The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-07-24
SCOTCH HISTORY.
The iIumes. Wedderburns and Other Virginia
Families. Descendants Of the
Participants. Etc.

\ rich and curious growth of tradition
and romance j. often found blooming in
the dust Oi old parchment. The "muni
mcnts of the family OF Home. of Wedder-
born. belonging toColOnel Milne Home
the iueal defendant at that renowned
Border family and preserved at Paxton
House. at Caldra. and elsewhere, have
been explored. catalOgued. and classified
on behalf Oi the Historical Manuscripts
Commission and the fruits OF these
labours. while making many precious
additions to local and national history
might well supply plot and materials for
a score of romantic plays and tales OF
ieudal and later times The scene Of these
true and thrilling dramas of the past lies
for the most part on both slopes OF the
lammermuirs and along the margin of
the lower Tweed-in "a word in the
Merse and adjoining portions of the East
ern Marckes of the Kingdom where the
Homes. and notably those OF the prolific
and warlike Wedderburn branch. made
aud kept their place ON the Border side
by dint of the strong hand. Whether
they spelt their names Home or Hume
the chiefs and retainers of this powerful
elan appear TO have. a. n rule stood loy-
ally together in war. in love and even in
money matters: and a. long a. possible
they rendered suit and aid TO their early
overlords Of the great House of Douglas.
through their marriage connection with
whom they could "claim touch with the
Royal family OF Scotland" SO frequent
~ were they called upon to guard the
in country against the incursions of
our aud enemies OF England" p" that we
find in certain of the charters in the We'd
dtrburn archives that the payment of
rent was "A conditional matter dependent
an thc share taken in defence and forav.
The earliest OF these papers date from the
the time OF William the Lion, and there
are family documents supporting the
statement of the family yhistorian-David
Hume. of Godscroft. brother of the Home
oi Medderburn who. TO his Own loss was
Comptroller OF the Household to James
the Sixth-that the first of the branch
was David de Hum" who received the
Wedderburn lands as the reward forgall-
ant and devoted service rendered to Ar
chihald. fourth Earl of Douglas. in 141}.
Yet we read that not until 1874 had n
Laird Of Wedderburn the privilege, or
otherwise. or dying in his bed The older
l.airds were wont To lay them down
Tor the last time in the Border battle
field. and. in the words of the compiler OF
the Report. their first funereal shroud
was generally the banner under which
they led their retainers TO the fight, and
which has come down TO their decend-
ants stained with their blood. "
This banner of Wedderburn was dis
covered, in a tattered. fragmentary and
blood-stained condition" in an old
strong chest at Wedderburn Castle in
lS32, Ii is supposed TO be the self-sam
flag under which Sir David Home and
his sons-the Seven Spears of Wedder-
burn. OF Sir Walter Scott's Lay
fought On the illiated field of Flodden in
l5l3. 1T is said to have been wrapped
round the bodies of Lairds of Wedder-
burn; elder and younger, wheD their
surviving retainers bore them home from
the field of battle for burial; and not i'm
probably, as tradition goes, it was simi
larly employed when like catastrophe
again overlook the house of Wedderburn
at the Drove of Dunbar, on 3rd Septem
Der 1850, when again father and son, in
this case an only son, and curiOusly
bearing the same name of Sir David and
George, fell on the battlefield" Troubles
of love are closely commingled with
troubles of war in the Home of Wedder-
burn records. The father of Sir David
slain at Flodden-himself killed in an
encounter with the English was one
of the "Bridegrooms of Polwarth." The
story OF how he and his brother Patrick
carried away Marietta and Margaret
Sinclair, the sister heiresSes of the lands
of Kimmerghame and Polwarth. and
after the double runaway wedding.
danced as gaily around the Thorn Tree,
on Polwarth Green, has often been told.
But it may be told again, especially as it
is seldom that an episode so touched
with the chivalric and the tender senti-
ment finds its way into a apaper presented
to Parliament
at is related that the uncle OF the
maidens as heir male of the family and
as guardian to themss wishing to prevent
these lands being carried out of the
family by their marriage. carried the
maidens off from Polwarth to his castle
of Herdmanston on the other side of
the Lammermuir Hills The young
ladies, however, succeeded in conveying
tidings of whereabouts to their lovers.
who lost no time in summoning their re-
tainers and riding across the hills to
their rescue. Investing the Castle OF
Herdmanston their demanded their
lady loves. who, after some parley on
the part OF their uncle, were surrendered
and with no unwilling gness on their part
were carried back to Polwarth, where
the brothers married them and divided
their lands between them"
The grandson OF Marietta. David Home
who succeeded after the Flodden slaugh
ter, was the enterprisiDg Laird of We'd