Wedderburn book > History

100 THE WEDDERBURN BOOK.
Part II. enumeration,' but a facsimile of his notarial symbol will be found at p. 187 of vol. ii, and
Chap. i. f hig notarial docket and ordinary signature opp. pp. 7 (S.W. 61) and 192 (D.C. 31, 41)
of the same volume. There are in the Dundee charter room six large protocol books and
twelve small minute books of his, and from the title pages of the former we gather that he
was of considerable education. Quotations from classical writers, Ovid. 2 Lucan, Claudian,
Cicero, Plutarch and the Vulgate ; quaint proverbs, old rhymes, and all sorts of mottoes are
freely used. " Patior nt potiar (Through suffering, strength) ; " Verere deum, verere
teipsum" (Honour God, honour thyself); " Temperantia prorogat annos " (Temperance
prorogues the years) ; "Sumnium nectimeas diem nee optes " (Fear not nor wish for death),
are a few out of the many mottoes, more of which will be found in the account given of
each of his Protocol Books in vol. ii. 3 In one of these books (vol. 262) he makes a note on
the plague which lasted in Dundee 1605-8, and of the earthquake there on 8 Nov. 1608 ;
while in another (vol. 245) he inserts a list of " evil dayis of the zeir." At some time or
another he was on the Continent — perhaps he received his early education there — as in the
Compt Bulk of his nephew David, a Latin prophecy about King James VI. is quoted, the
writer adding, " Robert, my father's brother, gef me this, quhilk he said was giffin him
in Vittemberg " (D.W, 6).*
In 1575 (May 17), soon after his admission as notary, he had to pursue his cousin
and namesake, Robert, "son of the late Robert Wedderburn," for " invaiding and
mispresonyng " him (D.B.R. 217), 6 perhaps in regard to his profession, and, five years
later, 1 July 1580, he brought an action and got a decree against Alexander Mathow for
" mispresoning and blaspheming " him by " allegeand and sayand that he had maid and
gewine ane instrument to Robert Rollok which was f als " (l).P.B. 196). This action,
unless, indeed, he had two against the same defender, is also mentioned June-July 1580,
when the slander is said to be that Mathew had " blasphemit him, calland him ane sleist
slather vagabond," and on Wedderburn producing Robert Rollok as a witness, he is
objected to as " second and third in consanguinitie "to the pursuer (D.B.R. 253). Later on,
17 June 1584, Robert seems to have threatened to pursue John Adamson, skipper in
S. Andrew's, " both be the law and by (i.e., apart from) the law " for John Wedderburn's
life, 6 and to have got a decree (D.B.R. 272). 7 Slight references to him are frequent.
Thus, 12 Feb. 1585, he is a curator to his nephew Robert, son of the late clerk (R.D. 1);
21 May 1586, sheriff and officer re a complaint (R.P.C. 13) ; 19 Nov. 1586, 3, 4 Feb. 1587,
notary and witness with his symbol and mottoes (S.W. 55, 56); 29 June 1587, witness,
father's brother to Mr. Alexander, the clerk (ih. 57) ; 12 March 1588, elder, witness (D.W.
12 6),; 16 Oct. in that year, elder, notary, with his professional symbol (S.W. 60) 8 ; 24 July
1589, he gets sasine of a South Argylegait land; 15 Jan. 1596, he is next of kin and
1 See S.W. 39, 39 a, 41, 41a, 42, 47, 48, 61, 68 a b, 71. 75, 80, 92, 100, 137, 144 a, 146, 160, 167 ; D.W.
$g, lit, 12 A; D.C. 34, 41, 46; D.P.B. 204, 217, 221 b, 222, 316, 339 e, 345, 3^9 ; D.B.R. 271c,
343 a; D.T.G. 4 c, 7 ; G.S.R. 39, 49, 52, 71 ; R.P.C. 19, 23, 24, 26 ; Reg. de Panmure, p. 315.
2 See also D.W. 2 b, where, 7 Nov. 1621, David Wedderburn mentions a copy of Ovid's Metamorphoses "in
verry braw binding," once belonging to Robert Wedderburn, "my uncle."
3 See Vol. ii. at pp. 221, 223-24, 228, 233, 236, s. D P.B. Vols. 243, 245, 247, 251, 261-262.
4 For other references to him in the " Compt. Buik " see the note of the loan of " a compter and lang
sadill of aik" to Robert, "my father brother" (D.W. 3), and other references to him as "my father
brother" and "auld Robert" (ib. 8 b, 9 ae, 21 b cd f). There are also slight mentions of him as
witness 8 May 1583 ib. 11 c) ; 12 Nov. 1586 (S.W. 53); 10 April 1592 (D.W. 12/); and a bond by him
13 Oct. 1595 (ii. 12 c).
5 He is called " younger " on this occasion, his father, Robert Wedderburn, elder, being still alive. So on
one or two occasions, 1570-71, Robert Wedderburn, "younger, scriba," is named (D.P.B., vol. 241,
fol. 13, 18, orig. MS.)
6 If this implies that John Wedderburn was then dead, it would seem to refer to John (ante, p. 24) ; if it
is consistent with his being then alive, to his son John (ante, p. 26).
7 There is also an action against him, 16 Nov. 1590, by Robert Gray, for delivering up of a charter (R. A D. 26).
8 He is called " elder " to distinguish him from Robert the merchant (ante, p. 19) and also later from his
nephew Robert (post, p. 111). Thus 30 March 1590 Robert Wedderburn, elder, and the merchant are
both on one assize (D.B.R. 279 o) ; 3, 5 Aug. 1593, he, " elder," sells a North Argylegait land to his
nephew Robert, "younger, burgess," (S.W. 103 ; D.P.B. 293 d) ; 3 Sept. 1595, elder, attorney for
his sister Barbara (D.P.B. 303 a) ; 16 March 1597, elder, witness (R.D. 7) ; 1, 15 June 1599 there is
a decree for him re the boundaries or "lineation " of his North Argylegait land (D.P.B. 329) ; and
25 June 1601 he, "elder," acts as attorney (D.P.B - 341). From an entry, however, dated 9 Oct.
1602, when Robert Wedderburn, notary, writes a bond by Robert Wedderburn, elder, burgess of
Dundee, it would seem that the merchant was also called at one time elder (R.P.C. 25). Other
references to the notary as elder may be found 1 June 1602 (R.A.D. 42) ; 16 May 1604 (R.P.C.
28); 30 July 1606, on assize (D.B.R. 356) ; 11 March, 15 April 1607, on assize, councillor (ib. 388 ab);
19 May 1608 (D.W. 17 e) ; 8 May 1609 (D.C.B. 32) ; June 1610 (Br.T. 1),