Wedderburn book > History

PAET III.
Chapter X.
Thomas Wedderburn of Cantra (third son of Sir Alexander, fourth baronet),
and his descendants at auchterhouse, blairgowrie, and in london.
(See pedigrees at p. 339 and at pp. 529-31 of vol. ii.)
Thomas Wedderburn [1710 — 1771 J, 1 seventh but third surviving son of Sir Part m.
Alexander Wedderburn, fourth baronet of Blackness (ante, p. 261), was born 2 April and Cna P- x -
baptized at Dundee 5 April 1710 2 (Bl. 11 ; D.B. 61). He is next named, 5 Sept. 1727, as
"merchant in Dundee" in a sasine to which he acts as bailie (F.S. 99). J.W. does not
allude, either in his printed memoir or in his MS., to his having been engaged in commerce
in Dundee, but says, vaguely, that he went to the north country between 1730-40. It is
clear, however, that, like many of the younger sons of the Scottish gentry, he was at one
time intended for a mercantile career, and, I think, continued to trade in Dundee until
about 1736. There is a decree for him, dated at Dundee 6 Sept. 1732, which probably
refers to his mercantile dealings (D.Dec. 84) and 26 Nov. 1733 he gives evidence as to a
sale of goods by one George Dempster, in whose service he had been at the time of the
sale (ib. 87). He is also named as witnessing baptisms at Dundee 25 Jan. 1736 and 4 Sept.
1740 (D.B. orig. record, s. dd.), but as he married just after the latter date and his wife
was from the north, it is probable that he had already gone there, and so met the lady
of his choice. Either somewhat before or immediately after his marriage he became col-
lector of excise at Inverness. I have not ascertained the exact date of his appointment
nor precisely when he ceased to hold it, but he was certainly collector from 1741 to 1759.
Thus he is so designed in a bill protested against him 8 July 1741 (R.D. 344) ; in a bond
by him and his two elder brothers to his uncle of Idvies and his brother-in-law of Birkhill,
24 Sept. 1744 (S.W. 576) f while in two other bonds, 9 May 1745, he is described as
collector at Forres, now of Fortrose (R.D. 359). From the registers of the baptisms of
his children it would appear that he resided first at Grange, and later at Forres 1742-43,
at Rosemarkie or Fortrose 1744-50, at Merknish 1751, and finally at Cantra, to which
(says J.W.) he removed in 1753. "While at Rosemarkie in 1744 he compiled a Genea-
logical account of the surname of Dunbar, which is yet preserved in MS., and affords ample
proof of the writer's assiduity and research in that species of reading " (J.W.'s MS.). 4
In 1745-46, but at what precise date I have no memorandum, he joined Prince
Charles Edward, and was in quarters with his royal highness's troops in Inverness just
before the battle of Culloden (ib.). There is among J.W.'s papers (J.W. 70) a beautiful
letter addressed by him to his wife, and written on his arrival at his quarters in Inverness,
11 April 1746. This letter, of which a facsimile is given opposite and which is well worth
preservation, is as follows : —
My Dear
I am just now come to my Quarters, its about Eleven at night. There is nothing in
my mind, but God, and you. I cannot go to Bed until I tell you, that I never think
myself entire but when I am with you. I would be very happy if I could now Lye Down
in your Arms. I shall Lye down with regret : With no more Comfort, than my Conscience
1 Synopsis of References :— S.W. 576, 598, 683 ; Bl. 11 ; J.W. 66-69, 71, 73 ; D.Dec. 84 ; G.S.R. 142 ;
F.S. 99, 125 ; R.D. 344, 359, 377, 387, 389, 390, 394 ; R.A.D. 181 ; D.B. 84 and orig. record ; L.VV.
6, 15 ; H.C.R. iii., iv.
- In entering up his pedigree at the Heralds' College, London, in 1799 (H.C.R. iii.) his son John says that
he was born at Blackness 2 April 1701, but both place and year are wrong. Blackness did not pass
to his father till 1718, and the year is an error for 1710.
3 This bill is signed by him at Inverness 25 May 1748. He is also called " collector of the customs at
Inverness " in the inscription on his wife's tomb (post, p. 341 n. 6).
4 This MS. was in J. W. 's possession and descended to the late Colonel Wedderburn at Marfield, but
some years since was unaccountably lost.
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