GORDON, William 5th of Gight 2General Notes: "William Gordon, the fifth laird of Gight, son of John, the fourth laird, by Margaret Gordon of the Lesmoir family, seemed to have been impelled by the double dose of Gordon blood in his veins to outdo his predecessors in a spirit of rebellion. The check which the advent of the Kirk implied lashed him into a fury of revolt, and this was accentuated in the conduct of his seven stalwart sons, and several of his grandsons, including the eighth laird of Gight, and his cousin, Nathaniel Gordon of Ardlogie, whom the Kirk at last beheaded (1646). Before he succeeded to Gight in 1592, William had made himself a terror." Noted events in his life were: 1. Quarrel, 1576. he quarrelled with Thomas Fraser and this led to Fraser's death. 2. Burgess, 1582. He received the honour of free burgess of Aberdeen. 3. feud with the Keiths, 1587-1597. 4. Moray affair, 1591-1592. 5. wounded, 1594. He was wounded fighting at the battle of Glenlivet. 6. Excommunication, April 1595. General Assembly of the Kirk ordered his arrest on account of the Moray affair. 7. Burgess, January 1597. 8. Quarrel, 1601. This time he quarrelled with the Mowats and the Hays, and was denounced as a rebel. he fled and escaped to England. 9. Burial, 1605. He was buried with full Roman Catholic honours. William married Isobel OCHTERLONY, daughter of James OCHTERLONY younger, of that Ilk and Agnes BETON (BETHUNE).1 (Isobel OCHTERLONY was born about 1544 and died in May 1604 1.) Marriage Notes: "William Gordon married Isobel Ochterlony, daughter of (William ?) Ochterlony of Kelly (Balbithan MS.)." |