164 MEMOIR OF COLONEL DAVID MILNE HOME 



Flodden by the Homes of Wedderburn, which, or all that 

 remains thereof, was exhibited to this Club in 1898, and 

 now hangs, carefully framed, at Wedderburn. 



The last named Sir David had seven sons, who are 

 immortalized in Canto V. of The Lay of the Last Minstrel 

 as the "Seven Spears of Wedderburne " : — 



"'Vails not to tell what steeds did spurn 

 Where the Seven Spears of Wedderburne 

 Their men in battle order set." 



The eldest died with his father in the " Scottish circle deep 

 that formed around their King." 



The second " spear," David, then became head of the family, 

 and his descendant, through several male gradations, was Sir 

 David, who was killed at Dunbar in 1650, with his eldest 

 son, leaving his second son George, who died before 1715, 

 to represent him. George's eldest son, George, in due time 

 succeeded to the property, and had six sons and three daughters. 

 This George Home constitutes at once an important landmark 

 and hiatus in the chronicles and fortunes of Wedderburn. 



Having espoused the Stuart cause in 1715, he was attainted 

 and his estates forfeited to the Crown. 



Now appears on the scene a Ninian Home of Billie, whose 

 individuality and action were destined to influence the fortune 

 of the family very materially ; and it must be noted that a 

 complicated pedigree is rendered still more so by the fact 

 that, although accidentally of the same name, Ninian was 

 no blood relation of the Homes of Wedderburn. 



What he was, however, does not much matter : what he 

 did is of more direct consequence. First, having satisfactorily 

 proved to the Court of Session that he was a creditor of the 

 attainted laird in such a way and to such an extent as to 

 constitute him de jure the owner of that laird's property, the 

 Court decided that the said property was exempt from the 

 Crown's Right to Forfeited Estates, and made it over to him. 

 He then generously '"re-infeft" David, the eldest son of the 

 attainted laird ; that is, restored the estate to him, and called 

 to the succession the whole of David's brothers and sisters, 

 " Geordie " only excepted. 



