Captain Wimberley outlines a selection of his findings from the Balbithan Manuscript, making reference to ‘the Blind Lady Licheston’, mother-in-law to William III of Terpersie, whose mother had been a daughter to Ogilvy, Earl of Findlater.

Inverness.                              2 July 1899 Dear Mr Leiper                 I was glad to get your letter, and was sure you would be pleased to learn what I had found and told you.     I found so much that interested me in the Balbithan M.S. that I have copied the whole of it into a book, which was a long business – over 100 pages large quarto – but with a margin, & writing about same as in this letter.     I shall be able to compare a great many points in as to marriages, & relations of father & son with the large number of extracts from Sasines rela- ting to North Country Gordons be- tween 1600 & 1670 or so.     I do not think I have a Dft or copy of what I sent you some time ago about the Terpersie de- scent : but it was based partly on the old M.S. Pedigrees I had copies of - partly on what I found in old Charters & partly on Shire Sasines.     In the Balbithan M.S. the succession of Terpersie Lairds is as follows – 1. William 2. George died 1634 3. William 4. James 5. George 6. Charles (1) Willm md Laird of Banff’s dau. Ogilvy, relict of Alexr Gordon, yr of Strathaven i.e. Cluny : and under Cluny : he tells that the dau. of this first marr. of hers (to Alexr G. yr of Cluny) md James Gordon of Birkenburn. 2. George of Terpersie md Ogilvy of Inverquhar- itie’s daughter 3. William of Terpersie md “the Blind Lady Licheston’s daughter (Gordon) whose mother was a dau. of the Earl of Findlater (Ogilvy).” Her first husband John G. Licheston, Gd son of 1st Laird of Lesmoir marrd as 2nd wife the Laird of Findlater’s dau. Ogilvy, Lady Birkenbog.     So this blind lady was twice married.     James of Terpersie (Wms eld. son) md Anne Gordon, “the Laird of Craig’s sister” – this James was Gdfather of the author of the M.S. Js G. of Balbithan. 5. George of Terpersie md Anna Burnett sister to Sir Alex. B. of Craigmyle. 6. Charles md “Adam Gordon at the Mill of Artloch’s daughter.”     I shd think that this mill is probably still going, & at Artloch.     In the Cairnborrow Genealogy I find that John Gordon of Cairnborrow who md Betsy Gordon, Buckie’s daughter & had 8 sons with him at Glenlivat, had as his 6th son Mr Thos G. of Artloch.     This Thos. seems to have md a dau. of a Geo. G. of Drumhead, son of Jas G. of Abachie (who again was a Gdson of Jas first of Cairn borrow.     I think I came on another Artloch marriage but cannot find it at present.     Balbithan says of this family “the family of Artloch is represented by Willm Gordon of Drumwhyndle and Willm Gordon of Farsken two brothers, sons of Wm Gordon, a second son of Artlochs, who was first of Farsken.     I have little doubt that the father of poor Charles of Terpersie’s wife, who was “at the Mill of Artloch” was of the fighting Cairn borrow stock.     By and bye I hope to send you a copy of the Terpersie Pedigree as it is given in the Balbithan M.S. He gives some information abt their cadets, Law & Wardhouse, and Auch- lyne. I must now stop.                      Ys very truly                          Douglas Wimberley.

Captain Douglas Wimberley to William Leiper