John Kellerman Wedderburn

Only son and heir of James Wedderburn of Leadenhall St. (q.v.) and Isabella Lyon (q.v.). Benefitted from the trust established by his grandfather John Wedderburn of Spring Garden (q.v.), which passed possession of his Jamaican properties to his father and then to John Kellerman.

John Kellerman was born in Upper Seymour St., London and educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford. Leaving university after only a year he entered the Life Guards in 1836. In 1837 he took a leave of absence to visit Jamaica and the United States, where he remained until 1838. Upon returning he sold out of the Life Guards and entered the 9th Lancers, with whom he went to India. He married Charlotte Mcmahon (daughter of General Sir Thomas Mcmahon) in Bombay in 1843. After his marriage he left the army and resided successively in Upper Seymour St., 21 Lowndes Square and 41 Cadogan Place, during which time he collected art. The couple had two daughters

His father placed his Jamaican properties in trust until John Kellerman reached 25, but these were subsequently contested in the Chancery case Lyon v Colvile. David Lyon Jun. (q.v.) was John Kellerman's uncle and Andrew Colvile (q.v.) his cousin and former business partner of his father. The case arose from James Wedderburn borrowing £42,650 from his father father-in-law David Lyon Snr (q.v.) in order to pay off his father's debts to the firm Wedderburn and Co.

Alexander Wedderburn, The Wedderburn Book: a history of the Wedderburns in the counties of Berwick and Forfar, designed of Wedderburn, Kingennie, Easter Powrie, Blackness, Balindean and Gosford, 1296-1896 (Published privately, 1898), pp. 345-46.

Lyon v Colvile, Reports of cases decided in High Court of Chancery, Vol.28, 1851.