Margaret Wedderburn (daughter of Henry Wedderburn, compositor), married at S. George's in Part VI. the East, 5 March 1848, Edward Kaines. Mary Wedderburn, widow (daughter of Joseph Sansam), married at Liverpool, 28 Aug. 1848, James Grant, mariner. Mary Ann Wedderburn, widow of John Wedderburn, tailor, Manchester, died at Chorlton, 13 Aug. 1849, æt. 60. Mary Jane Wedderburn (daughter of James Wedderburn, chairmaker), married at S. Andrew's, Lambeth, æt. 20, 4 Dec. 1881, James Bolden Buckler. Nancy Wedderburn, widow of William Wedderburn, died at Whittington, Lancashire, 10 Feb. 1840, æt. 78. Christopher Wedderburn present at death. See post, p. 510, n. 1. Patience Wedderburn, widow (daughter of Robert Taylor), married at Clerkenwell, 12 Aug. 1845, William Walden. Rachel Wedderburn (daughter of James Wedderburn, mariner), married at Rotherhithe, 11 April 1858, William Hutcheson. Samuel Wedderburn, miller, died at Naburn, co. York, 11 Feb. 1838, æt. 64. Sophia Louisa Wedderburn, died at Sturminster, Okeford, 20 Sept. 1838. grandmother, informs. Ann Trowbridge, Thomas Wedderburn (son of William Wedderburn, husbandman), died, æt. 23, at Chester-lestreet, co. Durham, 19 Jan. 1844. See s. William Wedderburn. Thomas Wedderburn, labourer, married Eliza Amies, and had a son, Alfred Wedderburn, born and died at Norwich, Aug.-Sept. 1880. Thomas Wedderburn of Barrow in Furness. See ante, p. 505, n. 4. William Wedderburn, husbandman, died at Chester-le-street, co. Durham, 3 Oct. 1844. Thomas Wedderburn. See 8. William Wedderburn (son of William Wedderburn, engineer), died, æt. 2, at Stepney, 12 March 1849. William Wedderburn, who came from Scotland, and is said to have been at one time engaged in London as a seed merchant, married Fanny Kemble, of Loughguile, co. Antrim, and by her (born at Loughguile 1779, died there 1871, æt. 92, and is there buried) had issue ; 1. Alexander Wedderburn, went out to Canada in 1827, and died there unm. in 1840. 2. William Wedderburn,' born 1819, joined his brother in Canada before 1840; returned to Ireland in 1865, and died unmarried, 11 July 1875, at Stranocum, co. Antrim, æt. 56. Letters of administration of his estate were granted at Belfast, 20 Aug. 1875, to his sister Margaret (L.W. 36.) and 1. Margaret, born in Ballymony, co. Antrim, 1826, and living unmarried 1891, æt. 75, at Stranocum. A member of the disestablished church of Ireland. 2. Fanny died æt. 4. Chap. IV. I have not made any researches as to the existence of the name in Ireland, but in searching the records of wills at Somerset House, came across a reference to this person, and, to some extent, followed up the clue, with the result given above, from information supplied by Margaret Wedderburn to the Rev. P. Farrelly of Stranocum, who wrote to me what she told him. Part VI. PART VI. CHAPTER V. THE WEDDERBURNS IN SOUTH AFRICA, CANADA, AND THE UNITED STATES. I give, finally, accounts of three families of the name who are established abroad. Chap. V. Of these, the first, now in South Africa, was certainly at one time connected with Manchester, but has some tradition of having left Scotland after taking part in support of Prince Charles Edward in the '45. The second, now in Canada, where the present head of it has reached considerable distinction in the profession of the law, came from Aberdeen, and may be connected with the family which was living there in the latter part of the last and early part of this century (see ante, p. 479). The third, that in the United States, are descended from a David Wedderburn who emigrated to Virginia in about 1735-40, and whom J. W., upon a quite erroneous assumption as to his parentage, treated as a member of the Blackness family (see p. 222). Sect. I.-Christopher Wedderburn in South Africa, 1772-1891. Christopher Wedderburn, said to have been born at Lindale, co. Cumberland, in 1772; died at Lindale, near Salem, in South Africa, 18 July 1848; buried at Salem. He for some time traded in Deansgate, Manchester, but in 1820 emigrated to South Africa with his wife and family, consisting of three daughters and two sons, and settled in the district of Albany, Eastern Province, Cape Colony. There he first acquired a farm, known as Green Fountain" farm, near Port Alfred, and later on became possessor of a larger estate near Salem, about forty miles from Port Alfred and sixteen miles from Grahamstown, which he called Lindale, after his own birthplace in the old country. He suffered considerable hardships and losses in the Kaffir wars of 1335 and 1846, the Kaffirs on one occasion in the latter war capturing his horses and cattle, and only restoring them after a stiff fight with a party, which, led by his son George, had pursued them up-country. He died in possession of Lindale, which he left to his younger son George, from whom it passed to his widow, and thus became the property of her second husband. See below. 1 My authorities for this account are William Wedderburn (born 1830) and George Richard Wedderburn (born 1866), respectively a grandson and great-grandson of Christopher Wedderburn. They differ as to the name of Christopher's father, one giving it as John, the other as William. George says that it was William, and that he was a cotton manufacturer in Manchester, who had two sons, Christopher, who emigrated to S. Africa, and William, who went out to North America. William gives the name as John, and says that he was from Manchester, where the family had been settled for some generations; although he also says that he has heard they left Scotland after, and because of connection with, the '45, in which they had been on the side of Prince Charles. He speaks of his being a farmer, or landed proprietor, perhaps of some importance, and adds that he was remarkable for his pride and reticence about his family, both indicative of "better days." William Wedderburn further states that Christopher's father married a lady of the name of Gray or Grey in Cumberland, and that he had eight sons and a daughter, Christopher being the youngest child. He adds that the names of Christopher's father and grandfather were Adam and Alexander, or vice versa, and that among Christopher's several brothers were George, who went to India, John and William who went to America, another (whose name he cannot give) who went to Australia, and yet another, Adam, who died from a fall from a horse. When in Australia he met with some Wedderburns at Sydney, who claimed relationship with him, and whom he presumes to be descendants of his great uncle who went there. He adds that Christopher had a nephew, John Wedderburn, living in Manchester in 1833. I have tried to trace Christopher's parentage with more certainty, but with no satisfactory results. The parish registers of Ulverstone contain the baptisms of a Robert, Jane, and Christopher Wedderburn, all children of William Wedderburn, mariner, under date 1801, April 12; 1803, Aug. 14 and 1805, Nov. 24. There are two parishes of Lindale, one near Grange-over-sands, in Lancashire, and the other Lindal-in-Furness, near Ulverstone. The registers of neither of these contain any instances of the name, although in the former the names of Woodburn and Widder (including a Christopher Widder born 1794), are common, 1742-1815. There seem to be no persons of the name now living in Ulverstone or Lindal. name. The registers of Manchester Cathedral (baptisms searched 1745-1800), give no instances of the The certificates of death at Somerset House include that of "Nancy Wedderburn, æt. 78, widow of William Wedderburn, who died at Whillington, Lancashire, 10 Feb. 1840 (so that she was born in 1762), Christopher Wedderburn being present" at the death. Probably this is the mother of Christopher, who must have been in England again for a time. I have, however, quite independently, an account of an Adam Wedderburn, formerly living in Christopher Wedderburn, married about 1799, Ann Quail, of Ulverstone, and by her had the five Part VI. children who went out with him to Africa, viz. :— 1. Ann, born 1808, died 1839, married George Duffield, co. York, and had issue three sons and three daughters. 2. Elizabeth, born 1812, died unmarried 1838. Buried at Bathurst. 3. Hester, born 1814, married 1841, Richard Crouch of Grahamstown, and had issue three sons ;— Sub-sect. (a).-William Wedderburn and his descendants. William Wedderburn (eldest son of Christopher Wedderburn) was born in Manchester in 1800, and died in South Africa 1869. He was admitted a pupil at the Manchester Grammar School 5 June 1811, being described as "the son of Christopher Wedderburn, tailor, Manchester," and emigrated to South Africa with his father. He married Martha Patrick, daughter of Benjamin Patrick of Peterborough, co. Leicester, and by her had issue three sons and two daughters : and 1. William Wedderburn, born in Jan. 1830. See below. 2. John Wedderburn,2 born 3 Jan. 1832; married 1853 Elizabeth Croft, relict of Frederick Slicot, killed in the Kaffir war of 1851, and by her has issue three daughters :-(a) Gertrude, born 1858, married Christopher Shaw Webb, living in Grahamstown (1891), and has three sons and one daughter; (b) Edith Jane, born 1863, married William Bowes, now of Middlebury, Cape Colony, and has one son; and (c) Evelyna Martha, born married William Clarke, now living at Port Elizabeth, Cape Colony, and has one son. 3. Christopher Wedderburn, born 12 Sept. 1834, married Julia Willmore, daughter of Gregory Willmore, but has no issue. Now living at Parkasbad, Cape Colony. 1. Sara Ann, born 3 Aug. 1828, married Long, and has issue. 2. Hester Susanna, boru 13 Jan. 1849, married Morgan, and has issue. William Wedderburn, born 19 Jan. 1830. He served in the Kaffir wars of 1846 and 1851; went to Australia in 1852, and, after being in the Gold mounted police force there, returned to South Africa in 1854. His name was given to the town of Wedderburn (140 m. N.W. of Melbourne) by the then governor, Sir Charles Latrobe. He married, 18 June 1849, Miriam Whiting, daughter of Richard Whiting of Moultin, co. Northampton, England, and has had seven sous and three daughters : 1. William Richard Whiting Wedderburn (of Kokstadt, Cape Colony), born 27 Aug. 1852; married 1881 Leonora Eales, daughter of Robert Eales, and by her had issue a son, Herbert Sivewright, born March 1888, and three daughters. 2. Alexander John Ennis Wedderburn (of Bloemfontein, Orange Free State), born 5 July 1855; married 1876 Susanna Alice Canood, and has issue four sons-(a) William du Barry, born 11 July 1882; (b) Alexander, born 6 July 1887; (c) Percy, born 11 June 1889 ; (d) Christopher Charles, born 15 March 1891-and four daughters. 3. Frederick Maclean Wedderburn, born 17 Jan. 1861, died at Grahamstown, 1862. 4. Christopher Raymond Wedderburn, born 25 July, 1862. Living (1891), at Vereeniging, Transvaal; unmarried. 5. George Benjamin Wedderburn, born 24 May, 1864. Now (1891) at Grahamstown, married 4 Feb. 1890, Charlotte Emma Frank, and has issue a son, Graham, born 8 March, 1891. 6. Charles Thomas Croft Wedderburn, born 6 Nov. 1866. Living (unmarried) at Bloemfontein, 1891. 7. Percy Douglas Wedderburn, born 17 Jan. 1870. Living (1891) unmarried, at Queenstown, Cape Colony. and 1. Frances Miriam, born 22 March 1850, married R. Brooks (from Devonshire). Living (1891) at Barberton, Transvaal. Has no living issue. 2. Julia Marian, born 6 July 1857, married 13 Dec. 1879, Samuel David Canood, and has issue. Now (1891) living at Grahamstown. 3. Florence Nightingale, born 12 Oct. 1858, unmarried. Living (1891) at Grahamstown. Manchester as a coachman, who died there about 1825, and is buried in S. John's churchyard, Deansgate. His wife, Ann -, died at 23, Dumville Street, Manchester, in 1847, aged 70, having had issue two sons; 1, John, married Mary Walthur and died s.p. at Altrincham, co. Cheshire, 24 Aug. 1814, æt. 46; 2, Adam, tailor in Manchester, born 1810, died there, 29 Sept. 1848, married, but s.p.; and two daughters; 1, Harriett, born 1820, died May 1884, having married at Manchester Cathedral, 5 Dec. 1859, George Kershaw, a tailor in Manchester, and by him had two sons, James (or John) and William, and a daughter. 2. Matilda, born 1817-18, married at Manchester Cathedral, 24 Dec. 1838, to William Warren, and living (1891) at Eagleville, Montgomery, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Mrs. Warren can give but few details. She says that her father had a brother John, who went to Africa in 1820 as a missionary and had a family of seven children. Her grandparents, she says, came from Aberdeen. The two sons of Harriett Wedderburn and George Kershaw were in 1891 engaged as travelling comedians, playing under the assumed name of Wedderburn. It is from them and their aunt, Mrs. Warren, that I get this account of Adam Wedderburn, 1 Admission Register of the Manchester Grammar School (Chetham Soc. Publ.), ed. J. F. Smith 1874, vol. iii., p. 72. * I presume him to be the person of his name mentioned in the reports as taking part in Dr. Jameson's raid in January 1896, Chap. V. Part VI. Sub-sect. (b).-George Wedderburn and his descendants. George Wedderburn, second son of Christopher Wedderburn and Ann Quail, was born 5 April 1810. He, like his brother, was admitted to the Manchester Grammar School, 28 Sept. 1818, the entry giving his age as nine (Admission Register, ut sup., p. 511, n. 1, vol. iii, p. 135); and like his brother went out to S. Africa with his parents. He was killed in the Kaffir War 17 Sept. 1851, and was buried at Grahamstown. He married in 1842 M. Croft, daughter to Dr. Croft, of Grahamstown, and by her (who remarried, and whose second husband thus became the proprietor of Lindale) had issue, two sons,1 1. James Hamilton Wedderburn, born 14 Aug. 1843, now of Johannesburg. He married 15 Aug., 1865, Charlotte Gush Amm, daughter to Philip Amm, and by her has, 1, George Richard Wedderburn, born 4 June 1866; educated at the Salem Academy; now a commercial and general agent (Johannesburg, S. Africa). He married a daughter of J. G. Alexander of Kimberley, Griqualand West, Cape Colony, and has a son Claude Hamilton. 2. Philip Hamilton Wedderburn, born 7 May 1868. He married 24 Feb. 1892, Elizabeth Grace Keeling, living at Kimberley; and seven daughters, viz., 1, Ethel Mary, born 27 March 1874; 2, Charlotte Louise, born 18 March, 1876, died 24 Nov. 1878; 3, Adeline Emma, born 11 March, 1878; 4, Eleanor Amm, born 8 Feb. 1880, died 24 Aug. 1888; 5, Minnie Florence, born 15 July 1881; 6, Mary Hannah, born 25 June 1885; 7, Grace Muriel, born 30 Aug. 1891. Sect. II.-Alexander Wedderburn in Canada and his descendants, 1800 (?)-1892. Alexander Wedderburn, of Aberdeen, whose parentage I have not ascertained, was appointed by the British Government to be emigration agent at S. John's, New Brunswick, Canada, and emigrated to that place, where he continued to reside, and wrote several pamphlets upon the province. He died at S. John's and was there buried, having married, also at S. John's, Jane Heaviside, d. to Thomas Heavi side of London, and by her (who was born in London, and survived her husband, and was buried at S. John's) had issue one son and five daughters, viz : William Wedderburn, of whom later. Alice, born at S. John's 1832, m. James Vernon of S. John's (who d. 1885, and is there buried). Living in Halifax 1892. William Wedderburn, only son and heir of Alexander Wedderburn, was born at S. John's, 12 Oct. 1834; educated at the grammar school there; called to the bar there in 1858 and became a Queen's Counsel in 1873. He was for several years connected with the Canadian press, both as contributor and as editor, and in both capacities advocated the confederation of the provinces. In 1870 he was returned to the New Brunswick parliament as member for S. John's city, and was again elected in 1874 and 1878. On 18 Feb. 1876 he was, by acclamation, chosen speaker of the New Brunswick House of Assembly, and in that office reported to the assembly a code of laws for its government during business and in committee, which was adopted with but little alteration. In May 1878 he was appointed a member of the government, and also provincial secretary, a post which he held until his acceptance of the judgeship of the county courts of King's and Albert counties. A detailed account of the career of Judge Wedderburn, equally remarkable for his activity and ability, whether as journalist, advocate, or politician, will be found in the Cyclopedia of Canadian Biography, and other such publications relating to Canada and New Brunswick, Living 1892 at Federation, S. John's and Hampton, King's County." He married at Trinity Church, S. John, in April 1857, Jean Vaughan, d. to C. C. Vaughan of S. John's, and by her has had issue six sons and five daughters, viz: 1. William Wedderburn, born at S. John's, 6 June 1869. Died 16 Aug. 1862. Buried at S. John. 2. Frederick Vernon Wedderburn, born at S. John's, 16 April 1861. Called to the Bar in Canada. 3. Edward Love Wedderburn, born at S. John's, 5 March 1863. In addition to four younger sons, all of whom died in infancy, viz., 3. James Walter, born 8 June 1870, 4 His second Christian name is due to the fact that his father's mother had a sister who m. Sir James Emily Bliss, born at Hampton 14 Sept. 1868, m., 5 Feb. 1890, George Ambrose Fraser. Living in Sect. III.-David Wedderburn in America and his descendants there, 1725-1893. I have already, in another part of this work (ante, pp. 221-22), alluded to the account, given by J.W. in both his printed volume and his MS. record of David Wedderburn in America. He states, as I have said, that this David was the second son of Peter Wedderburn, son to Sir Alexander, of Blackness, and Catharine Man; a statement made without authority and altogether erroneous. It affords a curious instance of the way in which J.W., assuming that everyone of his name must be a near connection of his family, fitted facts to theories. Peter Wedderburn had no son of the name of David; the names of his two sons Alexander and John, and the fact that he had these two children only, being absolutely fixed from the parish and municipal records of Dundee. The parentage of this David Wedderburn, who emigrated to America, is thus unascertained, although possibilities in regard to it might be suggested. All, however, that we know of him for certain is contained in a letter written by his grandson, William Wedderburn, to Alexander Scrymgeour-Wedderburn of Wedderburn in 1806, and in eleven others (J.W. 85-95), which the same writer addressed later (1823-37) to John Wedderburn of Auchterhouse. That written in 1806 is as follows: Alexandria District (Virginia), 19 Dec. 1806. Sir, On examining the British Register I find your name and the office you bear. I have not any relation in America of my own name, except my brother and his two children. My grandfather, Mr. David Wedderburn, came from Scotland to Virginia in the years between 1720 and 30. He married Miss Caty Thomas, by whom he had four children, viz., three sons and one daughter. The two eldest sons died in their infancy; the daughter married Mr. John Shackleford, and all are extinct. My father, Alexander, was born in 1738, at which time his mother died; his father only survived her a few years. He having no recollection of his father, he never could learn who his relations were or in what part of Scotland they resided. You will therefore excuse the liberty I have taken, in enquiring if you are of the same family or not. My brother has only two children, a son and a daughter; he is 45 years of age and in a deep decline. . . I have been married 15 years and have no children; my mother, who is 64 years of age, is a daughter of Dr. John Strachey, who was uncle to Henry Strachey of the King's Household, with whom she corresponded till a few years back. .. My father left my mother all his lands, which were the greatest part of his estates. . . . I expect in 15 or 20 years there will not be one of our name in this country. I am now in my 43rd year. I fear my brother cannot live many weeks or his children many years if they continue on York River. . . . I am, Sir, your humble servant, William Wedderburn.1 44 1 This letter came, in 1822-23, to the knowledge of J.W., who re-opened communication with William Wedderburn, and continued to correspond with him until the end of 1837. There are among J.W.'s papers eleven letters dated 10 Feb., 10 April, 12 May, 11 Dec. 1823, 28 April 1825; 1 Jan., 16 Dec.. 1828; 13 May 1830; 1 Oct. 1835, and 24 May, 2 Dec. 1837, all addressed to him by William Wedderburn, and containing various details as to his family. My brother John was born the 24th June 1762. He intermarried with Elizabeth Taliaferro in the year 1795, by whom he had two children, George Taliaferro and Caty. He died in July or August 1810. His daughter Caty married in 1819 Mr. Henry Crittenden . . his son has not married. I was born 28 Nov. 1764, and intermarried with Ann Grymes 24th March 1791. We have only one child, Alexander John, born 11 March 1811 (Letter 10 Feb. 1823)... My grandfather, David Wedderburn, died a testator (sic) dated the 20 June 1741, which is recorded in King and Queen County Courts, State of Virginia; he bequeathed to my father, Alexander Wedderburn, certain lands and other property, also all the money due to him in England . . . Agreeable to his will and that of my father I am his lawful heir, having survived my only brother. My father gave legacies to each of his children by will, leaving the balance of his estate, both real and personal, to my mother during her life, and at her death to be equally divided between his children then living. I am the only one who survived my mother; she died the 10th of May 1817. I am well assured my father did not get the money or any part of what was willed him. I do not believe he knew to whom or where to apply for it; conveyance then from there to England was seldom-the time elapsed since the death of my grandfather being upwards of eighty years." (Letter 12 May 1823). "George Taliaferro Wedderburn is living on York River, he (has) never married" (ib., 13 May 1830.) "I have to inform you of the death of my wife who died on the 13th Nov. 1837" (ib., 2 Dec. 1837). Part VI. Chap. V. |