WEMYSS.|85}}
WEMYSS and WEMYSS OF ELCHO.
Barony [S.]
I. 1628.
Earldom [S.]
I. 1633.
1. Sir John Wemyss, Bart. [S.], of Wemyss, on the
north bank of the Forth, co. Fife, 2d s. of Sir John Wemyss, of the
same, by his second wife, Anne, sister of James, Earl of Moray
[S.], da. of James (Stewart), 1st Lord Doune [S.], suc. his elder
br., David Wemyss, in Aug. 1608, being served heir, 17 April 1610;
and, having been cr. a Baronet [S.], 29 May 1625, with rem. to
heirs male whatever (at which date he had a charter of the Barony
and Regality of New Wemyss in Nova Scotia), was cr., 1 April 1628, LORD WEMYSS OF ELCHO [S.], with rem. to his heirs male bearing the name and arms of Wemyss.
He was, subsequently, cr. 25 June 1633, EARL OF WEMYSS, LORD ELCHO
AND METHEL [S.], with a similar remainder. He was High Commisser. to the Gen.
Assembly at Edinburgh, 23 July 1641, being made P.C. by Parl., also in 1641, and
one of the Committee of Estates, 1649, thus taking part against that King from
whom he had received all his houours. He m., in 1610, Jean, 1st da. of Patrick
(Gray), Lord Gray [S.], by his second wife, Mary, da. of Robert (Stewart), 1st
Earl of Orkney [S.] She d. 17 and was bur. 25 Aug. 1640, at Wemyss. He d. 22 Nov. and was bur. 4 Dec. 1649, at Wemyss afsd.
II. 1649. 2. David (Wemyss), Earl of Wemyss, &c. [S.], only s. and h., had, as "Master of Wemyss," a charter of the Barony of Wemyss, 14 Jan. 1682, was, presumably, styled Lord Elecho from 1633 till he suc. to the peerage [S.], 22 Nov. 1649, as above, being served heir general, 18 Nov. 1655. On. 22 July 1651, by charter under the great seal, his titles and estates were, on failure of heirs male of his body, limited to whomsoever he might appoint, which failing, to his heirs male whatever. He, however, after resignation, having no male issue then surviving, obtained a novodamus thereof, ratified under the great seal, 23 Aug. 1672, with rem., after his death, to his youngest da., Lady Margaret Wemyss, and the heirs male of her body, which failing, to the other heirs of entail. He built a harbour at Methel and greatly improved his residence at Wemyss. He m. firstly, 1628. Jean 1st da, of Robert (Balfour, formerly Arnot), Lord Balfour of Burleigh [S.], by Margaret, suo jure Baroness Balfour of Burleigh [S.] She d. s.p.m. 10 and was bur. 22 Nov. 1649, at Wemyss, on the day of her father-in-law's death. He m. secondly, 23 April 1650, Eleanor, 1st da. of John (Fleming), 2d {[sc|Earl of Wigton}} [8.], by Margaret, da. of Alexander (Livingston), 1st Earl of Lilnthgow [S.] She d. s.p. 20 April 1652, at Wemyss. He m. thirdly, 18 Jan. 1658, at Sheriffhall, Margaret, widow of Francis (Scott), 2d Earl of Bucclecuch [S.], and formerly of Alexander Leslie, styled Lord Balgony, sister of John, Duke of Rothes [S.], and da. of John (Leslie), Earl of Rothes [S.], by Aune, da. of John (Erskien), Earl of Mar [S.]. He d. s.p.m.s.(a)[1] June 1679, when the Baronetcy [S.]. presumably, devolved on the heir male (collateral) of the grantee. His widow d. 1688.
[David Wemyss, styled Lord Elcho, only s. and h. ap., by third wife, d. unm. and v.p., 28 Sep. 1671, in his 17th year.]
III. 1679. 3. Margaret, suo jure Countess of Wemyss, &c. [S.], 4th and yst. da. and coheir, being only surv. child by 3d wife. She m. firstly, her distant cousin, Sir James Wemyss, of Caskberry, co. Fife, who, she being heir expectant to the Wemyss peerage, was consequently cr., 15 April 1672, Lord Burntisland [S.], but for his life only.[2] She suc. to the peerage [8.]. on her father's death, June 1679, according to the novodamus of 23 Aug. 1672. Her said husband d. in 1685, leaving (by another marriage) issue male, but his life peerage became, of course, extinct. The Countess m. secondly, 11 April 1700, at Cramond, as his second wife,
- ↑ (a) Of his three daughters by his first wife, Jean, the eldest m. firstly, Archibald (Douglas), Earl of Ormond (S.), and secondly, in 1659, George (Gordon), Earl of Sutherland [S.] She d. in 1715, and among her issue, the heir of line of the Wemyss family is to be found.
- ↑ (b) See vol. iv, p. 28, note "a," sub “Glassford,” for similar creations bestowed on the husbands of Scotch suo jure Peeresses.
