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

INTRODUCTION.
title-page'?. More to the poiat, perhaps, is Professor Mitchell's remark that introd.
Robert Wedderburn " must have been a veritable Vicar of Bray, if he could
first appear as a supporter of the English Alliance, then take the opposite
side in both Church and State politics, and some years later, when preparincr
for the second edition of his brother's book, wheel round again to his tirst
convictions, and, after all, die a vicar in the old church." His share in the
Gude and Gudlie BnUatis is not known, and was probably not great,
especially if he was the author of the Complaipit, which the writer describes
as " ane tracteit of the fyrst laubir of my pen." But he is said to liave
superintended the editing the " ballatis " after his brother's death, and to have
added to the book the " augmentation of sindrie gude and godlie ballates
not contenit in the first editioun."' It is doubtful how far tliis is accurate,
as Johnston gives the year of John's death as l.').5G, and Robert was
succeeded in his vicarage, presumably on his death, in l.j.53. It may be,
however, that he edited a second edition of the "ballatis"' during his brotlier's
exile, and if so, among his additions may be that of tlie spirited love-sonc^
" Welcum fortoun ! welcum agane," which I have quoted in full on p. 1(J of
this volume. This ballad, whicli was proscribed by the General Assembly in
1568, and thus is only found in the earliest (1-507) edition of the book, was,
it has been suggested, addressed by the vicar to a mistress, whom, as a priest,
he could not make his wife. If so, it is not unlikely that he is also the
author of the ballad (No. 281), attributed to a Wedderburn in the Bannatyne
MS., and beginning " My lufe was fals and ful of flattry," in which case,
it would seem that, however constant the vicar, his mistress gave him cause
for jealousy.
Some circumstances of his life certainly fit these theories. That he
was the father of two sons has long been clear from the record of their
legitimation under the Great Seal in 1551-52, and in my search throut,di the
Dundee records I found several references to their mother, Isobell Lovell,
whose name and career had not been ascertained. Her parentage is not
mentioned, but the Lovells were a prominent family in the
«i^V°Mr°^ burgh. Her two sons, probably twins, by Robert Wetl