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

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172
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THE WEDDERBUUX BOOK.
IS^D V ^°?° Scrymgeour, the eldest son, snccceded l.i.s father in Kirktoun. He was
^'^^'•^''"•^•t
f/L/p!"""%
Foil,orin-hu,ne, in h^.lf
o^'';l'"^"'°""^'''
of Gloiibov, 16 Jan.
1662 {het. rorfar 3M) and also heir to liis Grandfather, John of Kirktonn, -ifjan. 1G84
(Inq. Oen by_J). Don-las says of him that he was " nearest and lawfnl heir of entail to
. T?' j^"" ^''"^J ^''''° '^- 'P- -^ •^""'^ •'^CS) and ought to have snccce.ied to the barony
of Dudhope. office of constabulary, etc , in virtue of tlie deeds of entail an,l charters under
the great seal before narrated ;
hut was deprived of his right thereto bv the reco-nitiou in
favour of Charles Maitland of Hatton, by which also he and other creditors on the estate
lost their lawful debts. This, with the misfortune of having bou-lit the life-rent of the
Countess of Dundee, who died soon afterwards, obliged him to.s'ell Kirktoun for tin' satisfying
of bi3 creditoi-s." {DowilaR, s. Dundee.)' Ho, no doubt, made somo attempt ineticctual
against such iiiflnence as that of the Duke of Lauderdale, to establish his ri-hts of succession
on the death of the Earl of Dundee, as, 19 Nov. 1668, there is a summons at the instance of
John Scrymgeour of Kiiktoun as "nearest and lawful heir to the deceased John, Earl of
Dundee, against the havers of writs to be inspected for his service as heir" (S.W. Charter
Chest vr, iii., .5-5), and there are a good many documents extant {ih.) relating' ° to the
litigation in which he was involved.
He was at one time provost of Dundee, which he represented in the Scottisli
rarliament. Thus in the Dundee Council Books we find an order for the clerk to
subscribe a commission to John Scrymgeour of Kirktoun, provost, to tiie coming parliament,
19 Sept. 1702, and later in that year, 17 Nov., he is named as j)rovost, and "then at
London about the union of the two kingdoms " (D.C.B. vi. 470, 477, orig. record).
He married, 4 July 1600, Maidelene Wedderburn, daughter o} Alexander Wedderburn
of Kingeiinie and Easter Powrio (ante,
sons and one daughter.^ The sons were,
John
p. 152), by whom he had issue four
1. ijcrymgeour, born 30 Jan. 1661, died young.
2. Alexander Scrymgeour, born 12 Jan. 1663, but died before Dec 1669.
3. James Scrymgeour, born 14 Jan. 1664, and was living 27 June 1698, v.hen he is
called his fathers eldest son (S.W. 522). He d.s.p.
4. Alexander Scrj-mgeonr. See below.
while the daughter's name was
Joan.
Alexander Scrymgeour, only surviving son and heir of John Scrymo-eour and
Maidelene \\"edderburn, was born in Dec. 1669, and is named as "Alexander fc^crimseor
' The following account of tlie way in winch .lolia Scrymgeour of Kirktoun's rights of succession were
treated by the Duke of Lauderdale, then all-powerful in Scotland, was euclo.sed by his great grandson
Henry Scrymgeour- Wedderl'urn to J.W. :
" The liuke of Lauilerdale represented to his Maje-ty, that the Earl lad died without leaving any
heirs— theiefore that ile as King had right to his Kstate. which he could dispo.