WELWOOD, or WELLWOOD, a surname said to be derived from the Danish Velvod, or Velvud, the name of a Danish noble who came to Scotland with the Princess Anne of Denmark, consort of James VI.

The family of Welwood, Wellwood, or Walwood, have, however, been provosts and officers of the regality of Dunfermline beyond record. They are mentioned several times in the chartulary of the abbey as bailies, anno 1437 and 1439, and in the burgh register anno 1448, being designated De Walwood, or Walwode. In 1566, John Welwood was senior officer of the regality of Dunfermline. He and his brother, William, portioners of Touch, and of Forrester Leys, and John, proprietor of the 7th part of the Grange, or East Barnes of Dunfermline, 1566, and Lawrence and Thomas, are also noticed in the Burgh Register, 1567. In it also are the entries of John Wellwood and Helen Wardlaw, one-half of Touch; Abraham Wellwood, one-third part of Nether Lessodie; and Laurence Wellwood, one-half of Touch and Wester Baldrig.

William Wellwood of Touch married, in 1635, Margaret, youngest daughter of Nichol Wardlaw, of Wester Luscar, Carnock parish, a branch of the Wardlaws of Torrie.

Their son, Robert, of Touch, married Jean, daughter of a gentleman of the name of Livingstone. The same who was fined in the case of Archbishop Sharp in 1670.

Robert’s son, Sir James Wellwood, an eminent physician and historian, born in 1652, studied at Glasgow, whence he removed to Holland in 1679. He completed his education at Leyden, where he took the degree of M.D., and returned to Britain with King William at the Revolution. Appointed one of the Royal physicians for Scotland, he settled at Edinburgh, where he attained high eminence in his profession, and acquired a considerable fortune. He died in 1716. He was the author of – Vindication of the Revolution in England anno 1688. Lond. 1689, 4to. – Memoirs of the most material Transactions in England for the last hundred years preceding the Revolution in 1688. Lond. 1792, 8vo. – An Answer to the late King James’ Last Declaration to all his pretended Subjects in the Kingdom of England, dated at Dublin Castle, May 8, 1689.

Sir James’s son, Robert Wellwood of Touch, acquired the estate of Garvock, Fifeshire, from which the family afterwards took their title, and married, about 1690, Catherine, 6th daughter of John Denham of Muirhouse and West Shields.

His son, Henry Wellwood of Garvock and Pitliver, purchased Tulliebole, Kinross-shire, in 1749, and about 1752 conveyed it to Rev. Sir Henry Moncrieffe, bart., son of his niece and of Rev. Sir William Moncrieffe, bart. He died January 16, 1758.

His brother, Robert Wellwood, succeeded him in Garvock. He married Susanna, daughter of Campbell of Monzie, and died April 13, 1767. He had one son, Robert, and four daughters. 1. Catherine, born May 23, 1722, married Rev. Sir William Moncrieffe, minister of Blackford, who became, in 1744, 7th baronet of Tippermalach, (see MONCRIEFFE). 2. Isobel, married James Robertson Barclay of Keavil, Sept. 24, 1744. 3. Margaret, married in 1754, Dr. John Stedman, born in 1710, died 1791, one of the professors in the university of Edinburgh. 4. Susan.

The son, Robert Wellwood of Garvock and Pitliver, advocate, born Dec. 22, 1720, married, in 1744, Mary, eldest daughter of Sir George Preston, 4th baronet of Valleyfield, Robert Wellwood executed an entail of his property, dated May 29, 1790, and died January 12, 1791. He had two sons, Robert and Andrew, and 4 daughters. 1. Anne, born in 1745, married Robert Scott Moncrieffe of Coates and Newhall; issue one son, Robert Scott Wellwood, who died in 1854 without issue. 2. Susan, born in 1751, died unmarried. 3. Elizabeth, born Nov. 21, 1752, married Allan Maconochie, Lord Meadowbank (see MACONOCHIE). 4. Catherine, born May 12, 1754, died unmarried.

The elder son, Robert Wellwood of Garvock, born Feb. 7, 1747, married, 1st, Lilias, 2d daughter of James Robertson Barclay of Keavil, and 2dly, Eliza M’Neil. He died July 7, 1820, leaving 2 daughters by first marriage. 1. Isabella, married Robert Clarke of Comrie Castle, Perthshire. She died in 1826, leaving, with other issue, a son, Rev. William Colin Clarke, born in 1810, married in 1856, Anne, eldest daughter of William D. Pigot, late of Dysart, Queen’s county, Ireland, with issue. He is heir of entail to Valleyfield. 2. Mary, married Lawrence Johnston of Sands, with issue.

Robert Wellwood was succeeded by his brother, Andrew Moffat Wellwood of Garvock, born in 1764, died Feb. 25, 1847. He had one daughter, Anna Mary, who married, 1st, John James Boswell, advocate, with issue; and, 2dly, Ralph Clarke, Edinburgh. On the death of Robert Scott Wellwood, nephew of Andrew Moffat Wellwood, in 1854, Alexander Maconochie, 2d Lord Meadowbank, son of the first judge of that name, succeeded to Garvock.