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

136 THK WEUDKKRrriX BOOK.
Part II. East Lotliiaij, which remained in the fiiniilj' until 1781, when it was sold to the
Chap. in. jv^jI Qf \\'cinyjj5i^ i„ whose family it has since lemaiued (see post, Part IV., The
-
- . Wedderburns of Gosford).
It was at Gosford that Sir John resided on his return to Scotland, somewhere
about I '102, and liis nmie occurs in tiie Aberlady re'.;isters iiuder date 1663
Feb. 25, Sept. 2-5, as witness to the baptisms of a daughter of Sir James Durharne
(Ab.B. 1 n), and of James, fifth son to Lord Gosford (/A. 1). He occasionallyvisited
Dundee at this pericxl, as in tiie parish registers of that burgh his name
also occurs as witness to the baptism, 2-t Jan 160.5, of John, sou of Alexander
Wedderburn of Kastcr Powric, pmvost (D.B. 13), and, 10 Oct. 1667, to that of
John, son of Alexander Wedderburn, younger, of Kiugennie, and Grissell Wedderburn
(lb. 15). He al.so witnessed, in 1074, the marriage contract of his great
niece, Agnes Wedderburn (daughter of Sir Peter) and David Haliburton of Pitcur,
being described in the document as "physician to his Majesty (G. R.S. 43). He
was often consulted after his retirement. Thus, 31 July 1673, ilargai-et, Countess
of Leven, writing from Wemyss to her aunt. Lady Melville, says, "I got word
from Dr. Waderlmrn that if I maried now I should hasard both my own lyf and
my child's (.Sir William Fraser's Melville and Leven Papers, i., 441).
Some years before his death Sir John disponed some of his property to his
nephew Sir Peter, accepting in lieu of it a life annuity of 10,60U merks scots,
BBcured on the estate of Gosford, and to be paid him "at two terms in the year by
equal portions." This is shown by a bond given to Sir John by Sir Peter, and
dated at Gosford 31 Oct. 1671 (Bl. 81). There seems at one time to have been
a difference between Sir Peter and his elder brother. Sir Alexander, as to the
benefits they had received from their uncle, as among the Blackness Papers (Bl. 43)
there is an agreement, dated 21 Nov. 1676, and made for the settling of differences
between Sir Peter and John, eldest son of the lately deceased Sir Alexander, which
cancels an earlier agreement between the two brothers "relating to the estate of
Sir John Wedderburne, their uncle, when he was then living in England." B_v the
new agreement John Wedderburn undertakes tliat he will never dispute anything
done by Sir John in favour of Sir Peter, who in his turn relieves Blackness of
bonds amoiuiting to over 30,000 merks. as well as of some other obligations of his
late father's estate to certain of Sir John's nieces.
Sir John died at Gosford' in July 1079, but a few months before his favourite
nephew Sir Peter, " satur annis, opibus, et honoribus " (Edward's Hist. Angus).
He had before his death given to the kirk of Aberlady, in which parish Gosford
lies, 200 merks in money to be distributed among the poor,- and also gave or
bequeathed four cups of fine silver for the administration of the Holy Communion.
These beautiful vessels are still in use for that purpose, and when I was in the
. neighbourhood a few years back (24 Sept. 1892) they were shown to me by the
present minister.^ They are all alike, and round the rim of each runs this
'
inscription :— " d. jo. weuderhurn. med.d. d.regivs dec s.\crvm et cvri.e sacr.e
IX ABERL.iDiE Dic.vT HOC." " Sir (domiiius) John Wedderburn, doctor of medicine,
doctor to the King, dedicates this as holy to God and to the holy Church in
Aberlady," or the first D. may be for " donum," " this gift," in which it should be
read at the end of the inscription instead of at the beginning. Below the
inscription are engraved the family arms and crest (an eagle's head), with,
however, the peculiarity that the chevron is shown "or," and is also charged
with a fleur de lys, while the helmet is profile and not, as a knight's helmet
should be, full front.-'
' He was, no doubt, buried in tlie cluircliyard of Aberlady, but his tomb cannot tie identified. On visiting
the churchyard in 1S9'J, in order to see any tombs to him or others of the name, I could find no
lef^ble inscriptiuiis. The place, recently well kept, was long uncared for, aud no mouument.-; of
any age can now be identified.
» See di.icharge by the owner by the minister and elders of Aberlady to Sir Peter AVedderburu 7 Sci't,
1678 (Bl.P. SI).
' They stand about nine-and-a-half inches high ; their diameter at the top being five-and-a-half inches, and
at the foot fourand-three-quarter inches. The Hall mark is a crown over tlie letters \\L, while on the
base u* stamped ,',' ,3
or ,^ ^,'^
* This is also the ca-^e with au old signet ring of 15S0, of which an account will be given post, s., the
chapter ou the family arms.