The Wedderburn book. A history of the ... - waughfamily.ca

WEDDEEBURN PAPERS AT MOUNIE.These papers are preserved at Mounie Castle, co. Aberdeen, and are now in the Mouniepossession of its owner, Major Alexander Seton, by whose permission I am enabled to Pa Pers -give an account of them here. When Sir Alexander Wedderburu, second baronet ofBlackness, died in 1710, he left his children, all of whom were then under age, in chargeof curators, of whom the two principal ones were their maternal uncle, Mr. George Seton,of Mounie, an advocate in Edinburgh, and their father's first cousin, Alexander Wedderburn,clerk of Dundee. The affairs of Sir Alexander seem to have been much involved,and the curators found the management of them fruitful in difficulties. Various papers inconnection with them, and with the affairs of his nephews and nieces, naturally came intothe hands of George Seton, and a considerable number of letters on the subject of theircuratorship passed between him and the clerk during the years 1710-20. None of thoseaddressed by George Seton. to the clerk remain, but those received by him were docketedand preserved, and, although many of them are now decayed or mildewed, they are stillextant at Mounie. In 1825 Mr. Alexander Seton gave one or two of the papers to mygrandfather, John Wedderburn, and also allowed him full access to the remainder. Of thishe freely availed himself, and a catalogue of the papers, with full extracts from them, isamong his papers. (See post, page 141.) In 1891 I wrote to the late Mr. David Setonand in reply he sent me an elaborate catalogue which he had made of them in commonwith other family papers in his possession. From his catalogue and that of-my grandfatherI have edited the following inventory.INVENTOEY OF WEDDERBURN PAPERS AT MOUNIE.1. 1698. March 10.—Discharge by Sir Alexander Anstruther of Newark to JohnWedderburn of Blackness, as follows:—" I, Sir Alex. Anstruther of Newark, hereby grants me after compt and Reckoning had with JohnWedderburne of Blackness anent the profits of the Bill Chamber to have receaved compleat paymentand satisfactione of my share of the emoluments of the said office for all tyme preceeding the firstday of February last, and I hereby Discharge him and all concerned of all bygones relating thereto,proceeding the said day exclusive ;dispensing with the gTallity hereof, as if every particular werehere insert. In witness whereof (writen by Philip Davidsone my servitor) I have subscribed thesepresents att Edinburgh, the tenth of March, saxtaen hundred nyntie eight yearee.— AI. Anstruther."(Only a copy of this is among the papers now at Mounie the original having been, no doubt, givenin 1825 by Alexander Seton of Mounie to J.W. among whose papers it now is. See post p. 141, No. 3(6).2. 1709. April 8.—Discharge by Alexander Ogston, in the name of Mrs. Ogston, bookseller,in Edinburgh, for .£452. 3. 0., due to her for books supplied to Sir AlexanderWedderburn of Blackness, from 23 Feb. 1708 on. Dated at Edinburgh.(Three pages of foolscap.)3 1709. Nov.— "Accompt of Moe (money) received by S r Alex Wedderburne of1'Blackness att Dundee and Ed r."This is a small piece of paper containing four entries, amounting to £9,905. 10. 0. and signed"Jo. Pilmor." It is headed as above and is endorsed " George Seton, Double of Pilmer's "(docket partly torn off.)4. 1709. "Note of Bonds granted by Blackness at Mart 1709."This paper is so endorsed. It is apparently a list of the bonds as they stood at Martinmas 1709with interest counted to about Whitsunday 1711.5. 1710. An account of annual rent 1673-1711 on a principal sum, calculated from yearto year.This paper has no docket and there is nothing to show to what transaction it relates.