GORDON, John of 7th of Knockespock, then of Glenbucket (2nd line), 'Old Glenbucket', Jacobite 1715 and 1745 ^{4 5}

  General Notes:

"(Gordon), John, of Glenbucket, to his father John of Knockspack, who died Oct., 1704 h. spec, in Over and Nether Knockspack, etc., in the parish of Clatt S. H., 26 Jan.; 5 Feb. 1705"

from Services of Heirs




"I infer that John G. of Kirktown of Glenbucket, being identical with John of Knockespock, thereupon acquired the rest of the lands of Glenbucket, either through a wadset or by purchase, and perhaps made that property over to bis son (who seems to have been then a young man), but retained for himself Knockespock, and his own designation as laird thereof. It must be admitted that the son continued to be called 'younger of Knockespock' up to the time he succeeded his father.

In confirmation of this view I have received from Rev. Andrew Meldrum, minister of Logierait, just in time to be added here the following sasine, for which I am much indebted to him : -

" 1701 . John Gordon, elder of Knockespock, and John Gordon, younger of, his sone, sasine of the lands of Inverbuoket and others, viz. - Milntown, Ballandmoir [now Bellamore], Balnaoraig, Balnaboth, Badinzone, Reillwallochs, Ballaohdowie, and Ballaglach [Balnaglack]."

from Gordon of Knockespock




"He (John Gordon 'The Great Glenbucket') belonged to an obscure branch of the Aberdeenshire Gordons, who were intimately connected with the ducal line as factors or 'chamberlains' of the Strathbogie portion of its enormous estates. His grandfather, George, started life on the farm of Noth, and then purchased from an older family of Gordon the estate of Knockespock. George's son John purchased in 1701 the lands of Glenbucket from another family of Gordon, who having become too big for their position smashed up. This John reinforced the Gordon blood in his son, the famous Jacobite, by marrying a Mary Gordon (belonging to the Badinscoth family) ; which accounts for much in the General's career. Born in 1673 or 1676, he was educated at King's College, Aberdeen, where he had the notorious Lord Lovat as a class-mate, and started his career loyally as a little laird. The parish of Glenbucket, which abuts on the hilly frontier of Banffshire, and its neighbouring parish the Cabrach were then and remained for many years afterwards out-of-the-way, wild places, inhabited by a particularly independent race of people, so that the men who ruled them were leaders of great force of character. Thus the laird became a power in his district, and though but a vassal of the ducal Gordons, 'Glenbucket,' as he was called, showed himself superior to his 'superior' by his attitude to the Jacobite risings."

from The Gay Gordons ^{5 6 7}

  Research Notes:

GLENBUCKET

An Aberdeenshire parish in the Strathdon area, near Towie.

"Glenbuchat.

The district has been known by various titles, among which were - Inverbuquhate in 1451, Glenbuchat in 1473, Glenbouchat in 1507, Glenbuchet in 1549, Glenbuchat in 1582, Inner Buchet in 1654, Glen Buicket in 1792, and Glenbucket in 1810 onwards, till recently altered to the title it possessed at the date of the formation of the parish. (Chamberlain Rolls; Reg. Epis. Aberd. ; Reg. Mag. Sig. ; Antiquities, IV. ; Church Tokens, etc.) Old writings show variations in these forms, and indicate that there was no fixed title."

from Aberdeenshire Epitaphs ⁸

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Witness: at baptisms, February 1703, Strathdon parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. ⁹

2. Witness: at baptism of Adam Coskie, 18 November 1703, Strathdon parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. ⁹

3. Witness: at baptism of John Forbes, 12 June 1705, Strathdon parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. ⁹

4. Witness: at baptism of Roderick Forbes, 12 March 1710, Strathdon parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. ⁹

5. Sold: to William Duff, Lord Braco, 1737, Glenbucket, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. ⁶

John married Jean FORBES, daughter of Henry FORBES 4th of Boyndlie and Daughter GORDON, in 1702.^{1 2 3} (Jean FORBES was born about 1682.)

  Marriage Notes:

"Jean, daughter of Henry Forbes, was the wife of the Great Glenbucket, which is curious, as the family of Middle Boyndlie remained Whigs in 1715 and 1745. (John Forbes, who purchased Upper Boyndlie and was the Jacobite Cess Collector, was of the family of Monymusk.) Henry Forbes made a disposition in favour of his two daughters, Jean and Margaret, March 13th, 1699, but only Jean was his heiress."

from House of Forbes




"(2110 John Gordon of Glenbucket)

"Son of John, of Knockespock, who bought Glenbucket, which had belonged to his distant relatives, the Gordons of Park (see 1643); b. about 1676 (see Note below); baillie to the Duke of Gordon, in carrying out the duties of which he was nearly murdered by the Macphersons in 1724 (Lang's Companions of Pickle; Spalding Club Misc., n. 229). 1737, sold Easter and Wester Bucket to Lord Braco (Aberdeen Reg. of Sasines, vol. 23, fol. 435), apparently in order to raise money to go to Rome to see the Chevalier, but even after the family had entirely lost the estates they were constantly spoken of as 'of Glenbucket'; m. Jean, elder dau. of Harry Forbes, of Boyndlie, and had Alexander, 1662; David, of Kirkhill, 2076; Dr. George, Jamaica; John, 'of Glenbucket,' 2127; Helen, m. John Macdonell, of Glengarry; Isobel, m. Donald Macdonell, II. of Lochgarry; Christian, m. George Forbes, of Skellater, becoming the mother of the famous Portuguese general, 'Jock' Forbes (see Dr. James Neil's Ian Roy of Skellater); Henrietta, Clementina, and Cecilia, on behalf of whom and three other brothers claims on the estate of Glenbucket were sustained in 1771."

from Gordons Under Arms

Note:

On the question of this John Gordon's age, Gordon of Knockespock says:

"[....] the name of his (John Gordon, elder's) wife is given in the Poll Book at the place quoted as Mary Gordon, and his eldest son's name as 'John, aged 20.' Old Glenbucket mentions in a letter, which will be given below, dated August 1747, that his age was 74, and that he was old and infirm. This would make him 22 in 1695-6." ^{1 2 5}