In this letter, Captain Wimberley imparts a prodigious amount of genealogical information and speculation, in the face of which all attempts at commentary would be superfluous.

Regarding the vexed question of the precise identity of the mother of William 1^st of Terpersie, a number of possibilities are presented but the theory, stated elsewhere as fact, that she was a daughter of King James IV of Scotland, is left unconsidered. That her surname was Stewart appears to be all that can be stated with reasonable certainty.

At such a remove of time, it seems that genealogical enquiries, at best, yield only calculated probabilities, as opposed to documented certainties.

8 Ardross Terrace                           Inverness                       16 March 1893 Dear Sir,                I am greatly obliged by your very kind note. As far as I could judge by pen and ink drawings of some coats of arms, which Mr Gall, Archt here made for me, for an account of my father’s family, and were sent to London & reproduced by photo- zincography, the tracing you made for me being in ink will do beau- tifully. I gave it to Mr Livingston Manager of the Chronicle to forward a few days ago, & presume it is now in course of transference to a block. I showed him what you wrote about the heliographic pro- cess, and he said he did not know about it.     About the marriage of one of the Gordons Terpersie viz. George to a Gordon of Achannachy, I may mention that Mr. Macdonald sent me to look at what I suppose was a copy of the papers you had about the Ter- persies and also a copy from a M.S. be- longing to Mr Geo. Leslie, grandfather of Dr. W. Henderson of Caskieben. In the former the descent is traced downwards, in the latter upwards : both agree in making George the 2nd laird marry Lady Cluny, a daughter of the Earl of Sutherland.     I hunted up Douglas & Wood’s? Peerage but cd not find a marriage of a Gordon of Cluny to a dau. of the E. of Sutherld.: nor could I find any dau. of an E. of Suthd. about the proper time likely to have md. Gordon of Cluny.     You see Wm. of Terpersie got a Charter in favour of himself & his wife Margt Ogilvie of the lands of Terpersie from Wm Forbes Bish. of Abdn in 1555 and got a Confirmn. in 1585.     Hence his son Geo. would marry proby abt. 1580 to 1600.     The 10th Earl of Suth. had 3 daus, but only one lived to be marrd. Lady Janet who md 1st Innes of Innes, who died in 1576, secondly to Thomas Gordon son of Geo. Earl of Huntly & died 1584.     This Thomas was bro. of Sir Adam of Auchindoun who was pardoned after the battle of Corrichie 1562, and of Sir Patrick, aftwds of Auchindoun, who was killed at battle of Glenlivat 1594. All that is said of Thomas is that he died at Edin. & was buried in St Giles’s church.     It is not prob. That he was Gordon of Cluny – and it does not say that he was married.     The 11th Earl of Suthd had two dau., one md. Mackay of Far & was mother of 1st Ld Reay, the 2nd md. Ross of Balnagowan. The former died 1615, the latter 1605.     The 12th Earl’s 2 daus. md. one in 1619 to James Crichton of Frendraught, the other in 1623 to Sir Gilbert Menzies of Pitfodels.     On the other hand Thomas Gordon of Cluny md. Grizel Stewart, dau. of James 5th Lord Innermeath, who got a Charter of Laithers &c in 1554. This must be Sir Thomas Gordon of Cluny or the father of Sir Thomas who was at Darnaway in 1590 and at Donibristle in 1591, along with James Gordon of Lesmoir aftwds 1st Bart., and whose brother John G. of Birsemore md Margaret Gordon, Sir James of Lesmoir’s sister.     Sir Alexr G. of Cluny married Lady Elizabeth Douglas, dau. of Sir Wm Douglas who was at Corrichie 1502, and became Earl of Angus 1588. Proby Sir Alex. was Sir Thomas’ father.     Of course it is not conclusive the not finding a marriage, espc a second marr., in Douglas & Wood.     On the other hand I found in a Birth brieve date 1703, (tracing some descents which I sent you) that an Alexr G. of Kin- craigie had married Marjorie dau. of Wm Gordon of Terpersie by his wife Margt Gordon of Achannachy.     As this is the only marriage of a Terpersie to a Gordon about that time, I think the brieve is proby correct. I don’t know who the Achannachys were, but I find mention of them in 1634 & 1635 in connec- tion with the feuds and forays after the burning of Frendraught.     It seems probable that if a dau. of the Earl of Suthd had married Gordon of Cluny, it wd have been mentioned as the Histy. of the Gordons Earls of Suthd has been carefully got up.     The George G. of Terpersie in question got a remission for the battle of Glenlivat, granted 1603.     I think there is really no doubt as to who the first laird of Lesmoir was, but considerable doubt who his wife was, except that she was a Stewart of Lorn, & that from that marriage the fess chequé comes into the coat of arms.     Jock of Scurdargue had by a dau. of Sir Pat. Maitland of Gight 3 sons     John, ancestor of Pitlurg     William, ancestor of Lesmoir & Craig.     James, said to be ancestor of Haddo.     William, the 2nd Son, md. a dau. of Sir John Rutherford & had 2 sons 1. George of Tillytermont 2. Patrick of Craig.     George of Tillytermont md. a dau. of Beroald Innes of Meilliers & had 4 sons 1. Alexr. ancestor of Gordon of Pronie 2. James 1st of Lesmoir 3. William of Braikley 4. Thomas of Bowinakilloch.     James of Lesmoir married a Stewart : and as far as I can make out Either Lady Jean (or Lady Anne)     Stewart, dau. of Stewart Earl of     Athole (who had been Sir John of     Ballornie) or Anne, d. of James Stewart, Earl     of Buchan. or a dau. of Walter Stewart, aftwds     Lord of Innermeath or a dau. of Robert Stewart of     Laithers –     All of these are pretty well of the same family, and as far as I can calculate dates, she might be dau. of any of them.     They are all of the family of the Stew- arts of Lorn, one of whom exchang- ed lands in Lorn with the then Earl of Argyll for the barony of Innermeath.     I am inclined to think the lady was a dau. of James, Earl of Buchan : who was a bro. of the Earl of Athole : and I find John, Earl of Buchan, grand- son of James, signed a deed at Les- moir in 1528. Besides he was closely related to the Ogilvys of Ochterhouse, who got Laithers, and in my opinion it was the 2nd laird of Lesmoir, another James, who md Margt. Ogilvy, d. of Ogilvy of Deskford ; and not the case that the 1st laird md both ladies – then Wm of Terpersie, their son, also md Margt Ogilvy, I think of Boyne.     It is very difficult to get proof of these marriages, because a lady is often designed d. of so & so of such a family, giving a designation which they did not get for half a century later.     It wd be far too long to copy my arguments, but I have traced out the probabilities with very considerable research, & in most cases quoted authorities.     I’m afraid it will cost me far too much in printing.     I am in correspondence with the Lord Lyon to try & find out to whom the 2nd Bart of Lesmoir was marrd. Strange to say I have as yet been unable to find her name.     Many thanks for you enquiries through Mr Troup. P.S. I did not notice that your Yours very truly     Douglas Wimberley. – manu. makes the 1st Wm of Terpersie marry a Gordon of Banffx : in 2 Charters his wife’s name is mentd as Mary Ogilvie.                                x if I copied correctly.

Captain Douglas Wimberley to William Leiper