clan gordon
The name Gordon comes from the parish of
Gordon in Berwickshire and Sir Adam of Gordon was granted
Strathbogie, confiscated from the Earl of Atholl, in Aberdeenshire
by Robert the Bruce in return for service to Bruce's cause,
including being one of the ambassador's to Rome. The Gordon's
wielded enormous power during the 16th and 17th centuries,
and was known as "the Cock of the North".
The castle of Strathbogie was renamed Huntly after a part
of the Gordon lands in the Borders. In 1436 Alexander Gordon
was named Lord Gordon and his son was given the title of
Earl of Huntly.
During the fighting between the Douglases and the King,
the Gordons sided with the Royals. Their lands were then
raised and the castle of Huntly burned when the Gordons
moved south to aid the King. However, once the power of
the Douglases was broken the Gordons grew unchallenged.
The fourth Duke of Gordon (1743-1827) raised his own regiment
known as the Gordon Highlanders for whom the yellow stripe
was introduced into the Black watch tartan. He was also
Chancellor of Scotland in 1547 and a close friend of Mary
of Guise, mother of Mary Queen of Scots.
During the 1715 and 1745 Jacobite rebellions Gordons fought
on both sides. The second Duke of Gordon followed the "Old
Pretender" at Sheriffmuir but the third Duke fought
for the Hanoverians against Prince Charlie at Culloden.
The Duke's brother, Lord Louis Gordon, raised two battalions
of Gordons to fight for the Prince. He died in France in
1754.
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