Wedderburn book > History

56 THE WEDDERBURN BOOK.
Parti. David Wedderburn 1 [1485 1 — 1560] of Craigie, and in the Murraygait, son of old
Chap. in. David Wedderburn, is constantly named in the Dundee and other records. 2 It is from him
that Douglas and his followers have erroneously attempted to derive the Kiugennie family.
They even make him the father of Kingennie, who was not born till more than a year after
his death, and are thus compelled to credit him with having lived to a very great age, and
not dying until 1590. The year of his birth is not known, but it was probably not later
than 1 480, as he is no doubt to be identified with the David Wedderburn, who witnesses
a resignation in favour of his father's widow 8 July 1497 (D.C. 1), and, 20 June 1521,
we find him already holding the office of "dean of gild" of Dundee (D.L.B. 4), and
the absence of his name from the recorded admissions of burgesses shows that his
admission was earlier than 1514, the date when the extant roll begins. 3 He is next
named 12 Nov. 1521 as renting part of the multures of the common mills from Alexander
Kyd, his brother James Wedderburn being security for him (D.P.B. 6). He is also
mentioned as " on assize " 14 Jan. 1522 (D.B.R. 14 a), and as holding a court 24 Nov. 1524
(D.P.B. 10). He is generally distinguished as of the Murraygait, and, after 1535, of
Craigie, or again as " son of David " or " elder." Thus 28 Oct. 1524 he, ''son of the late
David " and " brother and heir of the late James," resigns a South Ergadie street property
to John Low (D.P.B. 9 «) ; 26 Nov. 1526, he resigns an annual rent out of his Murraygait
land, while, 15 May 1 527, he, " David Wedderburn in South Murraygait," acquires a North
Seagait property (D.P.B. 15) and is thus named as in Seagait in 1544 (D.B.R. 382 c). The
Murraygait property is often named, e.g., 16 April 1528 (D.P.B. 25 c) ; 9 May 1528 in
connection with his first wife (ib. 26) ; 8 July 1531, when an annual rent of eight merks
" furth " of it is mentioned (S.W. 9 ; D.P.B. 39), as it is years after, 4 April 1 551 (S.W. 13),
19 Nov. 1586 (D.P.B. 260), 21 Nov. 1594 (ib. 299), 13 Oct. 1658 (S.W. 326, D.P.B. 439,
482) and 3 Jan. 1683, when the rent is given as five merks only (D. Dec. 10). He is
called "elder" 2 March 1528, 21 June 1529, and 4 Dec. 1531 (D.P.B. 25 a, 32, 40);
1 Svnopsis of references. S.W 9,13, 326, 462 ; D.C. 1, 16, 21 ; D.L.B 4, 10, 11 ; D.P.B. 6, 9 a, 10, 13/, 15,
25 ac, 26, 32, 39, 40, 49, 50, 51 6, 52, 56, 88, 91, 92. 95, 107, 149, 260, 299 ; D.B.R. 14 a, 22 6. 28 r
29 a, 32, 35. 36, 40, 43. 45. 58, 61 a c, 72, 74, 86, 95. 99, 103, 112, 147, 183, 382 c ; G.S.R. 26, 30, 31 •
R.P.C. 5 ; R.P.S. 6, 7, 10, 11. 13, 18, 20, 21 ; P.B.N. 1.
- I have already (p. 44, n. 1) alluded to the impossibility of assigning, in the presence of three contemporaries
of the same name, every entry naming a David to a particular individual. As in the case of Wedderburns
of the names of James and Robert, so in that of those called David, we cannot certainly assign every
entry to a particular individual. Three of the name all of them burgesses, were contemporaries iu
Dundee, viz., (i) David (sou of David), in Murraygait ajid of Craigie, admitted a burgess before 1514,
and often called "elder"; he died about 1559-60. (ii. ) David (son of Walter) in Welgait, admitted
a burgess 1 6 Oct, 1523, and constantly designed " son of Walter " or " in Welgait " ; he died about
the same time as his namesake of Craigie. (hi.) David (son of Robert), admitted burgess on the
same day as the son of Walter, He is certainly called " younger " on one occasion, in 1531 (D.P.B. 3S),
and I think all the references to David Wedderburn, younger (1523—1557) are to be assigned to him.
(See post p. 67). But in addition to the references to " David in Murraygait, of Craigie, or elder,"
" David, sou of Walter, or in Welgait," and "David, son of Robert," or " younger," a number of
entries remain, 1521-58, which may refer to any of the three, and cannot, therefore, be assigned to
anyone of them in particular. These are mostly of little interest, and may be quickly dealt with.
Thus, 1521 April 13, David Wedderburn is a procurator (D,B R. 4) ; 1522 .Jan. 2, he is "quyt of the
wrangeous casting down" of some malt "plenit on hym " (ib. 13); 1532 Jan. 15, he has James
Wedderburn, sou of Robert, as his " lauborrowis " (ib. 15) ; 1524 Feb. 15, is witness (D.P.B. 11 a ;)
1525 Dec. 6, is summoned by James Kinloch (ib. 12 b) ; 1526 Jan. 19, presides in Court (ib. 13 a) ;
1526 April 20, burgess, gets a South Argylegait land (ib. 13*rf) ; 1527 June 28, complainer in a suit
(ib. 18\ Sept. 7, Oct. 29, curator to Henry Flescheour (it. 132) ; 1528 May 17, joins in buying a ship
(ib. 28) ; 1528 July 17, bailie (ib. 29 b) ; 1530, present (ib. 33) ; Oct. 8, burgess, witness (S.W. 8) ;
1534 Feb. 27, present (D.P.B. 51 a) ; 1537 Oct. 11, witness (Bl. 2) ; 1546 Dec. 17, defender in a suit
about some " bowstringis and mastis " (R.A.D. 12); 1550 Sept. 28, nominated on the Council
(D.B.R. 22 o) ; Nov. 20, brings a suit for some " bowstrings " (ib. 25 b) ; 1558 Dec. 18, tutor to the
children of one William Merschell (D.P.B. 86) ; 1558-59 Feb. 8. burgess, witness (D.P.B. 91).
In a few other entries one would like to have been able to identify the person named. Thus there
is a very curious entry 15 July 1527, when Alexander Blak sells to David Wedderburn for £20 his
" maritagium " or right to marry, and agrees to accept in marriage any wife, however ugly, David
may offer him, or pay him £40 (D.P.B. 20). This looks as if David was then unmarried, and himself
on the look out for a wife. Again, 1546, David Wedderburn is named in a letter from Queen Mary
directing the Town Council to " stent " the burgesses in order to relieve David Wedderburn and
others of sums paid by them for abiding from her Majesty's host at Roslingmure in June last
"(D.C. 22) ; 1553 March 8, he, David, and another Wedderburn are acquitted of assisting the English,
in 1548-49 [ib. 24), and, 1557 Aug. 2, he and Henry Richardson are named as " sister's bairns' in a
not very clear entry (D.B.R. 75). [Synopsis of the above references :— S.W. 8 : Bl. 2 ; D.C. 22, 24 ;
D.P.B. 11 a, 12 b. 13 a d e. 18. 20, 28, 33, 51 a, 86 ; D.B.R. 4, 13, 22 a, 25 b, 75 ; R.A.D. 12.]
3 He is treasurer 12 Nov. 1529 (D.L.B. 10), but perhaps it is one of his contemporaries who is clerk of gild
20 June 1531 (i6. 11).