HEPBURN of WAUGHTON

HEPBURN of WAUGHTON
By G.M.S.Lauder-Frost, F.S.A.,(Scot).

The great family of Hepburn of Waughton is said by Sir George Mackenzie to have been the principal cadet house of Hailes. John Hepburn (fl.1365), of Over and Nether Merkill in East Lothian, is held by Chalmers and others to have been the ancestor of Waughton. Nisbet identified this John as brother of Sir Patrick Hepburn of Hailes who was born circa 1321. Nisbet, however, points out that Mr.Thomas Craufurd (a very competant authority) believed that the family of Waughton was more ancient than that of Hailes.

The following is a mostly genealogical summary of early generations of this family, who held Waughton Castle, near Whitekirk in East Lothian, for centuries.

A.E.Ritchie (1880) states that there was at one time a chapel at Waughton, and that the Pele Tower was Saxon.

Sir Patrick Hepburn of Waughton (& later Lufness) Sir Patrick Hepburn of Waughton (& later Lufness) (died after February 1464) appears in charters of The Great Seal of Scotland in August 1439, January 1440, October 1450, 31^st March 1451 where he is confirmed in Lufness, and February 1464. His son:

David Hepburn of Waughton David Hepburn of Waughton and his wife Christian Sandilands are mentioned as husband and wife in a Great Seal charter confirmed at Edinburgh on 10^th November 1493. In a further charter confirmed at Stirling on 21^st September 1498 the King confirmed a charter of David Hepburn of Waughton and his wife Christine [sic] Sandilands of the barony of Waughton etc.,to their son and heir apparent Kentigern Hepburn. Two of the witnesses were William and Henry Hepburn, sons of David.

Kentigern Hepburn of WaughtonKentigern Hepburn of Waughton, aforementioned, married Margaret Lauder, who is mentioned as his spouse in the charter of 1498. She was a daughter of Sir Robert Lauder of Bass and his wife Isabella Hay, daughter of Lord Yester. Margaret outlived Kentigern and remarried Alexander Home, of Polwarth in Berwickshire. Kentigern Hepburn had by Margaret Lauder:

Sir Patrick Hepburn of Waughton (c.1470 – 1547) (see below) (c.1470 – 1547) (see below)

John Hepburn of Kirklandhill (died after March 1558)

Sir Patrick Hepburn of Waughton Sir Patrick Hepburn of Waughton (c.1470-1547)

married Elena (or Helen) Hepburne, (daughter of Sir Adam Hepburn, of Crags in Forfarshire, brother of the Earl of Bothwell, and his wife Elizabeth Ogstoun,) at Bolton Kirk, East Lothian, on 5^th November 1510, under a dispensation granted by Alexander, Archbishop of St.Andrews, which was rendered necessary because of the close degrees of consanguinity. Sir Patrick’s mother was a Lauder of the Bass family as was the mother of the wife of Sir Adam Hepburne of Crags. Sir Patrick died in 1547. His wife, Elena (or Helen) died before 20^th April 1560 on which dated her eldest son, Patrick Hepburn of Waughton, was served heir-in-general to her.

Sir Patrick Hepburn of Waughton & Redbraes (d.1585) (see below).
John Hepburn
Robert Hepburn, is mentioned as "a brother of Hepburn of Waughton" in a Great Seal charter dated 13^th May 1580.
William Hepburn, of Gilmerton, married by contract dated 24^th January 1561, Margaret Home. Sir James Balfour Paul (1905) states that this William was the ancestor of the family of Hepburn of Newton of Whitsome. On 25^th March 1558 James Hepburn, 4^th Earl of Bothwell, executed a charter entailing the Earldom, his baronies, and his heritable offices to his "well-beloved cousin" William Hepburn,brother-german of Patrick Hepburn of Waughton and the heirs-male of his body. It appears that this charter was never submitted for Royal approval and so became of no effect. William was still alive in October 1584 when a charter of that date describes him as "brother-german to Patrick Hepburn of Waughton". In a further charter, confirmed at Holyroodhouse on 22^nd September 1599, a William Hepburn was then laird of Bairfoord near Haddington. As these lands were part of the Gilmerton barony it is thought that this could be the above William or one of his children.
Elizabeth Hepburn, who married before the 8^th May 1536 George Ramsay, of Dalhousie & Foulden. Her Testament was confirmed on 25^th May 1576 which indicates she died before that date.

Sir Patrick Hepburn of Waughton & Redbraes Sir Patrick Hepburn of Waughton & Redbraes was married twice:

firstly to Elizabeth Logan. In The Great Seal of Scotland a charter confirmed at Linlithgow on 2^nd August 1538, the King confirms upon Sir Patrick Hepburn, junior, of Waughton, and his wife his patrimonal lands, mill, manor and barony of Lufness in Haddingtonshire. She is mentioned as Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Logan of Restalrig. Secondly, to Isobel Haldane. According to a Great seal charter dated 22^nd March 1595 Isobel Haldane was then Lady Waughton, relict of Sir Patrick. The Privy Council Registers for Scotland dated September 1567 lists Haddingtonshire lairds and their baronies etc., amongst whom are Patrick Hepburn of Waughton and Patrick his son and heir. Sir Patrick died in 1585 and was buried in Preston Kirk, East Lothian. His children were:

Sir Patrick Hepburn of Waughton & Redbraes Sir Patrick Hepburn of Waughton & Redbraes (d.c1649) (see below)

Alexander Hepburn, of Banglaw. In a charter dated 9^th April 1625 Alexander Hepburn of Banglaw is described as brother-german to Sir Patrick Hepburn of Waugton; and in another dated 24^th June 1646. In a further Great Seal charter dated 6^th July 1661, Alexander Hepburn of Banglaw is described as brother-german of the deceased Sir Patrick Hepburn of Waughton. When he came into possession of Banglaw is uncertain as in 1608 it appears to be held by Sir Robert Hepburn of Alderstoun.

Elizabeth Hepburn, who married before September 1601, Alexander Drummond, of Carnock.

Isobel Hepburn, who married after 7^th February 1589, Sir George Lauder of Bass(d.1611) Privy Councillor and Tutor to Prince Henry. They had one child, a son, George, born in 1597. She was still alive in October 1635.

John Hepburn. In a Great Seal charter dated 13^th May 1588, John Hepburn is described as "brother-german to Patrick Hepburn of Lufness and Waughton, knight".

Robert Hepburn. In a Great Seal charter confirmed at Edinburgh on 13^th May 1580, Robert Hepburn is recorded as brother of Hepburn of Waughton. In a further charter confirmed on 31^st May 1591, one of the witnesses was Robert Hepburn, son of Lord Waughton. Given the earlier charter’s date, the Lord Waughton mentioned here must be the one who died in 1585.

Sir Patrick Hepburn of Waughton is sometimes referred to also as ‘of Redbraes’ (near Greenlaw in Berwickshire) and ‘of Lufness’ (in East Lothian). is sometimes referred to also as ‘of Redbraes’ (near Greenlaw in Berwickshire) and ‘of Lufness’ (in East Lothian).

It is probable that Redbraes had passed to the Homes of Polwarth by this Sir Patrick’s lifetime or even before. However, in a charter confirmed at Holyroodhouse on 13^th May 1588 Sir Patrick is referred to as ‘of Lufness and Waughton.’ A reconfirmation of Lufness to him appears in a charter of November 1618. There are many charters relating to Sir Patrick, one being confirmed at Edinburgh on the 15^th November 1641 including lands in Morham and Garvald near Haddington which had once belonged to the Lauder of Bass family, and whilst he was still alive in one drawn up in June 1646 he is thought to have died about 1649.

In 1639-1641 Sir Patrick was a member of the Estates for Haddingtonshire and a Colonel with a 400 strong infantry regiment raised in East Lothian, in General Leslie’s army of the Covenant, entering England on the 20^th August 1640. Sir Patrick was one of the commissioners to the negotiations at Ripon in Yorkshire. The regiment served at the sieges of York and Newcastle and at the battle of Marston Moor. From late 1644 until January 1647 it remained in England doing garrison duty, its strength being between 631 and 651 infantrymen. In 1646 Sir Adam Hepburn of Humbie, the army treasurer and commissary general, became the colonel, and the numbers increased to 893, and reached a maximum of 1030 foot soldiers in September. The regiment disbanded in February 1647. and (Ref: The Scottish Historical Review, Ed.Ian B.Cowan (Aberdeen 1985, 64^th vol. p76).

Sir Patrick Hepburn of Waughton married Margaret Lauder and they had:

The Reverend John Hepburn, of Waughton (see below)
George Hepburn, of Fast Castle & Cranshaws, who in Great Seal charter number 1215 confirmed at Edinburgh on the 22^nd August 1642 received from his father the "lands and buildings of Fast castle, wester Lumsden, Dowhill, Duddoholm or Cauldsyde, Aultoun and Newtoun; and Kello (in the parish of Edrom), as well as Fogo, both in Berwickshire. In this charter Sir Patrick Hepburn describes George as "his legitimate second son".
Margaret Hepburn

Rev.John Hepburn of Waughton married, firstly, Marie Ross (died before 14^th July 1654) the daughter of Lord Eglintoun and Margaret Scott. His second wife was Barbara Leslie. By his first wife he had a daughter, Margaret, born on the 6^th June 1650 at Edinburgh. In a charter dated 14^th July 1654 Margaret was described as her father’s "only bairn now in life." She is also described as "his only daughter" in a charter of John Hepburn of Waughton to Margaret confirmed by The Protector [Cromwell] in 1655. married, firstly, Marie Ross (died before 14^th July 1654) the daughter of Lord Eglintoun and Margaret Scott. His second wife was Barbara Leslie. By his first wife he had a daughter, Margaret, born on the 6^th June 1650 at Edinburgh. In a charter dated 14^th July 1654 Margaret was described as her father’s "only bairn now in life." She is also described as "his only daughter" in a charter of John Hepburn of Waughton to Margaret confirmed by The Protector [Cromwell] in 1655.

John and his first wife are mentioned in Great Seal charters dated 1646 and 1654. In the latter she was described as deceased. In charter number 433 dated 6^th July 1655 he is mentioned as "son and heir" of his father Sir Patrick Hepburn of Waughton, and a Retour exists in that respect the previous year, but it is thought that Sir Patrick died before the 9^th November 1649 when "John Hepburn of Waughton, son and heir of Sir Patrick, his father" was served heir to the Barony of Bass, which had been hurridly transferred to the Covenanter Hepburn by George Lauder of Bass in order to avoid confiscation from that Royalist family.

In The Churches of St.Baldred by A.E.Ritchie (Edinburgh 1880) it is stated that on the 26^th July 1640 the Laird of Waughton commanded the East Lothian Regiment and his son was its lieutenant-colonel. John J.Reid (1885) mentions that John Hepburn of Waughton had also been an Episcopalian minister who had been deposed by the Presbyterians. We also know that John’s family were placed under arrest by Cromwell’s forces until John and his garrison of 112 men in the castle on the Bass were effectively starved out. General Deane announced to the English parliament in 1652 its surrender.

This is an important family and a book was published in 1925, in London, entitled Hepburn of Waughton, Genealogical notes on the Hepburn family, by Edward Hepburn. Undoubtedly this would be an interesting book if it were still available.

If you have any information on any branch of the Hepburn family which you would be prepared to share please contact me.