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Captain Wimberley announces an important development; he has obtained, on loan, a copy of the Balbithan Manuscript, composed by James Gordon of Balbithan. Since James was a close relation and contemporary of the Gordons of Terpersie, Captain Wimberley very reasonably deduces that it is to be accepted as an accurate source.

James was the son of David Gordon of Achoynanie and Jannet Gordon, daughter of a laird of Terpersie who is not specified here but is identified in the next letter in the series as James IV of Terpersie:

02 July 1899

George Gordon of Terpersie and Anna Burnett had five children, ‘Charles Gordon present laird of Terpersie’ and four daughters, whose Christian names are not given. One married Patrick Leith, who, it is stated, should have inherited Threefield and Whitehaugh but by implication did not, though no explanation is given. Another married William Leslie, Minister of Craigfergus. A son of this union, George, grandfather of Dr William Henderson of Caskieben, was the author of the Leslie manuscript.

The other two daughters were unmarried.

It is provisionally assumed that the Balbithan Manuscript offers no support for the theory advanced elsewhere that the Gordons of Terpersie were direct descendants of a daughter of King James IV of Scotland.

Charles Gordon of Terpersie’s wife, also unnamed in the present context but otherwise known as Margaret Gordon, is identified as a daughter of ‘Adam Gordon at the Mill of Artlock’. Captain Wimberley concludes that Adam and his daughter were Gordons, probably ‘of the old Cairnborow stock’.


                        8 Ardross Terrace
                                  Inverness.
                              13 June 1899

Dear Mr Leiper,

                         I have just got the
loan from Rev. Dr Temple. Forgue,
of his M.S. copy of the “Balbithan
MS.,” a history of various Gordons
of the Huntly family, by James Gordon
of Balbithan, previously of Achoynanie:
this James was son of Mr David G. of
Achoynanie by Jannet Gordon, dau. to
the laird of Terpersie, so one may safe-
ly take him as good authority.

    He gives a short account of the
Terpersie family : & his history seems
to have been finished about 1720 or 1725,
perhaps a little later.

    He gives the issue of the marr. of Geo.
G. of Terpersie and Anna Burnett thus:
“Charles Gordon present laird of Terpersie
and Thomas Gordon : one dau. md Patrick
Leith who should have1 the heir of Threefield
and Whitehaugh : the 2nd md Mr Willm Leslie
Minr of Craigfergus. “[the 2 other daughters
are not mentd.] “Their father the said George
Gordon dyed and was buried amongst his
ancestors in their burial place within the
Church of Tullynessle.”

    “His eldest son Charles Gordon present
Laird of Terpersie succeeded who md.
Adam Gordon at the Mill of Artlock’s
daughter with whom he begat” [the MS.
breaks off here.]

    You will remember, I think, that I told
you I thought Ardclach was wrong & that
it should be Artloch, or Artlach.

    I also find under Gordons of Licheston,
that a John Gordon of Licheston marrd as
his 2nd wife the Laird of Findlater’s daughter,
Ogilvy, Lady Birkenbog, & had two sons
and 3 daughters viz. Alex. Gordon, laird
of Achynachie. and Hary Gordon of
Glasshaugh, one dau. md. William Gordon
of Terpersie, one marrd. The laird of _____2 ,
thereafter Archd Grant of Beluatomb “[i.e.
Ballintomb]” and one marrd. John Gordon
of Artloch.

    So you see the families were connected
by marriage 2 generations before.

    The 6th son of John Gordon of Cairn-
borow, who marrd Bessie Gordon, Buckie’s
dau. and had 8 sons, all at battle of
Glenlivat, was Mr Thos. G. of Artloch,
and the writer of the M.S. adds at end of
Cairnborow genealogy “Before I end the
genealogie of Cairnborrow and their Cadents (sic)
I must tell you that severall of their
posterity are extinct : only the family
of Artloch is represented by Willm Gordon
of Drumwheyndle and Willm Gordon of
Farsken two brothers, sons of Willm Gordon,
a second son of Artloch’s who was first
of Farsken.”

    Drumwhyndle appears to be a different
place to Drumwheydle.

    Thus poor Charles Gordon’s wife appears
to have been a Gordon (not a Stuart) and
of the old Cairnborow stock.

    I am sure this will interest you :
and I think you may take it as
authentic

                     Yours very truly

                     Douglas Wimberley.

Wm Leiper Esq

Notes

1 Captain Wimberley appears to have omitted a word, such as ‘been’, here.

2 This is left blank on the letter and probably also on the source cited.

Captain Douglas Wimberley to William Leiper