Wedderburn book; a history of the Wedderburns in ... - waughfamily.ca
Wedderburn book; a history of the Wedderburns in ... - waughfamily.ca
Wedderburn book; a history of the Wedderburns in ... - waughfamily.ca
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
INTRODUCTION. ;.<br />
General Sketch. The <strong>Wedderburn</strong>'s <strong>in</strong> Berwickshire. Su^mmary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Contents <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> whole Work.<br />
IN<br />
common with many o<strong>the</strong>r old Scottish families, that <strong>of</strong> <strong>Wedderburn</strong> f<strong>in</strong>ds <strong>in</strong>trod.<br />
<strong>the</strong> earliest recorded mention <strong>of</strong> its name^ <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> famous Ruijiium Roil<br />
or <strong>in</strong>strument <strong>of</strong> honiai,'e, by which on 2S Aujj. 1290, <strong>the</strong><br />
wtdderbum<br />
'<br />
Among<br />
1296.<br />
»""®^'^ ^^'^ \&'A5Qx barons <strong>of</strong> Scotland swore fealty To Edward I.<br />
<strong>the</strong> latter was Waiter de Weddeiburn, whose seal<br />
bear<strong>in</strong>g his name and a seven-rayed star is still attaclied to<br />
<strong>the</strong> ancient document. I quote <strong>the</strong> passage- <strong>in</strong> which Walter's name occurs :<br />
Item : Atour Ceaus qui cestes Lettreg veiTont ou orroiit,, AVaiitior Bvset (et <strong>in</strong>ter<br />
alios), Wautier de Wederbume .... del coimte de Edeiieburk, Salui',.^" Pur cet qe<br />
Nous sumes venuz a La Foi, e a La Volunte du tres noble Pr<strong>in</strong>ce e nostre elder<br />
Seignor Sire Edward, par la Grace Dieu, lloi d'Engleterre, Seignur Dirland, e Due<br />
d'Aquitaigne. Nous promettoms pur nous, et pur nos Heirs, sur Pe<strong>in</strong>e de Corse<br />
Davoir, e sur quautqe nous peussoms encoure, Que nous servironis bicn, e leaument,<br />
contre totes Gentz qui purront vivre e moiir totes lea Foiz que nous<br />
TOe^RagmaD serronis requis, ou garuiz de Par nostre Seigneur Le Roi d'Kngloterre<br />
avauntdit ou par ses Heirs, e que nous leur Damage ne sauroms,<br />
e que nous nel destorbeoras a tot nostre Poer, e a cestes Glioses tenir a garder nous<br />
obligeoms nous e nos Heirs e touz uos Blens, e outre ceo avonis jurcz sur se<strong>in</strong>tes<br />
Evaungeiles. Estre ceo Nous tous e chescun de nous par sey avo<strong>in</strong>a fait feaute a<br />
nfe Seigneur Le Roi avandit en cestes Paroles. leo serrai feal e leal, e Foi e Leaute<br />
porcerai au Roi Edward Roi d'Engletre, e a ses Heirs, etc. En tcsnioignance de<br />
queus Choses nous avoms fait faire cestes Lettres ovcrtcs, S<strong>ca</strong>les dc nos Seaus.<br />
Donees a Berewyk sur Twed, Le Viute utisme jour Daust, L'au du Regue are<br />
Seigneur Le Roi d'Engleterre avauntdit V<strong>in</strong>tisme quart.<br />
This Walter de <strong>Wedderburn</strong> is <strong>the</strong> only person <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> name whom I f<strong>in</strong>d<br />
mentioned <strong>in</strong> any record earlier than l^Qi, and as before <strong>the</strong> middle <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
fifteenth century we f<strong>in</strong>d <strong>the</strong> lands <strong>of</strong> <strong>Wedderburn</strong>, co. Dorwiclc,<br />
WecWerburn^ 'n possession <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Homes, a branch <strong>of</strong> whom were tben and<br />
have ever s<strong>in</strong>ce been designed " <strong>of</strong> <strong>Wedderburn</strong>," it has been<br />
• Surnames are .'>ai(l to have arisen <strong>in</strong> France at <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> tenth century, and to have been<br />
<strong>in</strong>troear <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> charters <strong>of</strong> Alexander I.<br />
(1107—1124). They beg<strong>in</strong> to be found <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> David I. (1 12-1— 115J), and <strong>in</strong> tlie<br />
Inquisitio Davidis <strong>of</strong> 1116 several appear, <strong>the</strong> two oldest be<strong>in</strong>g those <strong>of</strong> Ocrvase dc Riddel and<br />
Robert de Corbet. After this date <strong>the</strong>y become gradually more common, those cimnccled with<br />
or derived from land be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> most honoundJe. See J.W. <strong>in</strong> his .MS. Mcnmir, cit<strong>in</strong>g Camden's<br />
Rema<strong>in</strong>s, pp. 92-93 ; Anderson's Independence, App. iv. ; Dalrynqjle's Culkclxom, pruf. IxL,<br />
App. i., ii. Chalmers Caledonia, vol. ii., ]ip. 238-40, 499 ; aurl Ver.-tegan's Aniu/isiiiet, eliap. ix.<br />
;<br />
J.M'., from wliose pr<strong>in</strong>ted volume I cite <strong>the</strong> above passage, gives alsci <strong>the</strong> title <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> roll,<br />
as follows:— " Instrumeuta Publi<strong>ca</strong> super Homagio et Fidelitate jjr.clator: NoUlm<strong>in</strong> et communitatum<br />
'<br />
regni Scotia; factis regi Anglia; Edwardo primo, anno ie;:ui itui ixiv, 1291;." Tho<br />
'<br />
roll was <strong>the</strong>n <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Tower <strong>of</strong> London, but is now <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> IJecord Ullice. Sic S.l'. 1 and poet,<br />
p. 423, note I, where <strong>the</strong> seal <strong>of</strong> Walter de <strong>Wedderburn</strong> is fur<strong>the</strong>r deseriU'd.<br />
' Walter de <strong>Wedderburn</strong>, it will be noticed, is described as ann^ng th'j-e who do Im<strong>in</strong>ago for lands <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> c.iunty <strong>of</strong> Ed<strong>in</strong>burgh, although <strong>the</strong> lands <strong>of</strong> <strong>Wedderburn</strong> lie close to <strong>the</strong> Tweed, <strong>in</strong> wluit is<br />
now <strong>the</strong> county <strong>of</strong> Berwick. In early times, however, Lothian extended from E.l<strong>in</strong>imrgh to<br />
Tweed, and, even later, parts <strong>of</strong> what is now Bcrwick.-hire aie rle.-criUAl <strong>in</strong> various documents<br />
as <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> county <strong>of</strong> Ed<strong>in</strong>burgh. Thus, althougli <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> lt.ii.-man ItoU th'-ro ai-e frcjucut,<br />
mentions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> countv <strong>of</strong> Berwick as dist<strong>in</strong>ct from that <strong>of</strong> Ed<strong>in</strong>burgh, it ha.f lx;en a~>umcl<br />
that <strong>the</strong> lands for whidi Walter did homage were those or i«rt <strong>of</strong> tlio.sc <strong>in</strong> co. I'.erwicW. There<br />
is no record <strong>of</strong> any lauds <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> name nearer to Ed<strong>in</strong>burgh, and <strong>the</strong> a«umptioa :s probably<br />
correct.