Wedderburn book > History

KATHARINE, DAUGHTER OF THE OLD CLERK. 121
bond registered some years later (R.D. 31). William Duncan died in May 1608' Partn.
set. 52, and was buried in the Hovvff of Dundee (see below), having had issue by cha P- "»
Katharine Wedderburn two sous, William and James Duncan, 1 and two daughters,
Helen who married William Ferguson, son (by his first wife, Eupham Kinloch), to
her mother's second husband (see below), and Margaret who married, about
Nov.-Dec. 1619, James Kyd (D.P.B 401 ; P.H.N. 8).
(ii.) 1609-10, William Ferguson, bailie and dean of gild in Dundee. This
marriage is proved by a bond, 21 May 1609, to her, in which she is called relict
of William Duncan and no reference is made to her being again a wife (R.D. 37),
and by a discharge by her dated 22 Feb. 1610, and registered 25 Jan. 1615,
in which she is described as " relict of umquhill William Duncan and now spouse
of Mr. William Ferguson, dean of gild" (D.B.R. 390). She and her second
husband are often mentioned, e.g., 14 July 1610, in a discharge by them as tutors
to the children of her first marriage (R.D. 35); 21 July 1610, a bond to them
and her son, James Duncan (R.D. 41) ; 18 July 1611, when they get a remission for
taking over ten per cent, annual rent (G.S.R. 77) ; and 13 Feb. 1612, in a complaint
by them v. Crichton of Cluny, who owed Catharine 2,000 merks (R.P.C. 44).- In
1614, 25-28 June, they bought the estate of Balbeuchlie, co. Forfar from James
Scrymgeour of Fardill, by charter, confirmed under the great seal 7 Feb. 1615
(G.S.R. 84 ; R.P.S. 30), sasine being given 17 March following (D.P.B. 403).
Soon after, 18 Sept., 27 Oct. 1617, Ferguson charged this property with an
annual rent of 400 merks in favour of his daughter (by his second marriage)
Magdalen (S.W. 194 ; D.P.B. 418), perhaps in view of the marriage of William, his
son (by his first marriage) and heir apparent, with his step-daughter, Helen Duncan,
on whom he settled some property in Dundee (D P.B. 409) and the whole estate of
Balbeuchlie, subject to his own and his wife's life rent and to the above charge
(D.P.B. 417-18). He also settled, 23 Jan. 1622, a South Murraygait land on his
wife for life, and on their daughter Magdalen heritably (P.B.N. 10). He is named,
28 Jan. 1625, in a decree to him and his wife for the maills of their South
Argylegait house (D.B.R. 410), but died before 26 May 1629, the date of a bond
made by Catharine Wedderburn, " relict of Mr. William Ferguson," to Robert Clay
hills (R.D. 107). Catharine herself is named in a bond to her, 1631, by Sir John
Ogilvy of Innerquharitie (R.D. 106); in a claim, 1633, against her by Robert
Clayhills, no doubt in regard to the bond of 1629 (D.C. 62), and in a discharge,
1639, by her daughter, Magdalen Ferguson, "relict of Alexander Lyne and now
wife of John Duncan" (D.B.R. 440). She is named 14 Sept. 1640, when she got
a decree in her favour (D.B.R. 421), 3 and was living in April 1644, as her brother
James, in his will of that date, leaves a legacy to "my sister Catharine" (Br.T. 13).
She died, however, before 10 Jan. 1649 when there is a decree v. James Kyde,
" executer of his mother-in-law, Catharine Wedderburn, deceased " (D.B.R. 450).
She was buried, according to what seems to have been a common custom, with her
first husband, in the Howff of Dundee, in a tomb on which the following inscription
is still legible 4 : —
" Hie ' rlormit ■ honorabilis vir ' Gvlielmvs ■ Dvncane ' medievs ' eivis • de ■ Dvnde " qvi ■ obiit ■ die ■
maii ' rneusis ■ Anno ■ 1608 ■ a:tatis " svse " 52.
Heir ■ lyis ' alswa ■ ane ■ Godlie ■ and ■ honorabil ■ vornan ■ Katherin ' Vedderbvm ' qvha ' departit *
this " lyif ' ye • .... ■ day • of ' .... ■ 16 . .
There is a curious memorial of Catharine Wedderburn's first marriage in the
form of a small pewter box or casket, which once belonged to her, and of which
an illustration is given at the end of this chapter. This box is in the form of a
sphere with a raised moulding running round its greatest circumference. The
names of the months are on one hemisphere, and on the other are thirty-one radial
1 Mr. A. H. Millar in his Roll of the Eminent Burgesses of Dundee says that there was another son, John
lmncan (see post, s. the account of the Howff of Dundee). Mr. Millar also states that from William
Duncan and Catharine "Wedderburn descended the Duncans of Lundie, Earls of Camperdown, but I
have not verified this statement.
2 A similar complaint by her v. David Spalding is registered 25 Oct. 1615 (R.P.C. 46).
11 She is only designed as in South Argylegait in this entry.
4 For a fuller account and illustration of this monument see post, the chapter on the Howff of Dundee.
The date of Catharine Wedderburn's death looks like 1610, a certain error, due perhaps to a recutting
of the stone.
R