Wedderburn book > History

SIR ALEXANDER, SECOND BARONET OF BLACKNESS. 239
■son, John, followed, 30 May (G.R.S. 61). He also got sasine, 20 Oct. 1707, of the Parson's Part in.
Acres, Dundee (D.D. 114); and in 1708 acquired, 18 Sept., some acres in the Westfield Cbap - IV "
and an annual rent (D.P.B. 559); 20 Sept. a South Nethergait land (F.S. 84); and
28 Dec. two lands in South Flukergait (D.P.B. 560). In 1709 (June 7-21) he took a
tack of the muck of the town, and there is a letter from him, 11 June, to his cousin,
the clerk, authorizing him to sign the tack in his name (D.C.B. 162; D.D. 77). Other
dealing's between him and the burgh of Dundee were in regard to a bond by the town to
him for 3.000 merks, 1-5 Feb. 1704 (D.C.B. 149; R.D. 266), and, chiefly, the continuation
of the differences between them and his father anent the Magdalen yard, 14 June 1709
(D.C.B. 163). About a year before his death, too, he asked the Council to grant him a
family burial place in the Cross church, and obtained one " fourteen feet from the west
window with power to pave the ground, and set up a lifting rail." For this he is to pay
fifty merks for each burial, and if at any time hereafter there be Divine service in the
church he and his heirs are also bound to build a seat on the spot (D.C.B. 161).
He is named with his father in 1704 as granting bonds to his sister Margaret, wife of
Dr. William Eccles, and to Margaret, daughter of his uncle James, the clerk (S.W. 556 ;
R.A.D. 154 b), and also as one of the tutors testamentar to his niece, Margaret Balfour
(ante, p. 236) 1704-8 (S.W. 529; M.P. 12; D.D. 62; R.AD. 129-30. 133). There is
a discharge to him by John Paterson of Craigie, 3 July 1706 (D.D. 70); a "ticket" to
him by RachelAVedderburn, wife of Gilbert Stewart (ante, p. 161), 4 June 1706 (M.P. 12) ;
a discharge, 15 June, by her brother, Wedderburn of that ilk (D.D. 71); and a bond by
him to his cousin, Robert, the mariner (post, p. 248), 26 June 1707 (S.W. 556), while two
other bonds by him and his brother David, 16, 18-19 Feb. 1708, are repeatedly referred
to (S.W. 540 ; M.P. 12 ; R.D. 287 ; R.A.D. 154 e). 1
He died early in January 1710. On 2 Jan. he had charged his estates of Blackness
with his debts (D.D. 79), and on the following day had disponed all his moveable effects
to his children in order (M.P. 12 ; D.D. 82), and also nominated tutors to them (D.D. 78).
Probably he died immediately afterwards, as by 19 Jan. his son's tutors were discussing the
possibility of letting the house of Blackness to Collector Bethune (M.P. 6), He was
buried in Dundee (D.M.D. 39), but whether intheHowffor the Cross Church is not
clear. There is a good portrait of him by Kneller at Meredith, a reproduction of which
is given opposite. 2 I do not find that he left any will, but his heir was of course his
eldest son, John, who was so retoured, 11 Aug. 1712 (D.Dec. 67). The estate turned out to
be much involved in debt, with the payment of which, as well as with the education and
maintenance of his children, the tutors had to deal. The Mounie Papers (vol. ii, pp. 115-
140), consisting chiefly of letters from Alexander Wedderburn, the clerk, in Dundee, to
one of his colleagues, George Seton of Mounie, in Edinburgh, show the difficulties with
which they had to contend, and contended until 1718. Among the same collection of
documents are a judicial inventory (M.P. 12) of the means and estate of Sir Alexander,
including the lands of Blackness, Logie, and Omachie (which he had also acquired), and
the house in the Nethergait ; a list of bonds and debts due to him ; the money lying by
him at his death " ffiftie two guineas gold qrof two suspected to be badd," and other
coin ; various articles of jewellery, some set aside for each daughter ; a large silver-gilt
crucifix, &c, &c. 8 There is also (M.P. 12) a printed catalogue of the Blackness Library,
1 See also 13 Jan. 1700 decree for him (D.Dec. 41) ; 5 April 1704, bond to him (R.D. 258) ; 10 Sept. 17C8,
bond by him (R.D. 281) ; 28 Jan. 1709, bond by him to Peter Wedderburn, ante, p. 154 (S.W. 556 ;
E.A.D. 154/) ; 20 Oct. bond to Alexander Wedderburn, bailie, ante, p. 226 (ib. 154.9); aud 14 Nov.,
bond by him (ib. 284) ; 25 Nov. discharge to him by his sister Mathilda of a (1704) bond of provision
(R.D. 277). He is also mentioned as a witness to the baptism, at Edinburgh, of his niece, Elizabeth
Eccles, 9 June 1701 (Ed.B. 27), and to those at Dundee of two of the sons of Alexander, the clerk,
26 April 1703 and 27 Feb. 1709 (D.B. 50, 60), and of Elizabeth, daughter of Alexander Wedderburn
and Grissell Watson 10 Feb. 1705 (ib. 54).
2 There is another picture at Meredith of a lady " unknown," which may be that of his wife, Elizabeth Seton,
as in the opinion of Major Seton of Mounie, co. Aberdeen, it bears a strong likeness to another portrait
which is known to be that of her half-sister, and that there were portraits of both Sir Alexander and his
wife, "in large and in little," is clear (D.Dec. 80). Modern copies -of both the above portraits are in
my possession.
3 There is a list of pictures brought from Blackness. These include " from the outter roume ffour picturs
qrof three in colour and one in stamped leather," etc , etc. The " three in colours " may have been
family portraits, as there certainly were some, e.g., those just mentioned of Sir Alexander himself
and his wife, and others now in the possession of Sir William Wedderburn. Some pictures seem to
have remained at Blackness, as, when there was talk of Collector Bethune taking it (M.P. 6), it was
proposed that he should allow the pictures to stay there.