We all wonder at one time or another, where our family came from or what gave rise to our surname. For those with the Fairweather name, it is a mystery more than most. There seem to be few credible explanations for how we got our name. Many people can associate their name with a clan, a location, or an occupation. Despite having been settled in England and Scotland for several centuries, there has never been, as far as I am aware, any group or clan of Fairweathers.
We have this from the Memorandum regarding the Fairweathers of Menmuir Parish
1ST of the principal persons of the modern name Fairweather, as recorded in East Scotland previous to the last quarter of the 18th century : say from 1453 to 1779 — Robert Wedyr, Finlarg, Tealing, 1453. — James II. Walter Fairvedder, Presbyter, Notary Public, 1547 to 1563. — Queen Mary Stuart. Thomas Fairvedder, 1583 j Litsters or Dyers, Dundee. Robert Fairvedder, 1609 ) James VL John Fairvvedder, Falkland, 1591, „ „ James Fawvedles or Fawvedder, 1609, Blairno, Lethnot, James VI. Hendrie Fairvedder, Menmuir, 1609 — 1622 ,, ,, John Fairvedder, Blackhall, Menmuir, 1644—1676, Charles I.-II. Hendrie Fairvedder, Braco, Menmuir, 1644 — 1670, John Fairvooder, Brechin, 1649 Alexander ffairweather, Menmuir, 1678-1688, Andrew ffairweather, 1679-1681, Andrew ffairveather, Barns of Glamis, 1685,
There are early references to Fairweathers in the Testaments (Wills) of Rescobie people from the Register of Testaments of the Commissariot of St Andrews, 1549-1823.
Eupham Cuthbert, spouse to James Fairweather, in Quilko, 26 Oct 1685
Alexander Fairweather in Mylnehill of Baldardy 3 Jun 1626
Janet Fairweather, spouse to Alexander Dickson, in Rescobie, 24 Oct 1685
Bessie Symson, spouse to Alexander Fairwedder, in Mylnehill of Baldardy, par. of Rescobie in Angus, 30 Oct 1598
“Ann, born 1680, married, 23rd January 1702, to Mr Robert Fairweather, minister of Crail, died June 1704, leaving issue.”
From The Surnames of Scotland (1946) by George Fraser Black (1866-1948)
John Phairwedder held a land in Perth in the reign of James II (Scon, p. 188), and Christofer Farewethir was serjeant of Linlithgow in 1472 (Sc. Ant., XVII, p. 117). The surname is of considerable antiquity in the Menmuir district. Valter Farwedder, presbyter of Dunkeld, whose name appears in 1547—63, is probably the first of the name in the locality. There were Fairweathers in Blairno in Navar in the early seventeenth century (Jervise, II, p. 340). Walter Fairwedder witnessed a precept of sasine of the lands of Fyndowry in 1558 (REB., II, 280), and Agnes Fairwodder was heir of Robert Fairwodder, merchant burgess of Dundee in 1609 (Inquis., 419). Thomas Fairweather is recorded in Dundee in 1583, and eighteen more of the name appear in the Commissariot Record of Brechin between 1576 and 1800. Thomas Fairwoder was burgess of Dundee in 1634 (Retours, Forfar, 224), and the Devil rebaptized the witch Catherine Skair in Brechin by the name of Isoble Farewedder. Janet Fairweather is recorded in the parish of Olrik in 1664 (Caithness), and John Fairweather of Turriff was killed in the First World War (Turriff). Fairvedder 1609, Fainvadder 1537, Fairwoother 1649, Farveddar 1607. Fairwaddire, Fairweddor, Farewadder, Farweddar.
Scotland’s People records 18 Fairwedder births between 1600 and 1700, mainly around Brechin. If there is a link to John Fairweather (1772) from any of the above, I have yet to find it.
My uncle and my father both spent time researching our family tree and traced our origins back to the county of Angus in Scotland to the early 18th Century. The earliest records in Scotland list Walter (Valtro) Farvedder as Presbyter of Dunkeld in the years 1547/63. Dunkeld is one of the oldest Christian centres, dating back to before 600 AD, with a cathedral since 1127. Our Fairweather branch lived around Alyth, Brechin, Forfar, Kirriemuir, Menmuir, St Cyrus and Dundee. There are several other branches, but I have yet to establish a direct link through the family tree, although a DNA connection exists. Our branch consisted of farmers and weavers, while another branch appears to have been mainly mill workers and weavers employed in the Dundee jute industry. At its height, the jute industry employed around 50,000 people in 60 factories during the 1860s and 1870s. Before that, it had been the centre of a thriving textile industry. Robert Fairvedder, a litster (wool dyer), was a merchant burgess of Dundee in 1609. By 1700, there was a Fairweather Provost of Dundee. Messrs Fairweather and Marr established the first flax mill in Dundee.
The following examples illustrate the name development: Christopher Farewethir (1472), William Farewedder (1547) and Robert Fairwodder (1609). Janet Fairweather is recorded in the Parish of Olrik, Scotland, in 1664. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Agnes Fairweder, which was dated 1274, Lincolnshire Pipe Rolls, during the reign of King Edward 1, ‘The Hammer of the Scots’, 1272-1308. Surnames became necessary when governments began to introduce personal taxation. Read more: http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/fairweather#ixzz2ch4CKKXH
On October 28, 1937, this was reported in The Berwick Journal
Fairweather, the name of a former noted Berwick minister of Wallace Green Church, was in Scotland, over 300 years ago, known as Farrvedder, Farweddar, Fairvedder, Farrwadder, and Fairwaddire; and became Fairweather in 1741. These forms of the name commonly occurred in the County of Angus.
In Alyth, which, during the episcopacy, was a prebend of the cathedral of Dunkeld, and where our ancestors can be traced, the Fairweathers appear to have been mainly weavers who progressed to merchant drapers and farmers. The children of weavers were frequently scholastically advanced because the weaver worked at home, hail or shine, and was ideally placed to keep an eye on the children’s progress at school. The work of weaving did not interfere with conversation between parents and children.
Our family records date back to the time of the Jacobite rebellion, and, so far as is known, Fairweathers, not being a clan in the accepted sense of the term, managed to keep a low profile and maintain an independent position. Though not known to be related, the Rev Alex Fairweather of Maybole, 1696/1740, was a Jacobite (?). Peter Fairweather, baker’s assistant at Brechin, was listed as a rebel. There is good reason to believe that other ancestors, such as the Ronaldsons, Falconers, Burnes, and Lumsdains, were not helped by the outcome of the rebellion. At the same time, the Stobies appear to have been able to keep themselves in good repute.
As I grew up, there was a general belief that we had Viking connections, which might explain the pockets of Fairweathers found mainly along the East Coast of Britain. It has been generally assumed that many distinct Scottish clans have Viking connections. For example, the MacLeods of Skye have been regarded as having Viking origins, as the surname means ‘son of Leod’. The name Leod is an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic name Leòd, which is thought to have been derived from an Old Norse name.
See – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_MacLeod#Origins
What is true is that in the 7th and 8th centuries, the Vikings took control of the Western Isles of Scotland as far south as the Isle of Man. These islands became known to the Gaels as Innse-Gall, the Islands of the Foreigners. (More here – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_of_the_Isles). Not until the mid-13th century did two Scottish kings, Alexander II and his son Alexander III, attempt to incorporate the region into their own realm. (More here – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Largs)
Still unanswered is the question of a Fairweather link to the Vikings.
