Wedderburn book > History

INTRODUCTION.
General Sketch. The Wedderburns in Berwickshire. Summary of the
Contents of the whole Work.
IN common with many other old Scottish families, that of Wedderburn finds introd.
the earliest recorded mention of its name 1 in the famous Ragman Roll
or instrument of homage, by which on 28 Aug. 1296, the
Waiter de great and lesser barons of Scotland swore fealty to Edward I.
1296. ' Among the latter was Walter de Wedderburn, whose seal
bearing his name and a seven-rayed star is still attached to
the ancient document. I quote the passage 2 in which Walter's name occurs : —
Item : Atour Ceaus qui cestes Lettres verront ou orront, Wautier Byset (et inter
alios), Wautier de Wederburne .... del counte de Edeneburk, Saluz. 3 Pur cet qe
Nous sumes venuz a La Foi, e a La Volunte du tres noble Prince e nostre chier
Seignor Sire Edward, par la Grace Dieu, Eoi d'Engleterre, Seignur Dirland, e Due
d'Aquitaigne. Nous promettoms pur nous, et pur nos Heirs, sur Peine de Corse
Davoir, e sur quantqe nous peussoms encoure, Que nous serviroms bien, e leaument,
contre totes Gentz qui purront vivre e morir totes les Foiz que nous
The Ragman serroms requis, ou garniz de Par nostre Seigneur Le Eoi d'Engleterre
avauntdit ou par ses Heirs, e que nous leur Damage ne sauroms,
e que nous nel destorbeoms a tot nostre Poer, e a cestes Choses tenir a garder nous
obligeoms nous e nos Heirs e touz nos Biens, e outre ceo avoms jurez sur seintes
Evaungeiles. Estre ceo Nous tous e chescun de nous par sey avoms fait feaute a
nfe Seigneur Le Koi avandit en cestes Paroles. Ieo serrai feal e leal, e Foi e Leaute
porcerai au Boi Edward Eoi d'Engletre, e a ses Heirs, etc. En tesmoignance de
queus Choses nous avoms fait faire cestes Lettres overtes, Seales de nos Seaus.
Donees a Berewyk sur Twed, Le Vinte utisme jour Daust, L'an du Begne nfe
Seigneur Le Boi d'Engleterre avauntdit Vintisme quart.
This Walter de Wedderburn is the only person of the name whom I find
mentioned in any record earlier than 1364, and as before the middle of the
fifteenth century we find the lands of Wedderburn, co. Berwick,
Wedderburn. f * n possession of the Homes, a branch of whom were then and
have ever since been designed " of Wedderburn," it has been
1 Surnames are said to have arisen in France at the end of the tenth century, and to have been
introduced into England at the time of the Norman Conquest, prior to which, after searching
many records to satisfy themselves on the point, antiquaries have failed to discover any
instance of their use in the latter country. In Scotland the witnesses to the charters of King
Edgar (1098 — 1107) had no surnames, nor do any appear in the charters of Alexander I.
(1107—1124). • They begin to be found in the time of David I. (1124—1153), and in the
Inquisitio Davidis of 1116 several appear, the two oldest being those of Gervase de Riddel and
Robert de Corbet. After this date they become gradually more common, those connected with
or derived from land being the most honourable. See J.W. in his MS. Memoir, citing Camden's
Remains, pp. 92-93 ; Anderson's Independence, App. iv. ; Dalrymple's Collections, pref. lxi.,
App. i., ii. ; Chalmer's Caledonia, vol. ii., pp. 238-40, 499 ; and Verstegan's Antiquities, chap. ix.
2 J.W. , from whose printed volume I cite the above passage, gives also the title of the roll,
as follows : — " Instrumeuta Publica super Homagio et Fidelitate prailator : Nobilium et com-
ruuuitatum regni Scotia; factis regi Anglia; Edwardo primo, anno regni sui xxiv, 1296." The
roll was then in the Tower of London, but is now in the Record Office. See S.P. 1 and post,
p. 423, note 1, where the seal of Walter de Wedderburn is further described.
3 Walter de Wedderburn, it will be noticed, is described as among those who do homage for lands in
the county of Edinburgh, although the lands of Wedderburn lie close to the Tweed, in what is
now the county of Berwick. In early times, however, Lothian extended from Edinburgh to
Tweed, and, even later, parts of what is now Berwickshire are described in various documents
as in the county of Edinburgh. Thus, although in the Ragman Roll there are frequent
mentions of the county of Berwick as distinct from that of Edinburgh, it has been assumed
that the lauds for which Walter did homage were those or part of those in co. Berwick. There
is no record of any lands of the name nearer to Edinburgh, and the assumption is probably-
correct.
\\\