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

INTRODUCTION.
hiii.
He was a merchant in Dundee, whore he married, in 1G77, Catharine Man, Introd.
and died in lt)82. It is from him tliat J. W. has quite erroueoualv
assumed the American family of the name to be descended. Their ancestor
was, however, an emigrant to Virginia, David Wedderburn, and Peter liad uo
such son. His issue is quite certainly known, and consisted only of two
sons, Alexander and John, so that we must look elsewhere for the father
of the American emigrant. The careers of Peter's two sons are not quite
clearly made out. As regards Ale.'cander tliere is a difficulty
^Peterl®'" '^°° of identification, as the Dundee records contain references to
*^^° contemporaries of his name, both bailies of Dundee, Iff7&-1734.^^'
one
of whom married Margaret Watson, and the other (in 1702)
Grizell Watson, and both of whom had issue. The husband of Margaret
had two children, viz., Alexander, born 1711, and Margaret Ker, born Hl^, of
whom I have no account, but their father may possibly be the son of Ptter.
I have come to the conclusion, however, that Peter's son was the husband of
Grizell, and his career and the descent from him is well ascertained. He
was a shipmaster in Dundee, owning several vessels, the "Neptune," "Thistle,"
and " Beauty," etc., and was repeatedly shore-master as well as kirkmaster,
and treasurer to the seamen. Wiien in 1708 the council were
considering "the defence of the town in regard to an apparent invasion by the
French, being then on the coast " he was elected to search the town for
ammunition, all of which was to be broiight into the town's magazine, and he
was also appointed Captain of the Overgait. Like his cousin the clerk, he
took some part in the '15 as it touched Dundee, though he paid less
dearly for his Jacobite principles. There is a decree for £31 G. 0. obtained
V. him by James ^lorgan, master of the Hunter Gaily of Dundee, for damage
done to that boat when carrying down three heavy cannon from the Craig
of Dundee to Hairs' Craig, of which Wedderburn was commnnder under
the rebels in Dec. -Jan. 1715-lG. It is alleged chat Wedderburn seized the boat
without her owner's leave, and having made use of her, left her exposed to the
weather. Beyond this decree we do not hear of his being further dealt with for
his •'rebellion." He died in 1734, having had issue by his wife (died 175G) three
sons and five daughters. Of the sous, the eldest, Peter, dit-d yoiuig, and the
youngest, John, unmarried or without i.ssue soon after 1737, while the four
youngest daughters, Elizabeth, Margaret, Grizell, and Clementiua, all died young
or unmarried before 176-3. The eldest daughter, Kalhaiine (born 1703),
married John Higgiuson of Perth, and was living a widow, and in great age,
in 1795, when she made a will in favour of the childreu of
Wedderburn her niece, Helen, only child of her brother, Ale.xander. This
£)rn^^7n°'
brother, (born 1711), had come south to Londi)n, and is
always called shipmaster there in the records to distiuguisii him
from his father who is called " shipmaster in Dundee." He probably lived near
Lora'oard Street, as in one of the churches there his daughter was baptized,
and he is the Mr. Wedderburn, named in a letter of the time, to whom
James Wedderburn "took boat" on 27 November 1746, to see if any tiling
could be done at that eleventh hour to avert the execution of his lather.
Sir John. Ale.xander Wedderburn married Marion Stuart and by her had
issue an only child, Helen, born in London in 1747, who married, at
Edinburgh in 1774, Dr. James Fmlay of JBogside, near GLisgow, and die-i
in 17SG, leaving a numerous family. I have nut ascertained the date of her
father's death, but it was between 1747 and 1757.
I deal briefly with John, the second and youngest son of Peter
Wedderburn an'l Catharine Man. That he was born ni
tSfn^t'camno 1^^^' '^^^^ ^^ °°^ '^'"^^ (1703) On his travels, and was living
in 1717-18, is almost all we know of him from^ the
records. But in 1S22 J.W. came across a Charles Wedderburn iu i'ortn.