait, father of
Alexander Wedderburn of Pittmorie, county Fife, and David Wedderburn in
the Murraygait, father of David of Craigie, who married Helen Lawson and
had issue. Both of these families are however now believed to be extinct
in the male line.
The
fourth and most important family sprang from Robert Wedderburn, long
eminent in Dundee, who married Janet Frost of Methven, and from whom the
Wedderburns, Baronets of Blackness, were descended. He had five sons,
James, Robert, David (who had a son, William, belived to have settled in
county Aberdeen and of whom no more is recorded) and fourthly Alexander,
the fifth son being George, who died without leaving an heir, and a
daughter, Elizabeth (1488-1572). Robert's grandson, Alexander Wedderburn
of Kingennie, Co. Forfar, born 1561, was in high favour of James VI of
Scotland and accompanied him to England in 1603 and was one of the
signatories to the treaty for a union between England and Scotland in
1604. On his return to Scotland next year, James VI presented him with a
ring off his own finger, still preserved in the family. He married Helen
Ramsay in 1582, and died 1626 leaving a family of 5 sons; Alexander,
James, Peter (d.s.p.), John (the 5th is not named) and 6 daughters,
Elizabeth, Magdaline, Margaret, Marjory, Jean and Elspeth.
Alexander
(1) was Clerk of Dundee 1627-33, his lineal descendant obtained a crown
charter in 1708 erecting the lands of Easter Powrie into a barony to be
called Wedderburn. This branch of the family became extinct in the male
line on the death of David Wedderburn of Wedderburn in 1761, but the
estates were inherited by the heir of line now represented by Henry James
Scrimgeour-Wedderburn, and Wedderburn and Birkhill, Hereditary Royal
Standard Bearer of Scotland. James (2) Clerk of Dundee 1626-27 married
Margaret Goodman and had three sons, Alexander (Sir) Knight of Blackness
near Dundee was highly thought of by Charles II for his loyalty, Peter
(Sir) of Gasford, Haddington, ancestor of the Earl of Roslyn, and WIlliam.
Magdaline,
afore-mentioned, married Rev. William Wedderburn, son of Alexander
Wedderburn of Pittmorie mentioned earlier in this genealogy.
The
first knight of Blackness was succeeded by Sir John, his eldest son, who
was created a baronet (first), born 12.2.1641, advocate at the Scottish
Bar. The 2nd Baronet was his eldest son Alexander (1672). The 3rd Baronet,
Sir John, eldest son born 1700, died unmarried. 4th Baronet Sir Alexander,
a cousin, 1675 - 1744 - deposed from his office of Clerk of Dundee for
adherence to the House of Stuart. His eldest son Sir John embraced the
cause of the exiled Royal Stuart family, was present as a volunteer in
Lord Ogilvy's regiment at the Battle of Culledon Moor and having been
taken prisoner, was attainted and executed at Kennington Common, near
London, 28th November 1746 after being imprisoned in the Tower, when the
baronetcy was forfeited. His eldest son Sir John (attainted) born 1729 was
a cornet in Lord Ogilvy's regiment at Culledon also, and after his
father's death when a "witch hunt" was instituted by the
English, he fled to Jamaica where he resided for some years, became a
sugar planter, and prospered, and later married Lady Margaret Ogilvie,
eldest daughter of the Earl of Airlie. He died in 1803 and after
petitioning the British Parliament the title was given back to the family,
his eldest son David was recreated baronet, 1st Baronet of Balindean and
7th of Blackness.
Prepared by:
Peter Garwood
L'Eau Salée
Malaucène
84340 France
 Send
e-mail to: peter.garwood@wanadoo.fr
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