The maternal grandparents of the author of the Balbithan Manuscript are identified as James Gordon, laird of
Terpersie, and Anne, of the Gordons of Craig.
An alleged first marriage of George Gordon, II of Terpersie, to Margaret, daughter of Gordon of Auchannachy, is
dismissed as apocryphal.
The Gordons of Glenbuicket were cadets of the Gordons of Knockespock.
Various papers in the course of preparation for publication are referred to; some are to hand, others are not.
Richmond Hotel
Lower Cabrach
by Huntly
14 July 1899.Dear Mr Leiper,
I got your letter of 11th
with proof of some notes about the
Terpersey family last night. I have
been looking over the proof, but find
it difficult to revise it properly be-
cause the subject matter seems to be
some M.S. notes I made referring to
something else with numbers in brackets,
perhaps a Pedigree Table of the family
with numbers to various individuals.I have done so much in connection
with several families that I cannot
remember particulars about each.If this is so, I don’t know why there is
no (1) before “William Gordon 1st of Terpersie” –
nor (2) before “George of Terpersie “(who)” was
at the Battle of Glenlivat.If however I sent you a Table of Descent
or Pedigree, I think it wants correction.The author of the Balbithan M.S. seems
to have taken great pains about the
Terpersey family & its cadets, and was
likely to know about them as his mother
was a dau. of James of Terpersie and
Anne Gordon, of the Craig family.I sent you a copy of this, and I think
if you are to print the Terpersey descent,
which you say is not yet done, you had
better send me the original or draft
to correct : if you want it printed I
would suggest its being done at the Northern
Chron. Office : there is a man there
accustomed to the work who has done
several for me very satisfactorily &
he is accustomed to my writing, and I can
revise the proof.I think all the long story about a
first marriage of George 2nd. of Terpersey
to a Margaret Gordon, dau. of G. of Auch-
annachy should be omitted : I don’t believe
any such marriage took place, and that
the information given at the inquest or for
the Birth brieve was erroneous.On the whole I think it best to send
you the proof1 to glance over : I have co-
rrected a few printers errors – and made
some other corrections in ink and a few
remarks in pencil : but it will require
another revision after I see a proof
of what these notes refer to.I take a great interest in the matter
and should like to have what is print-
ed as correct as it can be made.I don’t think I have any copy of what
I sent you : at any rate I could not find
one.As to a John Gordon of Knockespock
being tenant of the Mill at Artloch in 1696,
I think he had also a large farm east
of Huntly : I cannot make out who
the later Knockespochs were. James G. of
K. of the Buckie family went to France
and died in 1643 : he md a dau. of Bisset
of Lessindrum but Balbithan does not say
that they had any son.But under Badinscoth he says that a
dau. of Patk of Badinscoth md. the Laird of
Knockespock Gordon, of whom is come the
laird of Glenbuicket. I suspect that Knock-
espock must have been sold twice, once
to one of the Gordon of Park family, and again
to a son of Harry of Auchlyne,
son of John of Law : for the second son
of the latter is called in the Balbithan M. S.
George G. of Knockespock. I suppose this
George died, & that his sister, who seems to
have md a James Brebner in Clatt (perhaps
she was the relict of John G. of Law), succeeded
under a settlement to Knockespock, & subsequent
Lairds seem to have taken the name of Gordon.2Burke’s landed gentry does not explain this.
Yours very truly Douglas Wimberley.
Notes
1 Galley proofs, with copious mss corrections, of most of Douglas
Wimberley’s Notes on the Family of Gordon of Terpersie (Inverness, 1900).
2 These matters are clarified in:
Genealogy of James Gordon of St Kitts, Entailer of Knockespock and
Terpersie
Captain Douglas Wimberley to William Leiper
Notes about Knockespock Entail & Succession under it, 1877
and