Wedderburn book > History

76 THE WEDDERBURN BOOK.
Part I. 30 May 1560, when the bailies decern their " testimoniall under their seall " that he
ap " ' is " son lauchfull and begottin on matrimony of Alexander Wedderburn and Margaret
(sic for Isobell) Anderson " (D.B R. 89). There is a decree for him and his factors
2 May 1565 (ib. 145 6), and, five years later, 20 Sept. 1570, there is a decree for
him and his father [ib. 190 a). By 22 July 1572 he had gone abroad and was
settled as a burgess of Elsinore in Denmark, being so described in a settlement of
this date of three acres in the Eastfield of Dudop made by his aunt Eufame Fowlair
on his parents for life and on him in fee (D.P.B. 166), and there is another settlement
on him by his parents just a year later, 22 July 1573 (S. VV. 25). He was in
Elsinore in 1574, in which year, 27 March, his father guarantees that his son Richard,
burgess there, will pay fifty-five dollars to Robert Wedderburn, younger, on his
arrival at Elsinore (D.P.B. 169 b). His brother Patrick seems to have acted as his
attorney in Dundee, granting discharges for him 21 July 1574 and 27 July 1575
(D.B.R. 210/: D P.B. 186)' On 14 July 1576 his father made a settlement of a
great part of his Dundee property on him as his " heritier, air, and onlie assignay "
(S.W. 32), after which there is no mention of him forsome years. In 1583, May 25,
he disponed his South Cowgait land to his brother Patrick (D.B.R. 228), and
28 Nov. in that year his father is named as acting for himself and his son Richard
(D.P.B. 233). There is a single mention of him, 7 July 1589, in David Wedderburn 's
Compt Bulk (D.W. lis). After the death of his father he sold his Dundee
property to his brother Patrick for 2,000 merks, 28 July 1590 (S.W. 66 ; D.P.B.
283), his discharge for which sum is one of the latest mentions of him in the
Dundee Records.
He seems to have been a person of some importance in Elsinore. When Sir
Patrick Wans of Barnbarrock went as ambassador from Scotland to Denmark in
1587 he came " that nycht (8 June) to Ricardus Weddyrbum's hoviss at Elsouenyr,"
and established it seems some friendship with him (Corr. of Sir P. Waus, p. 396). *
There is a letter from Patrick Wedderburn to Sir Patrick, dated 1 1 Sept. 1587, as
to his brother Richard Wedderburn " furth of Elsonovar " (ib. p. 404), and Richard
is named again 12 Feb. 1590 (ib. p. 404). There are two royal licenses to Richard
preserved in the Dundee records, dated 24 Sept. and 27 Oct. 1590. By the former
he is allowed to export from Scotland " seven haundy naigis," and by the latter he
gets leave to export ten chalders of wheat yearly for ten years " for making of
mayne flower thairof to the use and table of our dearest brother the Kyng of
Denmai'k, as he has been accustomat thir divers yeiris by past" (D.B.R. 285 a b).
The last mentions of him relate to a contract between him and the town council of
Dundee for the timber for the roof of the kirk of Dundee. On 27 Oct. 1590
commissioners were appointed to contract with him, Patrick Kynnaird, and others
for their timber, and a year later, Oct.-Nov. ] 591, there is a note of the receipt from
Richard Wedderburn's servant of 22 great joists, 44 feet long, and 32 dozen trees
of various sizes, from S to 32 feet in length (D.C.B. 16).
It does not appear if he married or left issue. There is no reference to any
descendants of his in the Dundee Records, but this, in his case, proves nothing, as
he seems to have become a naturalized Dane, and his descendants (if any) no
doubt remained in Denmark, and may be still traceable there.
! See the Correspondence of Sir Patrick Waus of Barnbarrock, Knt., Parson of Wigtoun, First Almoner to
the Queen, Senator of the College of Justice, Lord of Council and Ambassador to Denmark, ed.
R. V. Agnew ; Edin., Ayr and Galloway Archseol. Assoc, 1887, pp. 396, 404, 448. The letter from
Patrick Wedderburn, mentioned above, is as follows : —
" My lord, efter my humble commendation of seruice I hawe resauit ane lettre frome my brother
recardus Wedderburn furth of Elsonovar, vith ane obligatioun of M r johne lermonthis dett, that
quhair the said M r Jolmne hes borrowit, and resawit fra my said brother recardus, the sowme of
auchten auld dollars and aucht dens (i.e., Danish) silling, the quhilk the said M r Johnne is bund in
his obligatioun, and makis meutioun that your L. (i.e., lordship) and M r piter Young sail satisfle at
the sicht of his obligatioun, quhilk I have in keping ; quhairfore prayis your L. that I may hawe the
siluer send to me vith the first suir hand that cumis this way, and resawe the said M r Johnneis
obligatioun. prayand your L. to have me excusit of my humble chairg, for my brother will luik for
the siloer the first schip that sellis estvart. nocht forder at this present, but committis your L. to the
protextion of god. from Dundie, the elevint day of September 1587. — be your L. 's servitor, Patrik
Wedderburn, burgess of dundie."
The address is torn off. Mr. Peter Young, named in the letter, was Sir Patrick's colleague in the
embassy. In auother letter from another correspondent in Elsinore to the Laird of Barnbarrock,
12 Feb. 1590, the writer says, " I commendit your L. lykvyss to your L. auld ost richardus."