On Ghirnside Parish : the Estate of Edington. 97 



of Wedderburn. " It was left undiscussed." Edgar of Weath- 

 erly, who belonged to the same party with Ramsay, carried his 

 seat. His opponent was Mr. Charles Home, afterwards Earh 

 " When Weatherly was found by the Parliament legally elected 

 one of th9 Members for Berwickshire, the Earl of Home (being 

 piqued that his brother was rejected) offered to prove that Sir 

 Patrick Home of Pol wart had taken an engagement from 

 Weatherly that he should be against the act for succession. But 

 the King's Advocate, finding Home's information and probation 

 was not good, it dwindled away to nothing."* The government 

 bearing a grudge to Idington, summoned him and several more 

 of suspected loyalty for resetting and harbouring rebels, before 

 the Privy Council, August 2nd, 1683. Many were dismissed. 

 " His guilt," and he was not alone, " was found more deep than 

 others "; and accordingly he and those viewed with like disfavour, 

 " were left in prison for some time," " but were at last also set 

 at liberty upon caution." They appeared again before the 

 Criminal Court, December 10th, 1683, but were, as before, let 

 off with caution ; till the 1st of April, 1684, when "the diet is 

 deserted against George Ramsay of Idington and sundry others. 

 But the King's Advocate declared that he intended to pursue 

 them at Privy Council for an arbitrary fine."f 



In 1677, Charles Home and a band of other Merse lairds 

 seized by force Jean Home, the heiress of Ayton, then about 

 twelve years of age, and carried her off across the Border, and 

 married her to George Home, a boy, son of Kimmerghame, 

 whom John Home of Ninewells conveyed in like manner surrep- 

 tiously from Edinburgh, having taken the poor fellow out of his 

 bed. This illegal act was to prevent the next male-heir, Colonel 

 John Home of Prendreguest from marrying her to a relation of 

 his own, who was said to be William Ramsay of Edington, 

 younger %. 



Although the estate may have been sold in 1690, from a plea, 

 November 15th, 1694, reported in Eountainhall (i., p. 643), there 

 was still then a Ramsay designated of Idington. 



The lady Idington, of 1678 (doubtless tne dowager), was a 

 daughter of Mr. William Kelly, who had seven daughters more, 

 besides some who were dead. She had claims on the superiority 

 of lands in " Newton-lay es," near Dunbar (Ibid, i., p. 2} ; and 

 had property near Dunbar, February 23, 1681 (Ibid, i., p. 132). 



Jean Ramsay, relict of Sir Patrick Brown of Colston, left a 



* Fountainhall's " Decisions," i., p. 149. 



f Fountainhall's " Decisions," L, pp. 237, 249, 291. Wodrow's " History 

 of the Sufferings," &c, iii , pp. 468, 474 ; iv., p. 64, hut not exactly as to dates. 



% Chamhers' " Domestic Annals of Scotland," i., pp. 89C, 391. Fountain-* 

 hall's " Historical Notices," i., p. 180. »• Men of the Merse," hy A. 0. Swinton, 

 pp. 53, 54, 55. 



