The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-01-04
FREDERICKSBURG, Va, SATURDAY, JANUARY 4 1902
TIE HOMES oT wErpEEsrEy

subject 10 little purpose This writer
( views have. we think, been aired in you
columns before this Permit me the brief
est notice Of the points raised ID The
/ late Colonel Milne Home never claimed
nor did anyone else ever claim for him
T the male representation OF the ancient
aud distinguished Border house oi Home
ot Wedderburn; he was. as everyone
knows heir Of line and heir OF entail
Your correspondents statement was
therefore, quite unnecessary and purpose
/ less - The honour OF the male repre-
-entati1n does rot he with the descend
ants Oi Francis Home Of QuiXwOOd, the
weii-kuown and unfortunate brother Of
rhe att inted laird. but with the eldest
male De. andant OF George, the second
son OF the nttailied laird, who surren-
dered at Preston in l7l5, with bis father
and uncle, and after being imprisoned in
the Marshalsea with his father, was dis
charged on the plea Of youth, being only
IN his 18th year. For some youthful
peccadillos he vas omitted from the new
entail of Nedderburn. " executed after the
forfeiture, and in 172l he emigrated TO
Virginia and engaged in land-suryeying,
then a lucrative profession in the Colony,
and had a. colleague or pupil no less q
person than Geo Washington. lie mar
ried Elizabeth Proctor, daughter Of a re-
spectacle colonist Of fredericksburg, Viz
ginia. IN l72s. and died in 1860, leaving
six children, all sons His descendants
are now very numerous, and many OF
them occupy respectable and houourable
positions in the United States. Though
the eldest male representative can have
no claim % the estates, be is, "iure
sanguinis." male representative OF the
House OF Wedderburn and also OF the
House OF Marchmont See Drummond' =
Noble British Families" (3) The evil
dence that the House OF Wedderburn is
the eldest cadet branch OF the Homes OF
that ilk IL beyond dispute. and was fire.
quently and dehnitively acknowledged
by the heads OF the house in Wills and
other unimpeachable writs "a will be
patent 70 "A Bassendean Home, and
everyone in a very short time when the
report on the VI. s. 5 OF the late Colonel
Milne Home-already in prints pub
li-hed This will be found 20 BE- one OF
the most interesting and instructive re-
ports ever issued from the Charter Chest
Of any Border family. While these facts
may be relied upon the statements OF
your correspondent may be In the main
quite correct so far as they deal with the
family OF Bassendesn and their descent.
have no means Of proving or disprov-
ing these statements as the iamily OF
Bassendeau never bulked largely in Bor-
der History, or made its mark in.the
Merse. while the heads OF the knightly
house Of Wedderburn were Wsrdens OF
the Marches. Comptrollers Of the Royal
Household, Members OF Parliament Scots
and British); in a word were the leading
and ruling house on the Eastern Border
am, etc. VERIrAs.
From ancient manuscripts the above
name is indiferently spelled Home or
Hume but pronounced Hoome See Hume,
the historian
The George mentioned in the above
article wss with bis father, Sr. George Of
Wedderburn, engaged in the Rebellion OF
1715. Both were captured at Preston,
tried and condemned. but owing 70 pow
erful influence were parioned. The elder
died ar Wedderburn Castle in 1920.
George, his son. came to Virginia the fol
lowing year and settled in Spotsylvania
county in 1721 and adopted the proies-
sion of surveyor. Was appointed by
William and Mary assistant, and In the
year 1871 received the appointment OF
Surveyor to the Crown for the county OF
Orange. which then extended from Spot
sylvania county to the Ohio river. (The
original field notebooks are in existence
and include Frederick and Augusta coun-
ties He emarried Elizabeth, eldest daugh-
ter OF Mr.. Geo. C. Proctor, Of st. George
Parish. The records of Spotsylvania
Q72S) show q marriage settlement OF
large tract OF land on Halle run In con-
sideration OF ye celebration OF marriage
nuptials with George Home" They had
six sons, no daughters, and from these
sons are descended the Humes OF Virginia
and the South and West.
Francis of QuixwoOd, named IN the
Scotch paper, was a younger brother OF
the first George named, also participated
in the Rebellion of Ills and was trans
ported to Virginia along With other pris-
oners. He was uncle to the surveyor and
was appointed by bis kinsman, Gov.
Spottswood, his factor, returning after
several years to Scotland. His descend
ants have made efforts to gain possession
of the dormant Scotch dignaties, includ-
ing that Of Earl OF Marchmont and Barron
Wedderburn, but failed on being unable
to show "that George Home left no
issue"
It is reported that missionary and a
number Of Christian converts were recent
" uassaered at Nin-Sha- Fu. China.