KIT NUMBER: 35045
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Descendants of Alexander Gordon
Very briefly, for it is a long history, one of my ancestors was Alexander Gordon, the 2nd son of the 3rd Earl of Huntly who was given the lands of Strathavon, and in contemporary documents is always referred to as Alexander Gordon of Strathdown. He married the youngest daughter of John Grant of Grant.
One of Alexander's sons was William Gordon of Delmore who, along with one of his brothers, was granted the rights and privileges of legitimate birth by a charter issued under the great seal of Scotland, at Perth, on the 24th June, 1553.
In passing, one of Alexanders other descendants (of the Gordons of Cluny) subsequently became Governor of Pennsylvania in the 18th c.In 1567, in the pardon given by Queen Mary to the Gordons who had been present at the battle of Corrichie in 1562, he is described as being in occupation of Croughly - lands alongside the River Strathavon in Banffshire not far from Tomintoul.
From this date on this line has been known as the 'Croughly Gordons' .
THE CROUGHLY GORDONS LINEAGE[Extracted from The Croughly Book
compiled and published by Capt. George Huntly Blair Gordon R.E. in 1898]
Last updated 22.03.2007
ADAM de GORDON
Killed at the siege of Alnwick, 1093.Adam
Gave two charters to the Abbey of KelsoRichard
Died about 1200Thomas
Died about 1230Thomas
Gave large tracts of land to the Abbey of Kelso. Died in 1260Alicia Gordon and Adam de Gordon (cousins)
Married Adam de Gordon, her cousin, who died at Tunis, in one of the Crusades, in 1269. She died after 1274.Adam
Resisted Edward 1 to the last, and retreated northwards, and eventually surrendered at Elgin in 1296, and died of wounds son after; m. Marjory de Cumming.Adam
Joined Wallace in his rising, but surrendered with the Cummings and joined Edward's party. After Bannockburn he became reconciled to Bruce, from whom he received the lands of Sitchell. He was sent Ambassador to the Pope in 1320, and was killed at Halidon, 19.7.1333. Married Annabella and had issue:Adam
His successor, was preset at Halidon and was killed at Durham in 1346John
Was much celebrated in his time. He defeated and took Sir John Liburn in 1371, and captured Sir Thomas Musgrave in 1372 after defeating him with an inferior force. In 1376 he received the lands of Strathbogie, in Aberdeenshire. He was present at the battle of Otterburn or Chevy Chase, and is generally said to have been killed there in 1388, but he really lived till 1394 or thereabouts.
He had one sonAdam
By Elizabeth, daughter of Cruikshanks of Assnerly, had two natural sons:
Took part in several border frays, and in 1398 was charged with a breach of the peace before the Commissioners of the Border. He was killed at Homildon in 1403. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William Keith, and left two daughters only. The younger died unmarried, and the property descended to the other daughterElizabeth
Married Alexander in 1408 the second son of Sir William Seton. He was a hostage for King James I in 1422, and died in 1440. She died in1438, leaving issue:Alexander
m. 1st: Jean, daughter of Robert de Keith, no issue
m. 2nd: Egidia, daughter of Sir John Hay, of Tullibody,
m. 3rd: Elizabeth, daughter of Lord Chrichton
In 1450 he was created Earl of Huntly, with remainder to the issue of his third marriage, who were:George
The 2nd Earl was Chancellor of Scotland from 1498 to 1502, and Lord Lieutenant of the North beyond the North Esk from 1491.
m. 1st: Elizabeth in 1455, Countess of Murray. Divorced having no issue.
m. 2nd: Annabella in 1459, daughter of King James I and widow of James, Earl of Angus; he was divorced from her in 1471, but had 4 sons and six daughters.
m. 3rd: Lady Elizabeth Hay having no issue
d. 1507Alexander
The 3rd Earl. Commanded the left wing at the battle of Flodden in 1513. Lord Lieutenant of the North, and one of the Governors during the minority of James V.
m. Janet, daughter of John, Earl of Athol.
d. 1523Alexander
The 2nd son of the 3rd Earl. Was given the lands of Strathavon, and in contemporary documents is always referred to as Alexander Gordon of Strathdown. Little is known of his personal history, but some few circumstances have been recorded. In June, 1551, he held the office of Baillie-depute of Tullynestle, in Aberdeenshire.Nothing more is heard of him till the date of the projected rebellion of the Gordons in 1562, when he was ordered by the Privy Council to surrender himself at the Borough of Haddinton between the 27th October and 12th November, and to remain within four miles of its boundaries under penalty of 5,000 marks.
Many other distinguished Gordon received similar orders, and they seem in all cases to have obeyed, as none of them were included inn the subsequent act of attainder; although indeed, as the battle of Corrichie was fought on October 28th, there would have been time for them to have taken part in the fight, and surrendered afterwards. The heir of the family, John Gordon, was present in the battle, and had his estates forfeited in consequence.
Although Alexander exchanged the lands of Strathavon for those of Cluny in 1539, he retained the revenues of the former till his death, which occurred about 1568 at Drumin Castle, which is situated in Strathavon, at the junction of the rivers Avon and Livat.
m. The youngest daughter of John Grant of Grant, by whom he had four daughters and two sons:
1. Alexander
d. young, leaving one daughter
2. John
Who succeeded to Cluny, and was the ancestor of the families of
Cluny, Birsmoir, Pittendreich, and othersThe family of Cluny was one of the first to receive the new dignity of a Baronetcy, but it was only held for two generations and became extinct about 1650. Cluny has been subsequently owned by two other families of Gordons, one a branch of the Sutherland Gordons, and another of unknown lineage.
The house of Birsmoir was one of those which lost their lands in consequence of the wars of the covenant. The representative of the family was Governor of Pennsylvania in America in the 18th c and his descendants were in existence about 1840. In addition to this family, Alexander had also two:
1. William Gordon, of whom presently
Of Delmore, and ancestor of the Croughly Family
2. George Gordon
Of Tombae, ancestor of the families of Tombae and AuchdregnieThese two sons were granted the rights and privileges of legitimate birth by a charter issued under the great seal of Scotland, at Perth, on the 24th June, 1553. Their mother's name has not been preserved but it appears most probable that they were the issue of a union peculiar to Scotland, known as "Handfasting." This custom had long prevailed among the Highlanders, and was merely a formal betrothal, which might at any subsequent time be made a marriage, valid from the date of the preliminary ceremony; or the couple might separate when they pleased. The existing law in Scotland [at the time of publication in 1895], by which a marriage legitimises any previous offspring between the couple, is probably a survival of this practice. Handfasting soon became extinct following a proclamation issued in December 1562 by the Kirk Session of Aberdeen outlawing the practice.
William Gordon (see above no. 1, son of Alexander and brother of George)
Alexander
The eldest son, succeeded to Croughly on his father's death, but Delmore was given up. Nothing is known of him except that before 1644 he had married and had children; but it is not clear whether he himself was alive at the date mentioned.William
b.1663
d. 11.12.1725John
b. 1695
m. Margaret GRANT, 14.2.1726 at Kirkmichael
d. 3.5.1738 aged 43 and is buried at Kirkmichael churchyard
JAMES
b. April 1726 and baptised 25.12.1726 Kirkmichael, Banff Of Craichlie
m. Anne FORBES, 20.3. 1760 at Kirkmichael. She d. 3.4.1818 at Laggan.
He was J.P for the county of Banff.
d. 4.1.1812Lt-Gen William Alexander CB
b. 1769; chr. Tuesday 21.3.1769 at Kirkmichael
m. 1st Elizabeth LEYS
m. 2nd Mary Anne GORDON 12.9.1823
d. 10.8.1856 Nairn, Banffshire[Surgeon-General Sir] Charles Alexander KCB
b. Saturday 26.5.1821 in the parish of Crathie & Braemar, chr 8.7.1821
m. Annie MACKINTOSH 14.3.1850 Cawdor, BanffHenry King
b. 12.5.1851 Dublin
m. Beatrice Giselle Louise INCLEDON-WEBBER1893 Barnstaple
d. 16.3.1926* * *
Compiled by Alistair Gordon
a_gordon@ntlworld.com
22.03.2007
