Wedderburn book > History

344 THE WEDDEKBURN BOOK.
Part m. 66-67), and there baptized August 22. 1 He went to Jamaica in the spring of 1762 (J.W.
Chap. x. 66),' 2 where he became a member of the House of Assembly and aide-de-camp, with the
rank of Lieut.-Col. of the Hanover regiment of infantry, to the Governor (Hon. John
Dalling). His commission is dated at Saint Iago de la Vega, 20 Nov. 1778 (J.W. 77). 3
He acquired (says J.W.) considerable property in the island 4 by his own perseverance,
and augmented it by his marriage, at the same time preserving both in Jamaica and in
his own country the highest character for integrity and independence.
He returned to Scotland 12 July 1789, and a fortnight later, 27 July, was presented
with the freedom of Inverness. 5 J.W. says that it was in the autumn of this year that
he purchased the estate of Lindertis, co. Forfar, but that he parted with it on succeeding
to his brother James' Jamaica estates, which were heavily burdened with debt, and there-
upon settled in London, where he resided successively in Upper Grosvenor Street, Bedford
Square, and at 19, Devonshire Place, Portland Place, and where he carried on business as
a West India merchant, being for many years, 1801-20, chief partner in the house of
Wedderburu in Leadenhall Street. This account by J.W. is, however, somewhat inaccurate
as to the date of the purchase of Lindertis, which was disponed to John Wedderburn by
its then owner, Thomas Fletcher, as early as 29 Feb. 1780, and which he did not sell until
the close of 1801, when, very likely owing to the circumstances of his brother's estate,
he alienated it to Gilbert Mason of Moredun (G.S.R. 149 : R.D. 452).
He, like his son, took some interest in his family history, and in 1799 entered up, at
the Heralds' College in London, a record of his descent from the fourth baronet of
Blackness, which is printed in the second volume of this work (H.C.R. iii.).
Shortly before his death he purchased from Sir David Wedderburn a small estate at
Chigwell, co. Essex, and took up his residence there in the earlier part of 1819 (S.W. 707).
He did not, however, long survive, but after a paralytic seizure, 24 Nov., died at Chigwell
29 Dec. 1820, and was buried in the vaults of S. James' Chapel, Hampstead Road, London. 6
J.W. in his MS. has paid an eloquent tribute to his memory. "My father (he writes)
was truly a man of singular honour and integrity ; of a firm mind, an open, generous
and unsuspicious heart, most constant to his friends, and blessed with a kind and gentle
temper, which was the best assurance of his own and his family's happiness."
His will, dated 16 Aug. 1819, with two codicils, dated 7 Oct. 1S19 and 6 Dec. 1820,
was proved in London in Feb. 1821 (L.W. 15). 7
An excellent portrait of him, by Sir William Ross, in my possession, is reproduced
opposite this page. s Another in pastels by a Jamaica artist, is at Marfield, having been
sent, together with a companion one of his wife, to his grandson, John Walter Wedderburn,
by the Frasers, who originally owned it.
He married (no doubt in Jamaica), 27 May 1782, Mary Wisdom Bedward (J.W. 67 r
1 In bis own record (1799) at the Heralds' College he gives Fortrose as his birthplace, but this is an error.
See J.W. 66-67 and Forres Parish Reg. where the entry is as follows : " 22 Aug. 1743, Thomas Wed-
derburn, Esq., collector of Excise, and Katharine Dunbar, his spouse, had a son baptised (born 19th),
called John. Witnesses, John Frigge, merchant in Fiudhorn, and Cecilia Colley, Mrs. Dunbar of
Dykeside."
: It is possible that before this, when quite young, he had been apprenticed to the firm of Webster in
London, as he may be the John Wedderburn, apprentice to them, named 10 Dec. 1757 (D.C. 103).
The signature to this document, however, is hardly that of a boy of fourteen.
3 See also J.W. 75-76 for two other commissions to him as ensign and lieutenant, dated 28 March 1765
and 27 Aug. 1776.
4 J.W. in his MS. says that these estates were numerous and at one time of great value, mentioning
Spring Garden (£80,000), Mount Edgcumbe (£25,000), Paradise (£25,000), Retreat (£51,000), More-
land (£26,000), Bluecastle (£15.000), Jerusalem, Prospect, Hill's Mountain, and Burnt Savannah. I
have just shown (ante, p. 342) how the responsibility of the Mint estate, which was entailed on his eldest
son, also devolved on John Wedderburn.
5 On the same day as his brother James (ante, p. 342).
G On inquiry at the chapel in 1 891 I found that these vaults have long since been bricked up and na
record kept of the persons buried there.
7 Other references to him will be found in the charter and entail of Idvies 6 Aug., 27 Dec. 1766 (G.S.R.
142 ; F.S. 125) ; the will of James Webster, to which he is an executor, 25 March 1789 (D.C. 105) ;
a bond by him and his partner, David Wedderburn- Webster, 1 Feb. 1791 (Bl. 62) ; the will of his
brother James in 1797 (L.W. 6) ; the appointment of curators by Sir John Wedderburn of Balindean,
10 June 1800 (Bl. 82) ; the entail of Wedderburn and Birkhill in 1803 (R.D. 458) ; the charter of
Kingennie, 15 Jan. 1812 (S.W. 699-700) ; a letter by him to Henry Scry mgeour- Wedderburn of
Wedderburn in 1814 (ib. 702), etc., etc.
J There are at Marfield and Kippenross two small water-colour vignettes, copied by Burch in 1826 from
the head of this portrait. A copy (1891) of that at Marfield is in my possession.