Wedderburn book; a history of the Wedderburns in ... - waughfamily.ca

(D'B.R.
DAVID, OF CRAIGIE. 57
17 May 1533, whoa ho uud his " kiusmau," lleury WcdJcrbuni, settle tlie boiiuJaries of Parti.
their Murraygait lands (D.P.B. 50) ; and 2S May I 534, when he chari^es his property with
Cbap. ill
an annual rent (D.P.B. 51 b). On 13 March 1534 a leper of the nanie of William Bell
assigned to him, "son of the late David," some Welgait land in trust for the lepei-s of the
burgh (DC. 16), an entry indicative of his importance in the community. In the samo
year he and his wife got a charter of the shadow half of Hiltoun of Cra'igie from John,
Abbot of Lindores, 9 Oct. 153-5, confirmed to them under the (Jrcat Seal 10 Feb. 1539
(R I'.S. 6; U.S. It. iO) ; and this land is named as a boundary in the follcjwing year,
30 Aug. 1540 (D.C. 21). i They also got from Patrick, Lord Gray a charter of the mains
of lluntlio, in the barony of Foulis, co Perth. 13 June 15lL', confirmed under the
Great Seal 8 Aug. in that year (11 P.S. 7 ; G.S R. 30). He was at one time engaged
in what seems to have been a family feud with the Rolloks (ante p. 7, n. 3), as \b April
1543 he was " fugitive from law and at the horn " for the slauirhter of David Rollok,
and his sons, .lames and William, and tiie rest of his children, got a gift of the escheat
of his goods (Il.P.S. lOi, while there is .-inother gift to Patrick, Lord Gray, of the escheat
of his goods on G April in the same year (R.P.S. 1 1
). The matter soon blew over, for by 25
Sept. following, he and his accomplices were all respited in respect of it {ib. \'A). The gap in
the Dundee records then prevents our hearing of iiim for a time, but he can h;ive been under
no ban when his name again arises. In 1550 (Feb. 1 1 ) he got a letter under the Privy Seal
appointing him •' clerk of the coket " in Dundee, and " searcher of all gtMjds," an otlice which
in later years was held by his son James (R.P.S. 18, 23).'' He is called " elder " 5-8 Juno
155 I 28 c), and is nominated on the Council 23 Sept. {ib 20 a). In the next month,
6 Oct ,
he, "elder,"' sells his mausiou to the town for i'OU, and accepts payment, 20 Oct., in
the form of six burgess-ships {ib. 22 b, 32). Once more, May 1552, •') lie is called " elder,"
•when his payment for 420 barrels of beer is duly recorded {ib. 35). In this year he added to
his Craigie propertj' by the acquisition from Patrick, Lonl Gray, of one-third of the Hiltoun
of AVester Craigie, the charter to himself and his wife being confirmed under the Great Seal
8 Aug. (R.P S."20 ; G.S R. 31),3 and we find himdesigued "X'lder, of Gragy" vU.B.R. 40, 43).
In the ne.xt year he got once more into trouble for violence and for having (in mixlern - •
parlance) " obstructed the police in the execution of their duty."^ He and his two sons were
charged with having " troubled and hurt Robert Merschell, officer of the burgh, in the
execution of his duty.'' and although he, ou referring himself ' to God and a goixl as.iize " at
Dundee, was acquitted 3 Xov., his sons were convicted (D.B R. 45), and he does not seem
to have been quite cleared, as he thought it well to get a remission, 14 Dec, for both iiimself
and his sons under the Privy Seal (R.P.S. 21 ). His property of the .Mains of Hiuitly
is mentioned 13 Xov. 1554 (P.B.N. 1), and his Murravgait lands. Oct. l.'>o5, and 17 March
1558 (D.B.R. 61 « ; D.P.B. 92). He is, I think, the David Wedderimrn, co-owner of the
ship James, named 25 May 1552, 16 Dec. 1555 (l).BR. 36. 58, 61 c). His |Ki>ition in
Dundee is best shown, perhaps, by the fact that it was in his house of Craigie that the
Council dejH^sited the Church plate of the burgh in time of war. Thus, 12 Aug. 1557, *"' the
council and commuuitie hes receivit fra tlie hands of David Wedderburn of Cniii.'ie thir
jewels underwritten ...which David had in keiping " {.Uaxweli's Old Dnwlcf, p. 1?S).
He was defender to a suit 17 Jan. 1557 (M.B.R. 72), and lived to see his eider dan^ihter
Isobcll married and provided for, 24 Dec. 1558 (U.P.B 88). His health was, however,
failing. On 3 April 1559 his wife binds herself, in event of his death, to pmvido
for his other daughter on her marriage (D.B.R. 86),'' and soon after " in hi-> lHX.'y
hevelie weixit with inlirmitie and yit as apperit havand perfyte knowkdi^e and memoric "
he made his will (K.P.B. 9.t). He died soon after, as 23 Aug. 1500 his s.^n James
is named as his heir (D BR. 95) ; and 9-10 Oct., IS Nov., Helen biwson is calh-i his relict
{ih. t'9, 103), while, 16 Feb 1560-61, the North Seagait land of the late D.ivid and iKe Ncrtli
Murraygait land of the late Henry W'edderburn are mentioned (U.P.B. 107). (ttlur
references to him may be found in connection with his son James (D.B.R. 112; IC.P.C. 25)
> Mr. A. C. Lamb in his Dundee (p. 59) says that a portion of Craigie UIc.iiKf.l to n ri«viJ Wr.I.Irrl.urn
in 14S0 and that in 1540 another David so held it, but I tiu.l no auU.ority f>T llie •lAtfUiciit
as to 1480.
, , . , .
» He is not desifne.! ' el^er " or ' of Crairie," ic, in this entry, but I ni.ike no V IS. 16.
* She is called '• spous " not "relict" in this entry, so that though hia "dccew" u rcfcn^l (u, ii »u
contemplated only, and had not yet occurred.