Wedderburn book > History

SIR PETER, FIRST BARONET OF GOSFORD. 375
with remainder to the heirs male of his body (Bl. 81 ; G.S.R. 130). He is again Part iv.
mentioned in the "Acts of the Parliaments," 24 May 1703, when called as a witness re ctla P' *•
the Haddington election (A.P.S. 60), and 5 Aug. 1704 as a commissioner of supply (ib. 6 1). 1
In 1706, March 14, he carried out the spirit of the bequests of his father and his
brother, .1 ohn, to the parish and poor of Aberlady, by a disposition, subsequently registered
at Haddington in 1771, under which he, after reciting their wills, bound himself to pay
the interest of 600 rnerks to the poor of the parish, and that of 1,000 merits to the
widows, orphans, and decayed tenants of Gosford. 2
I shall deal below with his marriage and the settlements of his and his wife's estates
which followed on it, apart from which there are few references to him during the long
period of 1706-46. 3 He is described by Douglas in his Baronage as a " well-accomplished
gentleman," on what special grounds does not appear. His portrait and that of his wife
are at Pitfirrane, and there is another portrait of him, by Kneller, in the possession of the
descendants of his daughter, Christian (see below), as well as one by Allan Ramsay in
that of his descendant, Colonel Jackson (post, p. 390).
1 Mr. Joseph Foster, in his Members of Parliament for Scotland, says he sat for Dunfermline 1705-8, and
Mr. Millar, in his Roll of Eminent Burgesses, also says he sat for Dunfermline in the last Scottish
Parliament, 1707-8.
2 This disposition is as follows : — "At Haddington 1st August 1771 Compeared John Craw procurator and
gave in the obligation underwritten whereof the tenor follows viz : Be it known to all men by these
presents me Sir Peter Halket of Pitfirran alias Wedderburn of Gosfoord, Forasmuch as the deceast
Sir Peter Wedderburn of Gosfoord one of the senators of the College of Justice my father by his
later will dated the fifth day of October one thousand six hundred and seventy four years did
nominate the deceast John Wedderburn his eldest son his sole executor and universall legator to his
whole moveable estate, and in the said later will did leave in legacy the sum of 600 merks scots to be
bestowed on two silver cups for the communion to the parochine of Aberlady, as also the said
deceased John Wedderburn of Gosfoord my brother by his later will dated the fourteenth day of
February sixteen hundred and eighty eight did nominate me to be his only executor and universall
legator and intromitter with his goods gear debts sums of money and movable estates and did therein
will and ordain me to give out aud secure upon bond the sum of one thousand merks scots whereof
the annual-rent to be payable from time to time to the widows and orphans and decayed tenants of
his own lands in the parish of Aberlady and if the poor in the lands did not exhaust the rent thereof
that the superplus should be applyed from time to time for the relief of the other poor in that parish
and seeing the church of Aberlady was other ways provided with communion cups than by the fore-
said six hundred merks left by my father for that end and that hitherto my deceast brother and I
have paid the annual-rent thereof yearly to the poor of the said parish and that I since my brother's
death have also paid the yearly annual-rent of the foresaid other sum of 1000 merks to the poor of
the said parish of Aberlady and am willing and consent to grant the obligation aftermentioned for
a further security of the yearly annual-rents of the said two sums in the terrnes after expresst.
Therefore witt ye me to be bound and obliged as I by this presents bind aud oblige me my heira
and successors whatsoever to the minister and kirk-session of Aberlady for the time and their
successors foresaid That I shall make yearly payment to them of the ordinary annual-rent of the
said sum of 600 merks providing the samen be applyed and given by them for the relief and use of
such of the poor in the parish of Aberlady as I and my successors shall appoint, as also that I shall
make yearly payment of the ordiuary annual-rent of the said other sum of 1000 merks to the widows
and orphans and decayed tenants of my own lands in the parish of Aberlady and if the poor in these
lands do not exhaust the yearly annual-rent thereof that the superplus of the samen shall be applyed
from time to time for the relief of the poor in the parish of Aberlady beginning the first year's pay-
ment of the annual-rent of the foresaid two sums this instant year one thousand seven hundred and
six and so f urth yearly in all time hereafter and that under the peualty of ten pound scots of liquidate
expence for each year's faillie and attour performance consenting thir presents be insert and registered
in any Judge's books competent that letters of horning on six days and others needfull may pass
hereupon and constitute John Craw my procurator etc. In witness whereof thir presents are written
by William Brown writer in Edinburgh and subscribed with my hand at Edinburgh the fourteenth
day of March one thousand seven hundred and six years before these witnesses : — Geo : Gibson,
servant to the said William Brown, and David Ramage my servant. Pet. Halket (signed) David
Ramage witness, Geo : Gibson witness'' (Records of the Sheriff Court of Haddington : Register of
Deeds and Protests, 1763-72, p. 2012). See also Bl. 81).
J.W. in his MS. erroneously says that Lord Gosford left 1600 merks to the parish of Aberlady
to be distributed among backgone tenants and others on the lands of Gosford, and adds that this was
" within these few years the only mortifyed money then belonging to the parish or applicable to the
relief of the poor, independent of that afforded by the kirk-session. This charity of the Gosford
family to the poor of Aberlady is referred to in the parish register 1757-82 (Ab.P.R. 18 n).
3 For these and other slight references to bim see 1696 Oct. 19, curatory raised by Robert and John, sons
of James Wedderburn, clerk of Dundee, v. John Wedderburn of Blackness, Peter Wedderburn of
Gosford and others (D.Dec. 31) ; 1698 Sept. 23, 1699 Dec. 4, 14, 1706 March, witnesses baptisms at
Aberlady (Ab.P.R. 1 n. 1) ; 1701 June 18, consents to a factory by his brother, Alexander, to his
wife, Mary Daes (R.D 250) ; 1705 Jan. 17, contract by him for the sale of the crops of Gosford
(ib. 273) ; 1706 June 28, witness to the baptism at Dundee of Peter, son of Alexander Wedderburn
and Grissell Watson (ante, p. 228 ; B.D. 57) ; 1726 Dec, protested bill due by Ramsay and Begbie
to Sir Peter Halket of Gosford (Reg. Deeds, Sheriff Court, Haddington s.d.).