GORDON, Adam 8th of that Ilk, Justiciar of Lothian, Sir ^{1 2}

   Another name for Adam was DE GORDUN, Adam 8th of that Ilk, Sir.

   User ID: X95.

  General Notes:

"SIR ADAM GORDON, who first appears on record as doing homage to King Edward I. at Elgin on 28 July 1296, and then held the rank of Knight, which negatives Ferrerius' suggestion that he was so created by King Robert Bruce for his services.......

In 1300 he was Warden of the Bast March, and in the following year an envoy to treat of peace at the instance of France. He surrendered to Edward with John Comyn of Badenoch in February 1303-4, and later on, in 1305, was appointed one of the Scots Commissioners to the English Parliament. For his adherence to Comyn's party he was fined three years' rent of his lands, but was appointed one of the Justiciars of Lothian under the English rule, a post which he held until 1312. In 1306 he held the castle of Inverkip in the English interest, and was ordered to keep Sir Thomas Randolph a sure prisoner there.

Two years later he had a grant from King Edward of Randolph's lands of Stichel, on 4 March 1308-9, which was the first time that property came into the family. In 1310 he had a grant of 100 merks to recompense him for the loss of his lands in Scotland, which shows that he was then opposed to Bruce, who was beginning to gain supremacy in Scotland. It was not until the end of 1313 that Sir Adam forsook his allegiance to England, a fact which refutes Ferrerius' statement that he received the lordship of Strathbogie from Bruce at Perth on 16 June 1311. The cause of his final break with England was the answer of King Edward II. to a petition presented by the Earl of Dunbar and Sir Adam on behalf of those of the English adherents in the south of Scotland, complaining that their lands and goods were harried, not only by the loyal Scots, but by the English commanders, one of whom had unjustly imprisoned Sir Adam himself, exacting a fine of 1000 merks, and who refused redress. Edward promised that he would lead an army into Scotland, which he did, and was defeated at Bannockburn.

This interview with the King, and a formal release from his security of 1000 merks, are the last notices of Sir Adam in the English records. It has been stated that the reason why he was imprisoned was because his loyalty to England was sus-pected, but this is doubtful. His treatment, however, by the English King apparently led to his joining Bruce either before or after Bannockburn. In any case, his services were rewarded by a new charter of the lands of Stichel, on 28 June 1315, to himself and William Gordon, his second son, granted by the Earl of Moray, and confirmed by King Robert.

In 1320 he was Ambassador from Scotland, carrying to Pope John xxn. the famous letter by the Scottish barons dated 6 April 1320."

from Scots Peerage

Adam married Amabilia.¹ (Amabilia was born about 1272.)

  Marriage Notes:

"His (Sir Adam Gordon's) wife, whose family is unknown, was named Amabilla."

from Scots Peerage ¹