The House of Gordon

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When the call came they did not hesitate. They were men of Scotland. They were Gordon Highlanders. . . . . . . #gordonhighlanders #lestweforget #remember #rememberance #poppy #rememberanceday #scotspirit #houseofgordon #clangordon #gordonclan #gordonfamily #bydand #britisharmy #armisticeday #armistice #scotlandisnow #scotland #gordons #agordonforme #militaryhistory #history #heritage #visitscotland https://ift.tt/2X8Vd2C

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There's just a few more days until the deadline for offers for this splendid old castle of ours in centuries gone by! Craig Castle in Aberdeenshire is for sale for £400,000 with 63 acres of land, and was a clan stronghold for the Gordons for hundreds of years. . The original tower was begun by Patrick Gordon of Craig in 1510, and following his death at the Battle of Flodden, it was completed by his son William. The centuries have seen two further additions to the building, in the 19th and 18th centuries, resulting in a fascinating mix of architectural styles, adorned with the colourful heraldry of the Gordons and their successors in ownership the Craick and Barlas families. . The building was possibly the only castle in Scotland to have been the victim of a Zeppelin bombing when newly installed electric lighting is thought to have attracted a lost airship to this remote corner of Aberdeenshire. Who wants to buy it back for the clan? We'll give you a free membership! . . . . #houseofgordon #clangordon #gordonclan #bydand #craigcastle #castle #scottishhistory #scottishheritage #thegordons #gordonfamily #history #scotspirit #aberdeenshire #scottishcastle #scottishclans #rhynie #gordon #gordonofcraig #castle #scotland #scotlandisnow — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/2BShsjh

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Did you know today is International Heraldry Day? The Gordons have a particularly rich heraldic heritage, with over 130 different "coats of arms" borne by members of the family. Many of these have their origin in centuries past, but new arms are still registered even now in modern times! All new Scottish arms are granted by the Lord Lyon King of Arms in Edinburgh and protected by the strictest laws on heraldry in the world. Are you tempted to add to the heraldic heritage of the clan? Let us know if you ever decide to record your arms so we can add yours to the clan armorial! — view on Instagram http://bit.ly/2ZghEma

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Have you heard of the Gordon Setter? Some of the earliest examples of this handsome breed of dog were reared at Gordon Castle by our past chief Alexander Gordon, the 4th Duke of Gordon. The dog has a rather distinctive appearance - mainly black, with an orange colour around the muzzle and paws. They were originally bred as gun dogs, to assist with the hunting of game birds, such as grouse and pheasant. These days, with intense loyalty to their owners and an affectionate nature, they also make wonderful family pets. . Recently, there has been a considerable downturn in the number of Gordon Setters being registered, with the result that the species faces the prospect of extinction in the long term. Present-day owners of Gordon Castle estate, Angus and Zara Gordon Lennox, are hoping to draw attention to the breed's plight by organising the largest gathering of Gordon Setters ever at this year's Gordon Castle Highland Games on May 19th. . We wish them luck. It would be a great shame to see these beautiful animals vanish into history. . This great pic of a Gordon Setter running on the beach was taken by Adam Ziaja. . . . . . . #houseofgordon #clangordon #gordonclan #bydand #gordoncastle #gordonsetter #dogsofinsta #scotland #scottishclans #scottishhistory #scotlandisnow #scotspirit #visitscotland #moray #highlandgames #gamedoghistory #history #setter #dukeofgordon #fochabers #kennelclub — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/2Hfbb58

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On this day in 1562, the Battle of Corrichie was fought on the slopes of Meikle Tap, near Aberdeen.

The battle was the culmination of simmering tensions between George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly, and Mary, Queen of Scots.

As one of Mary's few remaining Catholic nobles in country by then transformed by the phenomenon of the Protestant Reformation, it might have been expected that Huntly would have been amongst the least likely to openly oppose his Queen.

Nevertheless, oppose her he did. Angry at the granting of the Earldom of Moray he believed was his birthright to Mary's half-brother James Stewart, he would not give his son John up to the Queen as demanded, and his lieutenant at Inverness Castle refused Mary entry to the northern fortress. Huntly was soon declared a rebel, and formed an army of around 700 men before marching towards Aberdeen.

Huntly's army was met by a considerably larger force outside the city led by the Earl of Moray, and soundly defeated. He was said to have died of a heart attack and shortly afterwards his son John was executed in Aberdeen, apparently not without the tears of the Queen, who, it was rumoured, had been a lover of the young man.

Today, the battlefield, now largely covered by commercial forestry is marked by a solitary granite standing stone, inscribed with the Gaelic "Cuimhnichibh La Coire Fraoichidh" - Remember the Day of Corrichie.

Sincere thanks to Mel Stephens (https://ift.tt/2ORjGZ8) for his atmospheric picture of the battlefield monument. — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/2CNllIb

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On this day in 1815, the fate of a continent was decided upon the fields of Waterloo. One of those present on that pivotal morning all those years ago was Lieutenant Colonel Sir Alexander Gordon, who sadly perished as a result of injuries sustained in the battle. . As Wellington's aide-de-camp, he was a trusted comrade, and perhaps a measure of the importance Wellington attached to their friendship can be drawn from these words of a witness to Wellington's last few minutes with the man who had accompanied him through all the struggle of the previous six years, only to fall so cruelly at this last hurdle: . "As I entered, he sat up in bed, his face covered in the dust and sweat of the previous day, and extended his hand to me, which I took and held in mine, whilst I told him of Gordon's death, and of such of the casualties as had come to my knowledge. He was much affected. I felt tears dropping fast upon my hand and looking towards him, saw them chasing one another in furrows over his dusty cheeks. He brushed them suddenly away with his left hand, and said to me in a voice tremulous with emotion, 'Well, thank God, I don't know what it is to lose a battle; but certainly nothing can be more painful than to gain one with the loss of so many of one's friends'. . Wellington's letter to Alexander's brother the 4th Earl of Aberdeen, informing him of his death, is preserved at the earl's seat of Haddo House to this day, where a dignified memorial to him has been visible to visitors for almost two centuries. Alexander is also the only British officer with the honour of his own memorial on the battlefield itself. Both are lasting reminders of a Gordon, like so many others, cut down in his prime in an honourable cause. — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/2JYLDLl

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Well we thought we'd better have a go at tying ourselves in with the goings-on in Windsor today! Perhaps the closest connection of Prince Harry with the Gordons is that his father was the last Colonel-in-Chief of the Gordon Highlanders regiment before its amalgamation in 1994. Our pic above shows him wearing his Dress Uniform, including the Gordon kilt and Bydand cap badge. The Gordon Highlanders, described as the 'finest regiment in the world' by Winston Churchill, were raised by our Chief Alexander 4th Duke of Gordon in the 18th century. His wife the Duchess was a sparkling society hostess in her day, and was very successful at matchmaking her daughters - three were married to Dukes and one to a Marquess. No doubt the Duchess would be gratified to know that Prince Harry is a descendant of two of these daughters - Georgiana and Charlotte! Charlotte's son (and Harry's ancestor) Charles Gordon-Lennox inherited Gordon Castle and the Gordon estates on the death of her brother the 5th Duke of Gordon in 1836. Since St George's Chapel is also the chapel of the Order of the Garter, of which Charles was a knight, his coat of arms could be seen by wedding guests in the Choir of the chapel, together with the three other Gordon Knights of the Garter created over the centuries. The new Scottish title of Earl of Dumbarton that Harry was given this morning by the Queen also has Gordon links. The original holder of that title was George Douglas, who was the son of Lady Mary Gordon, and grandson of the 1st Marquis of Huntly, our Clan Chief back in the 17th century. The 1st Marquis was responsible for building the magnificent castle that graces our Facebook cover photo! Finally, both Harry's father Charles and his grandfather Phillip, together with much of the rest of the Royal Family, attended school at Gordonstoun in Moray, an ancient seat of the Gordons of Gordonstoun; and the royal seats of Balmoral and Birkhall were both ancient properties of the Gordons. — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/2IBdQUy

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We are delighted to hear of a musical comedy running in the US this month about the outrageous Victorian conman, the so-called "Lord Gordon Gordon". This charlatan turned up in Minneapolis, in the summer of 1871, draping himself in tartan and claiming to be the heir of the (non-existent) "Earls of Gordon". He quickly became a social darling and mixed amongst the state's great and the good. Soon, he was being wined and dined at vast expense by General John Loomis, the Land Commissioner of the Northern Pacific Railroad, who believed this seemingly wealthy gentleman was in the market for the large expanses of land he was looking to sell. It was, of course, a lie, and "Gordon Gordon" vanished within the year. Perhaps the apogee of his disgraceful behaviour occurred when he almost started a war between the United States and Canada. The cad had pretended he held vast amounts of shares in the Erie Railroad Company, and made a deal with Jay Gould, then one of the richest men in America, that he would allow him to keep control of the company, provided he furnished him with half a million in shares and cash. Unfortunately for the scoundrel, Gould became suspicious when the "lord" began selling shares, and he halted the deal. "Gordon Gordon" fled once again to Canada, but this time he was tracked down by some of his victims. They attempted to bring him back to the US, but were arrested for kidnap themselves by the Canadian police, sparking off angry demands for a militia to be sent North of the border to bring back these American citizens. Only the intervention of the US President Ulysses S. Grant and the Canadian Prime Minister Sir John McDonald prevented things escalating more seriously. Eventually, "Gordon Gordon" was caught by police in Toronto, but, cunning to the end, managed to go out on his own terms - he told the officers he wished to retrieve his hat to warm himself in the cool winter air before bringing a gun to his temple and blowing his brains out! — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/2G19iVv

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Almost seven centuries ago the seals of eight earls and thirty one barons of Scotland were attached to the most important scroll in Scottish history. Four of Robert de Bruce’s most trusted allies were chosen for the crucial task of safely conveying this document to the Papal court in Avignon. Six years after fighting for his King at Bannockburn, and soon after receiving the reward of the abundant lands of Strathbogie in Aberdeenshire, one of these four loyal men was Sir Adam de Gordon. The stirring words of this message proclaimed the independence of the realm of Scotland: “For so long as there shall be but one hundred of us remain alive we will never give consent to subject ourselves to there dominion of the English. For it is not glory, it is not riches, neither is it honour, but it is freedom alone that we fight and contend for, which no honest man will lose but with his life”. The declaration certainly had an effect: soon the Pope wrote to Edward II of England, urging him to make peace with the Scots. The sentence of excommunication on Bruce was lifted, and he was acknowledged as King of Scots. Once more the Gordons had played their part in the destiny of the Kingdom. — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/2EtebGg

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This man is Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries. He grew up near the small town of Ellon in Aberdeenshire, but during the course of his military career went on to twice save Peter the Great from the murderous intrigues of his half-sister Sofia, and was buried in one of the most magnificent funerals Moscow had ever seen. It was said the Tsar himself closed his eyes and left his deathbed in tears. You can read more about the extraordinary impact he had on the course of Russian history on our Facebook page at http://ift.tt/2oBdq85, or just search there for 'House of Gordon'! — view on Instagram http://ift.tt/2F6Dked

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We would like to wish all our clansfolk, wherever in the world their family history has taken them, the happiest of Christmas Days tomorrow with your own little clan gatherings! We'll leave you this year with a rather festive picture of Huntly Castle during the recent cold snap here in Aberdeenshire. It has weathered innumerable winters over the centuries. We hope you weather the mince pies and turkey on the horizon in much the same way.

This wonderful picture was kindly shared by @rach_bikes_and_hikes. Many thanks Rachel!

[houseofgordon]

Once, the boar's head banner of the Gordons flew proudly in the wind across a host of castles across the North-East of Scotland. Over the centuries and one by one, many of these fortresses passed out of the hands of our historic scottish clan. It was the fate of some to fall into dereliction and ruin, and others for the history of the family that once dwelt between their walls to be forgotten and disappear from memory.

But not so at Cluny - there, the 25 year old Baron of Cluny, Cosmo Linzee-Gordon is fighting to keep the venerable old estate in Gordon hands. Time and change has taken it's toll over the years and the expense of keeping the castle going is vast. He hopes to secure the castle's future by throwing open its doors to those who wish to pledge their love one another in this romantic setting, or experience the life of a laird by staying a while in the beautiful West Wing of this magnificent building.

This stunning aerial footage of the castle shows off the building wonderfully - it's well worth popping your earphones on for the stirring musical accompaniment!

Cluny Castle's web address is www.clunycastle.com.

[houseofgordon]

#throwbackthursday to our tent at the Aboyne Highland Games this summer, where we welcomed Gordons from near and far! You'll find tents like this one at games in Australia, New Zealand and the USA, where you can find out about your family heritage and meet some of your distant cousins! The one on the left here will 'boar' you to death with facts about Gordon family history although his computer skills come in handy for updating these social media accounts! The Aboyne Games are always held on the first Saturday of August near our Chief's seat at Aboyne Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. — view on Instagram http://ift.tt/2yUUMQ0

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We were saddened to hear of the death of Charles Gordon-Lennox, Duke of Richmond and Gordon, earlier this month at his home in Sussex.

Charles was a direct descendant of some of the most important figures in Gordon family history. His ancestor Charlotte Gordon, daughter of the 4th Duke of Gordon who raised the Gordon Highlanders, famously held the "Waterloo Ball" on the eve of that titanic battle, before it was cut short by news of Napoleon's advance. His father Frederick gave Huntly Castle to the people of the town for a matter of shillings - and now it is visited by thousands of Gordons the world over.

Charles himself brought his ancestral seat of Goodwood back from near-dereliction and with his son, made it an internationally famous destination for horse and motor racing. He was proud of his Gordon heritage and a life member of our clan society. We wish the family our most sincere condolences.

Pictured above are the late Duke’s armorial bearings, one of the most complex of the many matriculated by Gordons over the centuries. The top left and bottom right quarters represent his Royal lineage from Charles II, the top right his Dukedom of Lennox, and the bottom left the Dukedom of Gordon.

This image was skilfully drawn by @saltspan via Wikimedia.

[houseofgordon]

In just two week's time, the 150th Aboyne Highland Games will fill the town of Aboyne in Aberdeenshire with the stirring sounds of the massed pipe bands and the many thousands of visitors who flock to the event. Held on the village green, the games are presided over by our chief the Marquis of Huntly, whose ancient seat of Aboyne Castle lies nearby, standing sentinel over this strategic crossing point on the River Dee.

The raising of the Chief's standard marks the formal beginning of the games, while the banners of his kinsmen the Marquess of Aberdeen, and John Gordon of Abergeldie fly in the breeze nearby together with the other patrons of the games. The House of Gordon tent by the ringside welcomes those eager to hear more about the history of the family.

This Pathe news clip from the mid 1950s gives a marvellous glimpse of the games in days gone by. Modern day visitors will notice much that is familiar!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQB67npX8FY

[houseofgordon]

In the mid 17th century, Scotland became convulsed by religious conflict between supporters of King Charles I, and Covenanters who believed the king was overstepping his authority and seeking to return Scotland to Catholicism.

George Gordon, 2nd Marquis of Huntly was a Royalist, and at a meeting with Covenanter rebels where he had been promised safe-conduct, was arrested and taken to Edinburgh. The quotation above was the last line of his reply when he was implored to join the rebel army.

George was to share the fate of his King, being beheaded at the Mercat Cross in Edinburgh 22 March 1649. His steadfast loyalty to his King was not forgotten however, with his grandson George being elevated by Charles II to the Dukedom of Gordon.

This portrait is courtesy of the National Galleries of Scotland.

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