GORDON, Father of John of Muirake ¹

   User ID: B755.

  General Notes:

From the details of the dispute outlined in House of Gordon it seems that this man died while his son was a minor, or if not, that for some other reason, the youngster became a ward of Alexander Abercromby of Birkenbog who was murdered in 1594 by the Gordon faction as a result of the dispute and vendetta between them. (from Leichestoun) ¹

  Research Notes:

MUIRAKE

Muirake is in Fordyce parish, near Cornhill, in Banffshire, south of Portsoy and north-east of Gordonstown.

Father married Daughter ABERCROMBY, daughter of Alexander ABERCROMBY of Pitmedden and Elizabeth LESLIE.¹ (Daughter ABERCROMBY was born about 1551.)

  Marriage Notes:

"1592-1610. - The most notable event in Leichestoun's career was his vendetta with the Abercrombys of Birkenbog, which reached a climax in the brutal murder of Alexander Abercromby in 1594, and lasted close upon twenty years, affecting other branches of the house of Lesmoir, notably the Gordons of Newton. It is somewhat difficult to discover the cause of the quarrel, for the genealogical points are far from clear. John Gordon of Leichestoun's wife is described as the 'dochter-in-law' of Alexander Abercromby, who was murdered in 1594. But the phrase 'dochter-in-law' is always vague in documents of the period. There also enters into the dispute a John Gordon of Muirake, a minor, the 'oy' of Alexander Abercromby."


"On April 26 (1593) the four Leichestouns made a second attack, somewhat changing their ground. They espoused the cause of William Gordon in Donemad, a tenant of John Gordon of Muirake, who was Abercromby's oy and ward. This William may have been a relation of the Leichestouns, for his wife's brother is described as William Gordon, 'the King's rebel', possibly William Gordon of Leichestoun."

from Leichestoun ¹