Wedderburn book > History

PART II.
Chapter II.
Alexander Wedderburn (eldest son op Robert), Town Clerk op Dundee, and his
wife Janet Myln.
With an account of their children and the descendants of their younger sons. (See tabidar
pedigree at p. 105,).
Alexander Wedderburn [1530? — 1585], 1 eldest son of Robert Wedderburn and Part II.
Janet Kyd, is first named on his admission as burgess of Dundee, 15 Nov. 1555 Chap. II.
(D.L.B. 18). He was admitted a notary about 1554-55, as appears by an entry in one of
his Dundee Protocol Books (D.P.B. 91), in which he speaks of the year 1558-59 as " the
fourth year of my notaryship." 2 On 5 Oct. 1556 he was elected to succeed Robert Seres
as clerk of Dundee for life, upon the refusal to accept the office by Henry Richardsone,
whom he consents to retain as his substitute (D.B.R. 69). The original gift of clerkship,
still extant among the Dundee charters (D.C. 25), is dated 6 Feb. 1556-57, and is also
recorded 19 Oct. 1556-57 (D.T.G. 10 a). It describes him as " Alexander Wedderburn,
youngair, 3 sone to Robert Wedderburn, oure broder and comburges." He is thereafter
repeatedly named as clerk and notary, witness, procurator, &c., but these references
are of little interest, and I do not, therefore, deal with them in detail. 4 He seems, however,
to have exercised his office with activity and to have taken much interest in the affairs of
the town. Thus, in 1563 May 17, the council elect him, together with the treasurer and
dean of gild, "to pass to Edinburgh at this present parliament as commissioners for the
whole town to treat of certain matters, and especially of the liberty of burghs " (D.C.B. 2) ;
while some years later, 4 June 1569, he is appointed with others to inspect the common malt
mill of the burgh and the wheat mill of Pitkerrow (D.C. P. 9). On one occasion, 28 March
1576, one Thomas Dowie, defender in a suit by Barbara Wedderburn, sister of the clerk,
objected to his acting as clerk in the suit on the ground of his interest as her brother,
but the objection was disallowed (D.B.R. 226). He remained in office till 20 Sept. 1582,
when he " resignit and demittit " the clerkship to his eldest son, whom the bailies there-
upon elect, retaining the father as clerk substitute (S.W. 43 ; D.B.R. 262).
Several of his protocol books are still on the shelves of the Dundee Charter-room,
and some of the volumes of the Burgh and Head Court records are also his. 5 Thus vol. vi.
is expressly described as his, and one at least of the two preceding volumes is written
during his clerkship. Vol. viii. was originally intended as the second of his protocol
books, as appears by a memorandum on the fly-leaf, which also bears a Latin couplet
inculcating sincerity of worship ; while on the title page of vols. xii. and xiv. (his last
' Synopsis of references :— S.W. 13, 16, 17, 19-31, 33-39 a, 41-45, 49, 60, 61, 99, 101 (1), 103, 112, 157,297,
669; Bl. 3;D.W. 1, 11 a 6 cd egh m, 12 a, 18 a e, 19 a; D.C. 25-27, 29, 30, 32-34; D.L.B. 18, 26,27, 30,
31, 34, 35 ; D.P.D. 58, 66, 68, 70, 80, 81, 82, 91, 94, 115, 125, 141 /', 153 a, 191a, 198, 202 6, 213 e,
214, 216, 218, 223 d/, 242, 249, 255, 267 6, 272, 276. 286, 287, 291a, 303 6, 306, 307, 340, 347 ;
D.B.R. 69, 90, 107, 187, 211 c, 226, 241 def, 262. 270, 273 6, 275 5, 281, 284, 288, 299, 301 #, 322c,
328, 384 ; D.C.B. 2, 9 ; D.T.G. 4 6, 10 ; D.G.R. 1 ; G.S.R. 33, 34, 35 a 6, 37-45, 91 ; R.P.S. 24 ; K.D.
1, 3 ; R.A.D. 16-18, 20, 35, 43, 48 ; Regs. Episc. Brech., p. 285 ; Spald. Club Misc. (1849) iv, 27.
2 I have omitted to notice this fact in the extract given in vol. ii, D.P.B. 91.
3 He is often called "younger" in distinction from his uncle Alexander, the merchant (ante, p. 74), e.g., in
1565 (D.P.B. 81), 1568 (D.T.G. 10), although, later on, another Alexander, son of David Wedderburn
in Welgait (ante, p. 45) is called "younger" in distinction from him, e.g., 9 April 1575 (D.P.B- 191 a).
4 For these slight mentions of him see S.W. 16, 17, 20-28, 31, 33, 34, 37-39 a, 41-42, 44, 49, 101 (1),
207 (1) ; D.C. 26, 27, 29. 30, 32, 33, 34; D.P.B. 58, 66. 91, 94, 115, 141/, 153 a, 198, 202 6, 213 e,
214, 223 df ; D.B.R. 211 c, 241 d e, 270 ; D.T.G. 4 b ; D.G.R. 1 ; G.S.R. 33-35, 37-45, 9] ; R.A.D. 16,
17, 18, 40. In later years his son is distinguished from him by the prefix of " Mr." which is scarcely
ever used of the father.
. 5 His extant protocol books are, at least, six in number, viz. : D.P.B., Vols. 338, 240, 242, 246, 248, and
249, while vols. 241 and 244, if not his, are of his time. A. facsimile of his notarial symbol, with the
motto " Deum time " is given in vol. ii, opp. p. 5, and again at p. 187, while his signature and some
of his writing will be found at pp. 5, 7 and 192 of the same volume. (See also S.W. 20, 27, 30, 37 :
Bl. 3 ; D.C- 26, 30 n, 32, 33.) Transumpts from his books are sometimes mentioned, e.g., S.W. 99 ;
D B. R. 328. He left his six great protocol books to his second son David, who was both a notary and
a merchant, from whom they were acquired, apparently against his will, by the provost and bailies
of Dundee (D.W. 11 c, 18 ; and post, pp. 106-7).