GORDON, Alexander of Strathavon, and of Cluny ¹

   Other names for Alexander were GORDON, Alexander of Strathaven, Sir,⁴ GORDON, Alexander of Strathdown ³ and GORDON, Alexander Laird of Strathavon.⁵

   User ID: X838.

  General Notes:

"The said Alexander their Father excambed (with his father) the Lands of Strathawen, with the Lands of Cluny in Mar, reserving his own liferent, and the Heritable Right of Blairfindy. He dyed in peace in Drummin. It seems also that the said Alexander first Laird of Strathawen first married my Lord Glames Daughter, by whom he had no children, and after her death he married Grants daughter as above."

from House of Gordon (Balbithan)




"The 2nd son of the 3rd Earl. Was given the lands of Strathavon, and in contemporary documents is always referred to as Alexander Gordon of Strathdown. Little is known of his personal history, but some few circumstances have been recorded. In June, 1551, he held the office of Baillie-depute of Tullynestle, in Aberdeenshire.
Nothing more is heard of him till the date of the projected rebellion of the Gordons in 1562, when he was ordered by the Privy Council to surrender himself at the Borough of Haddinton [sic] between the 27th October and 12th November, and to remain within four miles of its boundaries under penalty of 5,000 marks.
Many other distinguished Gordon received similar orders, and they seem in all cases to have obeyed, as none of them were included in the subsequent act of attainder; although indeed, as the battle of Corrichie was fought on October 28th, there would have been time for them to have taken part in the fight, and surrendered afterwards. The heir of the family, John Gordon, was present in the battle, and had his estates forfeited in consequence.
Although Alexander exchanged the lands of Strathavon for those of Cluny in 1539, he retained the revenues of the former till his death, which occurred about 1568 at Drumin Castle, which is situated in Strathavon, at the junction of the rivers Avon and Livat."

from Gordon DNA Project (quoted in MacFarlane Genealogy website) ^{1 3}

Alexander married.

Alexander next married LYON of Glamis, daughter of John LYON 4th Lord Glamis and Elizabeth GRAY.¹ (LYON of Glamis was born about 1495.)

  Marriage Notes:

"It seems also that the said Alexander first Laird of Strathawen first married my Lord Glames Daughter, by whom he had no children, and after her death he married Grants daughter..."

from House of Gordon (Balbithan) ¹

Alexander next married Daughter GRANT, daughter of James GRANT 3rd of Freuchie 'the Bold' and Elizabeth FORBES.^{1 2} (Daughter GRANT was born about 1514.)

  Marriage Notes:

"The said Alexander first Laird of Strathawen married the Laird of Grants Daughter with whom he begat two sons and four daughters, his eldest son Alexander, heir of Strathawen, and John Gordon. His eldest daughter married the Laird of Altar Cumming, one married the Laird of Pitsligo Forbes, one married Pat. Gordon Goodman of Oxhill, the 4th daughter married Andrew Halyburton of Drummoys."

from Balbithan MS




"A daughter, married to Alexander Gordon of Strathavon."

from Chiefs of Grant




"A Janet (see Note below) Grant was married to Alexander Gordon, Laird of Strathavon. She is said to be the youngest daughter of John Grant of Freuchie and Elizabeth Forbes, John Grant being evidently a clerical error for James Grant. In the Gordon Papers we find a Bond by Alexander Gordon of Strathavon, dated at Elgin, 5th November, 1539, which talks of 'Janet Grant my spouse and Alexander our son.' John the Grant of Culcabok and John the Grant of Ballindalloch are among the witnesses, and there is good reason for believing she was a daughter or sister of John Grant of Ballindalloch."

from Rulers of Strathspey




"Janet (see Note below) Grant, who was married to Alexander Gordon of Strathavon, is claimed as a daughter of James Grant of Freuchie, but there is good reason for believing she was a daughter or sister of John Grant of Ballindalloch (see Note below)."

from Scots Peerage (vol 7)

Note:

1

James Grant 3rd of Freuchie had a daughter Janet who married 1] Alexander Sutherland and 2] James Dempster. If the wife of Alexander Gordon was a legitimate daughter of this laird then she probably had another given name.

2

John Grant of Ballindalloch appears to have had only two sisters, Agnes and Catherine. John Grant married rather late to be the father of the wife of Alexander Gordon. ^{1 2 6}