GORDON, James of Letterfourie, Admiral of the Scots Fleet 2
- Born: About 1485
- Marriage (1): BUTTER, Jannet 1
Another name for James was GORDON, James of Letterfurie.1
User ID: V576.
General Notes:
"... George 2d. Earl of Huntly's youngest and 4th Son James Gordon of Letterfurie."
from Balbithan MS
"James, brother of William, named in an entail of the lands of Schivas on 16 May 1498."
from Scots Peerage (vol 4) 1 2
Research Notes:
LETTERFOURIE, BUCKIE, BANFFSHIRE
Letterfourie is situated some 3 miles south of the Moray Firth coastline. Letterfourie, in Gaelic meaning 'the slope of the hill where the springs are', was part of the Earldom of Enzie, which passed, by marriage, in 1476 from the Hays, who were Earls of Errol, to the Earls of Huntly, when George Gordon, the second Earl of Huntly, married Elizabeth Hay, daughter of the first Earl of Errol.
George Gordon gave Letterfourie to his youngest son, James Gordon, who later became Admiral of Scotland in 1513.
DESCENT
There is some disagreement in the sources about whether James Gordon's mother was Annabella Stewart daughter of King James I, or Elizabeth Hay. Since the title and lands of Letterfourie passed to the Gordons through Elizabeth Hay's marriage, it seems more likely that she was the mother of James, and this is what is shown here. In addition. James is a younger son, and therefore less likely to be a son of the marriage with the king's daughter, given what is known about the circumstances of George Gordon's marriages and their issue.
THE GREAT MICHAEL
The 'Michael' was a warship, the pride of the fledgling Scots Fleet founded by King James IV of Scotland. King James, realising that building a fleet that could provide Scotland with a strong maritime presence, founded two new dockyards for the purpose and built thirty eight ships.
When she was launched in 1511 she was the largest in Europe, two hundred and forty feet in length and weighing a thousand tons, so her nickname was the 'Great Michael'. She had twice the original displacement of the Tudor ship 'Mary Rose' built a few years earlier.
Recently a model of the ship was made and photographed at Newhaven Primary School Edinburgh; the 'Michael' was built at Newhaven. Another photo of the model exists of it on display in Buntisland Kirk, Fife. She is believed to have had Mons Meg, a medieval bombard now in Edinburgh Castle, among her guns. She flew the Red Ensign, the flag of the Scots Fleet. 3 4
James married Jannet BUTTER, daughter of Patrick BUTTER 4th of Gormack and Janet GORDON.1 (Jannet BUTTER was born about 1510.)
Marriage Notes:
"James Gordon of Letterfurie married the Laird of Germachs daughter Jannet Butter with whom he begat four Sons, viz. his eldest Son John Gordon of Curriedown, Patrick Gordon of Letterfurie, Wm. Gordon in Orkney, and Alexander Gordon of Crommellat."
from Balbithan MS 1
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