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

134 THE WEDDERBUILV BOOK.
Sir Thomas Fairfax, Knight, Genenil of the
Forces raised by the Parhameiit.
Suffer the bearer tliere49, when Doctor Barwick,
afterwards Uean of St. Paul's, who was entrusted with the management of the
king's correspondence with his friends iu Eugland, being seized with a consumption
that threatened to be fatal, " the care of his health was wholly entrusted to his
dearest friend Dr. John Wcdderburn of Scotland, who, as he was formerly physician
to the king, so was he afterwards most deservedly distinguished with the lionourof
knighthood " [Life of Dr. Baririck, p. 117). It is said that "during all the time of
this worthy divine's sickness and contincment iu the Tower, Dr Wedderburn showed
great address in the management of the king's business in Eugland and was very
instrumental with his majesty's other friends in bringing about the Restoration. "-
There is also a letter dated 9 June in that year, and addressed by his nephew,
Peter Wedderburn in Edinburgh, to his tmcle in London. There would seem to
have been some difficulty as to the drawing of his peusion from the Exchequer,
and the doctor must have written on the matter to his friend the Marquis of Argylc,
then at the head of the ruling faction in Scotland. Peter Wedderburn writes thus :
Mr. pKirclay liath e.xpressed to me a great deall of Kespect and Desijre to serve you aud made
me witness to the delyvery of y" to my Lord Argyle who receaved it verie kyndlie and promised
to befriend you. Asyet the Parliament liath not detennined how to regulat the Exchequer but
after they have nominateil the Commissioners I shall prosecute it farder albeit I fear to no purpose,
for all struggle to make their be.^t of ane evill aud uucertaiue tymo.
Whether or no the pension was paid does not appear ; but most probabljit
was allowed to remain iu abeyance, as, on the Restoration, the doctor got another
writ, 28 June 1661, continuing to him the grant of 1648 (Bi. 81j. Meanwhile
his adherence to the royal cause is shown by an entry in the " Calewlar
of the Committee for Compounding, 1643-60,"^ where there is an entry "21 March
1650, John Wedderburn, M.D., compounds for delinquency in adhering to the late
king in the first war for which he has never been sequestered ; 22 March, fine, £10."
He was in Loudon iu 165.5, as appears from a letter (Bl. 37), dated 22 Jan.
in that year, aud, according to an old endorsement on it, written by Dr. Thomas
Gleg to Sir Alexander Wedderburn of Blackness, " when in England with his
uncle, the doctor," and in 1657 was in Edinburgh, where, 26 Felj., he witnessed
the baptism of John, son to his nephew Peter Wedderburn and Agnes Dicksone
(Ed.B. 4).
Upon the Restoration, he was appointed Physician to the King, by whom he
was also knighted and from whom he received a confirmation of his pension
' This is quoted (BI. 81) as a pension of 2,000 merks, but the Register of the Privy Seal makes it clear
that it was £2,000.
» This is so stated in the MS. Genealngical Arcount of Lord Lnwihborowjh (Bl. 81).
» This is one of the state record publications, 1891, p. 2230 ;
P.E. 218, 43j, 43S.