GORDON, James in Pitcraigie, DNA Linked ^{2 3 4}

   User ID: B5.

  General Notes:

Old Parish Register
Aberlour Parish Banffshire
Baptisms

"October 31st 1731
James lawful son to John Gordon in Collargreen was baptised Witnesses James Davidson in Rothes and Patrick Anderson in Mudhouse"

In the marriage record of his son James' marriage in Rothes in 1800, James was recorded as 'James Gordon in Pitcraigie in this Parish'

In 1809, James' grandchild Alexander Gordon was baptized in Rothes. His father, James, was referred to as 'James Gordon son of James Gordon in Pitcraigie'.

The Deaths and Burials Registers of Rothes Parish, Moray, hold a record for the year 1822
"Feby 3 Recd for mortcloth to James Gordon 2 "

From gravestone in Rothes cemetery, Scotland:
"Erected
in memory of
JAMES GORDON late tenementer in Rothes
who died 28th January 1822 aged 89 years
Also of his spouse ISABEL DUNCAN
who died 16th July 1827 aged 80 years"

In the death certificate of his son, Peter, in 1868, James Gordon was recorded as a tenementer by occupation.

James Gordon in Pitcraigie was the son of John Gordon in Collargreen and the grandson of John Gordon, laird of Aberlour. He married Isabel Duncan and both are buried in Rothes cemetery. One of their grandsons was George Gordon, 'natural' son of their youngest son, Peter, who was the father of George Strachan Gordon.

James Gordon in Pitcraigie was a distant cousin of Captain John Gordon of Laggan. In addition they seem to have lived reasonably near each other in dwellings around Glenrinnes. We have records of baptism of James Gordon's children where members of the Laggan family were sponsors. The two families of Gordon probably shared a common ancestor in James Gordon 4^th Laird of Lesmoir. There were no doubt other family bonds that linked them through blood and marriage as families were closely interconnected through multiple ties.

Scotland's Places online provide this information about the area, and places mentioned here can be picked up in the family history of the families above:
"Plan of The Lands of Glenrinnes, Mortlach, Banffshire

Organisation
The National Records of Scotland
Site ID
RHP2477
Date
1772-1773
Description
'A plan of the Lands of Glenrinnes lying in the Parish of Mortlich and County of Banff the Property of His Grace the Duke of Gordon'. Surveyed and drawn by Thomas Milne.
[1:3600] 1 in = 4 Scottish chains. Each part, 833 x 1770 mm. Total size 2649 x 1770 mm. Ink and colour wash. Dissected into three parts. Linen backing.
Detailed plan of Glen Rinnes showing infield-outfield lands of Recletich, Milltown of Laggan, Achlochrach, Achbreck, Achnastank, Upper, Mid and Nether Bellandy, Tomachar, Ellivreid, Knockanbeg, Achmore, Sheandow, Corhabbie, Altavallie, Badeach and Tamavlar. Field-names and acreages given. Steadings (some with occupants' names), stances, feal grounds, limestone quarries, watermill, cottars' houses and roads noted. Many annotations giving quality of ground. Table of contents. Relief by grey wash. Adjacent lands of Lord Fife noted. Reduced version of this plan of Glenrinnes, undated, by Thomas Milne - RHP2476.
Access
No digital image for this item is available. To view this item, please contact the NAS quoting the Site ID for this item.
Extent
3 plans, folded
Archival History
Records of Crown Estate Commissioners (CR)
Co-ordinates
57.3728N, 3.214W

Locations relating to this plan:
Parish Mortlach
County Banffshire" ^{4 6 7}

  Research Notes:

ROTHES

"The parish of Rothes is beautifully situated on the west bank of the river Spey. It is bounded on the south and south-west, by Aberlour and Knockando; and on the west, by Dallas; on the north-west and north, by Dallas, Birnie, Elgin, St. Andrews-Lhanbryd, and Speymouth; and on the east, by the Spey.

The parish is divided among six proprietors: the Earl of Seafield; Richard Wharton Duff, Esq. of Orton; the Duke of Richmond; William Grant M'Dowall, Esq. of Arndilly; William Robertson, Esq. of auchinroath; and Mrs. Cumming of Logie and Pitcraigie.
The whole population in the village, as computed by the census of 1841 amounts to 946; and the number of houses inhabited, 262; uninhabited, 13; buildings, 2. In the entire parish, there is a population of 1843. This parish is partly in the county of Elgin and partly in the county of Banff...

This account was written March 1842."

from The New Statistical Account of Scotland for Rothes ⁸

James married Isobel DUNCAN (DNA Linked), daughter of Robert DUNCAN in Newburgh, Botriphnie parish then in Aldbeg, Aberlour and Margaret TAYLOR, between 1772 and 1774.¹ (Isobel DUNCAN (DNA Linked) was baptised on 24 December 1739 in Botriphnie parish, Banffshire, Scotland,⁹ died on 16 July 1827 in Rothes parish, Moray, Scotland ¹⁰ and was buried in 1827 in Rothes Old Churchyard, Rothes, Moray, AB38 7AA Scotland.)

  Marriage Notes:

No record of a marriage between this couple has been found as yet.

In August 1772 a son John Gordon was baptised in Mortlach parish to this couple and was recorded as their 'natural child'. In August 1774 James Gordon was baptised in Mortlach parish and Isobel Duncan was recorded as the wife of the child's father, James Gordon. It seems, then, that for the present, the best we can conclude is that James Gordon and Isabella Duncan married after the birth of their son John and before the birth of their son James.

In January 1779 their son Peter was baptised. One of the sponsors was James Duncan of Allbeg, or Aultbeg, which was in the parish of Aberlour. Assuming that this man was a relative of Isabella and that she too came from that parish, and would have been likely to marry there it is interesting to consult the OPR marriages for the parish. According to the Genuki online tables for Church Records for marriages in Aberlour, volume 145/1 for Aberlour covers 1708 to 1774, at which month is not stated, and volume 145/2 begins at 1776 and finishes at 1819. It is just possible that the marriage which we believe may have taken place in this, or another neighbouring, parish slipped through the space between one volume and another.

¹