Earls of Cromartie > [NSLBLANK]

cxliv GEORGE FIRST VISCOUNT OF TARBAT. [1630-
in April 1700, 1 or about six months after the death of his first wife, which
occurred in September or October preceding. The formal contract of marriage
made by Lord Tarbat and Lady Wemyss is dated at Elcho and Edinburgh, on
26th April and 24th June 1700. They thereby accept each other as husband
and wife. Lord Tarbat's youngest son, James, is a consenter to the contract,
for his interest in the barony of Eoystoun, which, with other lands, is thereby
provided to the Countess of Wemyss in liferent. 2 They scarcely announced
their marriage to some of their nearest relatives. The Duchess of Buccleuch,
sister of the bride, thus alludes to the marriage in a letter to Lord Melville :
— " Tarbat wrott a bantering letter to me, and I writt just such another to
him, but my sister did not naim him in her letter to me, so I shall mak no
serious answer to him till he owns it, for I think it should have bene from
herself that I should first have heard of it. Every body here that knows
them both laughs at it." 3
In another letter from her Grace she writes : — " At last I had a letter
from my sister Wemyss, dated the 28 of Aprill. The last line of it was she
belived she should be marryed to-morrow or next day. A hansom warning
for a sister of a thing of that consequence ! It shews such kindness to me :
but I shall hear the busines is over befor I wish joy. I did answer all letters
he " (Lord Tarbat) " wrott of it to me, but I sopos he did not lick my letters,
so say'd they miscarey'd." 4
In a note holograph of Lord Cromartie, he mentions that the Countess of
Wemyss, being young at the time of her first husband's death, for the good of
her family she would not marry for above seventeen years, although incited
by all possible motives. 5
1 Cramond Parish Register. in Leven and Melville Charter-chest.
2 Contract of Marriage, Bundle 3 L, No. 9, 4 Original Letter, dated 9th May 1700, in
at Tarbat House. Leven and Melville Charter-chest.
3 Original Letter, dated 28th March [1700], 5 Original note at Tarbat House.