Ruthven / Wemyss ?

[kdunn]

I'm not sure this is the right place for this question, but here goes:

I had a chat yesterday with a colleague named Weems, who traces her ancestry to the Wemyss line in Scotland. Her ancestors came to America in the 18th century and changed their names because, as children of a second wife, they were disinherited by the children of the first wife.

Ms. Weems told me that, some years back, she encountered (through her employer) a Scot named Ruthven who confronted her over her ancestor's treatment of his Ruthven wife. Apparently, some members of the Ruthven line have been holding a grievance for 400 years.  My colleague, of course, has no idea what David Wemyss did to Cecilia Ruthven to deserve such a legacy.

Can anybody here shed light on the question?

[maggymayshepherd]

Dear K dun

We can give you the following sources of information on the Wemyss/Ruthven dispute

The most comprehensive is http://bally.fortunecity.com/carlow/97/westwemyss2.html

Another is http;//www.scotweb.co.uk then select information centre, then Scottish Clans and Families, then Clan and Family Histories, then select your Clan.

The dispute was part of the Gowrie Conspiracy, there is a book by Samuel Cowan available from Google Books


Both Wemyss and Ruthvens are Margaret's ancestors and their  histories make interesting reading

Margaret and Peter

[kdunn]

Thank you for responding. The Gowrie Conspiracy makes for some fascinating reading.

Maybe I didn't read far enough, but I didn't see any indication of tension between the two clans. They were on opposite sides in terms of alliance for/against the Stewarts, and perhaps in matters of religion, as well. I'm sure there were plenty of opportunities for disagreement.

I also found a later Wemyss / Ruthven marriage, and wondered whether I had the right couple. How likely is it that there would be another marriage between the two families if there was a grudge between them?