GORDON, John of Knockespock, Burgess in Aberdeen

   Other names for John were GORDON, John of Knockespack ¹ and GORDONE, Jhnoe of Knockespick.²

  General Notes:

At Clatt 1680:
"The names of the elders of Clat are as followes, John Gordon of Knokespoke, Arthur Dalgarno in Blairdinny, Thomas Paterson, Andrew Couper, John Shirreffe, who being called did compeir with such of the heritors, and masters of families as were present."

from Exercise of Alford




Included in the list of Gordons within Aberdeenshire in 1696 in APPENDIX II. : POLLABLE PERSONS.:

"(John) of Knockespock, being ane heritor in Cleatt Parish, principal tennent for the time, of the toune and lands of Arclach, Dumbennan; Mary, his wife; John, his eldest son, 20 years; Alexander, his second son, 8 years; Elizabeth, his daughter, 12 years. Commissioner appointed for the parish of Dumbennan; Rachell, servant. I. 467 ; II. 413."

from House of Gordon (vol 1)




The name of John Gordon of Knockespock appears several times in the records contained in the Allardyce Jacobite Papers, undertaking themselves to act peaceably and legally in a situation where piracy and robbery were rife and in addition to prevent others from disturbing the peace by illegal behaviour:
1

In the section GIVING BOND FOR BEHAVIOUR, 1699.
between "John Fforbes of Deskry his men" and "John Elphinston of Belabeg his men" can be found:

"John Gordon of Knockaspack his men in Glenbucket

Alaster Gillenders in Dowlacks John Bettie thr James Bettie thr
Archibald Reid thr Wm. Hay in Overtoun
Wm. Reid in Crofts John Mckyoak in Torenteute
Ffrancis Reid thr Wm. Mckyoak thr
John Kelles thr Pat Gordon in Miltoun & Rol
Adam Bettie in Nethertoun Gordon his servant
Wm. Bettie thr
The above written is ane exact List of the heretors of the Lands forsd who gave Band for their mens peaceable behaviour to the comrs of justiciary at Insh the 26 27 & 28 days of Octor 1699 yeirs.."

2

In the section BONDS BY HERITORS IN PRESBYTERIES OF KINCARDINE AND ALFORD TO CONCERT MEASURES FOR THE PEACE OF THE COUNTRY, 1700.
is found among other names in the text
"Arthour Forbes of Achintoull Roderick Forbes yor of Brux John Leith of Leithhall and John Gordon of Knockaspak
for the presbiterie of Alford to meitt at Kincardine the tenth day of May ensuing"
and
"Sic Subscribetur
(among many other heritorswho signed)
J. Gordon of Laso
Nathaniell Fforbes of Argeith
Jn. Gordon of Knockaspak yor
H. Lumsden of Cushney
Ja. Gordon of Newbigging
F. Gordon of Craig"

3

Further down the same section:

"We undersubscrybing Hertors Within the Presbitries of Alford and Kincardin Haveing Mett at Scotsmilne the dait of thir presents and Haveing Conserted Measures for Secureing Our selves ffrom the Violent Depredations and robberies that are Daylie and Nightly comitted In all Corners of the saids Presbitries Have unanimously of our owin Goodwill Condescended to Pey ane Merk Scots aff off the Hundreth Pounds of Valued rent to be uplifted and appoynted ffor any Person or persons that shall apprehend the persons off Allaster Moir alias Mckdonald Angus Mckdonald alias the Haked Stier John Mckdonald alias the Laird of Glendy John Roy alias Mckinriach Alaster riach and Donald Riach Angus Dow Roderick and Alaster MckDonalds sons to Duleowir Allaster or any others whom John ffarquharsone of Invercald Wm fforbes of Craigivar Harie ffarquharsone of Whyt House Roderick fforbes younger off Brux Arthour fforbes of Auchintoule John Leith of Leith Hall and John Gordoune Elder of Knockespick whom the saids Heritors hath appoynted to meit the tent of May next at Kincardine o neill ffor ffurthe secureing the peace of the Countrie SHall Think ffitt to be Apprehended as notorious robbers and thieves"

from Jacobite Papers




"(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" ^{1 3}

  Research Notes:

JOHN GORDON "OF KNOCKESPOCK"

The House of Gordon, in referring to the two daughters of Patrick Gordon of Badenscoth, states:

"one daughter married the Laird of Knockespack Gordon, of whom is come the present Laird of Glenbuicket,
another married the Tutor of Glenbuicket John Gordon."

The 'Tutor of Glenbuicket John Gordon' referred to here was a grandson of one Sir Adam Gordon of Park and Glenbucket, and cousin of that man's grandson, also Sir Adam Gordon of Glenbucket. That is, of the 'original' Glenbucket Gordons before the estate was sold in 1701. The 'Tutor' married Agnes Gordon of Badenscoth.

The sister of Agnes of Badenscoth, the text maintains, married "the Laird of Knockespack Gordon, of whom is come the present Laird of Glenbuicket." That is, she married the father of the present Laird of Glenbucket - the latter we know was 'Old Glenbucket' whose father purchased for him Glenbucket estate in 1701. (The author also refers elsewhere to Charles Gordon of Terpersie whom we know to have been a contemporary of Old Glenbucket as the 'present' Laird of Terpersie.)

If Agnes of Badenscoth did not marry the Laird of Knockespock Gordon, then one would expect it to be her sister Elisabeth who did. Elisabeth, however, married Alexander Leslie in 1679. It might have been possible to say she married John Gordon first, then married Leslie in 1679 after John Gordon's death, for we know 'Old Glenbucket', John Gordon of Knockespock's son, was supposed to have been born in the early to mid 1670s.

All that is contradicted by the presence of the signatures of two John Gordons of Knockaspock (variously spelt), elder and younger, in the Lists of Heritors, dated 1700, in the presbyteries of Kincardine and Alford, who subcribed to measures enacted for the peace of the country. The elder would be the son of Henry of Auchlyne, and the younger the one known as John Gordon 'Old Glenbucket', before the state of Glenbucket was purchased. Presumably after the death of the elder of the two, the lairdship passed, by law or by purchase, to George Gordon his brother, who is commonly recognised as the Laird of Knockespock, while the younger John Gordon mentioned in the list became John Gordon, the new Laird of Glenbucket. The two John Gordons, father and son, were very much alive, then, after 1679.

Another sister has to be presumed, unless House of Gordon is totally wrong regarding the marriage. Moreover, House of Gordon in Appendix II of Pollable Persons 1696 lists Mary Gordon as John of Knockespock's wife. Was that sister the Mary Gordon of Badenscoth often connected with John Gordon of Glenbucket, often as his own wife? If they were husband and wife, then they were not the John Gordon and Mary Gordon who married in 1691 with a daughter Elizabeth in 1694. That marriage was the first marriage of Mary Gordon of Gight. There was a Mary Gordon, a granddaughter of Patrick Gordon of Badenscoth, born to James Gordon of Barns and Margaret Moir in 1690 that might be considered as being to the younger John Gordon of Glenbucket, but she was too old to be his mother, and since she was his first cousin she was not likely to have been his wife. The inference, from circumstantial evidence, is that the Mary Gordon who was wife of John Gordon of Knockespock, elder, that is the mother of John Gordon Laird of Glenbucket, was Mary Gordon, a daughter of Patrick Gordon of Badenscoth.




KNOCKESPOCK

The 'transfer' of Knockespock may have occurred in this generation. It was less a transfer and more a return to a feudal superior.

William Gordon became 4th laird of Knockespock when his father died about 1631. In Gordons of Cairnfield, J.M.Bulloch wrote:

'William Gordon seems to have disposed of the lands of Knockespock about 1634. He is still described as late as Aug. 7, 1635, as "of Knockespock," but he also appears as ''of Arradoul" at the same time. He was baillie to Lord Gordon ("Mackintosh Muniments," No. 385), and much in the confidence of the Huntly family.'

The 4th laird William's son, James was known as

'Captain James Gordon "Apparent of Knockespock", and 3rd of Arradoul'

James had a son, Robert, to whom J.M.Bulloch referred in Gordons of Cairnfield. It seems to have been with Robert that the association with Knockespock dissolved with that family, possibly about 1663 or thereabouts, at his death,and reverted to their feudal superiors of Terpersie, probably in the lifetime of William, 3rd laird of Terpersie.

William, or his son James, the 4th laird, would have been free to assign the land within his own family. This appears to have been what happened, since the brother of James, William's son, Henry, had a son John who was later referred to as the Laird of Knockespock, certainly by 1680. The latter also had a son, John, more famously known at a later time as 'old Glenbucket'. These two John Gordons, before the Glenbucket title was ever used in that family, were known as John Gordon elder of Knockespock and John Gordon younger of Knockespock. Witness:

a]

At Clatt 1680:
"The names of the elders of Clat are as followes, John Gordon of Knokespoke, Arthur Dalgarno in Blairdinny, Thomas Paterson, Andrew Couper, John Shirreffe, who being called did compeir with such of the heritors, and masters of families as were present."

from Exercise of Alford



b]

In the section BONDS BY HERITORS IN PRESBYTERIES OF KINCARDINE AND ALFORD TO CONCERT MEASURES FOR THE PEACE OF THE COUNTRY, 1700.
is found among other names in the text
"Arthour Forbes of Achintoull Roderick Forbes yor of Brux John Leith of Leithhall and John Gordon of Knockaspak
for the presbiterie of Alford to meitt at Kincardine the tenth day of May ensuing"
and
"Sic Subscribetur
(among many other heritorswho signed)
J. Gordon of Laso
Nathaniell Fforbes of Argeith
Jn. Gordon of Knockaspak yor
H. Lumsden of Cushney
Ja. Gordon of Newbigging
F. Gordon of Craig"
and



c]

Further down the same section
"We undersubscrybing Hertors Within the Presbitries of Alford and Kincardin Haveing Mett at Scotsmilne the dait of thir presents and Haveing Conserted Measures for Secureing Our selves ffrom the Violent Depredations and robberies that are Daylie and Nightly comitted In all Corners of the saids Presbitries Have unanimously of our owin Goodwill Condescended to Pey ane Merk Scots aff off the Hundreth Pounds of Valued rent to be uplifted and appoynted ffor any Person or persons that shall apprehend the persons off Allaster Moir alias Mckdonald Angus Mckdonald alias the Haked Stier John Mckdonald alias the Laird of Glendy John Roy alias Mckinriach Alaster riach and Donald Riach Angus Dow Roderick and Alaster MckDonalds sons to Duleowir Allaster or any others whom John ffarquharsone of Invercald Wm fforbes of Craigivar Harie ffarquharsone of Whyt House Roderick fforbes younger off Brux Arthour fforbes of Auchintoule John Leith of Leith Hall and John Gordoune Elder of Knockespick whom the saids Heritors hath appoynted to meit the tent of May next at Kincardine o neill ffor ffurthe secureing the peace of the Countrie Shall Think ffitt to be Apprehended as notorious robbers and thieves"




Later, when Glenbucket estate became available and was purchased either by John Gordon elder or younger of Knockespock, Knockespock was sold, but remained within the family. In an email of September 2013 Judith Grimes wrote:

'George (Gordon of Knockespock) became the VIII Laird of Knockespock after purchasing it from his kinsman, John Gordon of Glenbucket on 23 March 1705. (Ref: Captain Douglas Wimberley in the Appendix of "On the Family of Gordon of Terpesie with a Table of their Descendants".)'




Gordons Under Arms, in referring to Adam Gordon of Park, who sold Glenbucket estate, gives this account of the sale:
"Eldest son of Adam (d. 1693), of Glenbucket, and Jean Douglas, of the Glenbervie family. 1696, imprisoned his mother for thirty days in Glenbucket Castle (as she complained to the Privy Council). 1701, got into debt, and had to dispose of the property to John Gordon, of Knockespock, father of the notorious Jacobite, General John Gordon, of Glenbucket."




In his book on the Family of Gordon of Knockespock, Douglas Wymberley writes:
'We learn from the Poll Book (1695-6) that Adam of Glenbucket was then deceased, and that "the valuation of that part of Glenbucket which belonged to the umquhil Adam G. of Glenbucket, was £740; and that Adam Gordon, his son, having renounced to be air to his deceast father before the Sheriff of Aberdeen and denyes to be heretor, is pollable only as a gentleman in £3 Scots of general poll." Thirteen holdings are mentioned, and in the upper part of the Glen, Badenyon, and others. We learn further that Jean Douglas was "lyverentrix of Glenbucket," and Robert and Alexander are the sons, Margaret, Helen, and Jacobina the daughters ; "all these fyve children are unprovyded (Poll Book, Vol. I., pp. 517-18). These
seem to be Jean Douglas's children.
But at the same date, John Gordon of Kirkton of Glenbucket's valuation is also given as being £45; his wife .... [sic] Elizabeth his daughter: their poll 6s. each. I am inclined to take this John to be identical with John of Knockespock (1663), whose wife was Mary Gordon, daughter of Patrick Gordon of Badenscoth.'




There are references in the Strathdon Parish Register of Baptisms from February 1703 onwards which refer to 'John Gordon elder and younger of Glenbucket' as witnesses. One such is in June 1705, that is, after October 1704 when House of Gordon says John Gordon of Knockespock died. If these dates are correct as given, this last must refer to 'Old Glenbucket', the Jacobite leader and his son, also called John, who was probably born in the early 1690s. Whether 'Old Glenbucket's father, John, who died in 1704, was the elder John referred to as John Gordon of Glenbucket in the baptisms before October 1704, we can only speculate. ^{3 4 5 6 7 8 9}

John married someone Mary GORDON, daughter of Patrick GORDON of Badenscoth and Jean OGILVY. (Mary GORDON was born about 1660.)