GORDON, George Strachan

   Cause of his death was apparently cerebral haemorrhage.

   Another name for George was GORDON, George.^{3 4}

   User ID: B2.

  General Notes:

George's christening was registered in the Parish Register of the parish of Clatt in Aberdeenshire. It read as follows:
' Gordon & Home
June 12
George Gordon, Wright, lately residing in Hardgate of Clatt, and Christian Home at Mains of Tullyangus, had a natural son born on the twelfth day of June, Eighteen hundred and forty five, named George Strachan, and baptized on the twenty ninth day of July following by the Rev. James Walker; Witnesses, Robert Gordon, Senr., Gordonston, and George Leggat, Farmer, in Mains of Tullyangus.'
A note to the left of the entry explains some crossing out evident in the entry:
'*should be the twelfth day of June as corrected in the entry.
John Minto TC '

The 1851 census for Clatt Aberdeenshire recorded George Gordon living with his mother, Christina Home, and his sister, Georgina Gordon, at Mains of Tullyangus. George was 5 years of age and had been born in Clatt.

In 1861 the census for the parish of Premnay in Aberdeenshire recorded a servant called George Gordon working there. He was working on a farm, at Edengarioch, owned or rented by David Brown, a 64 year old farmer of 108 acres employing eight labourers. Apart from Brown and his wife Mary, all the personnel at the farm were unmarried, including George. As well as Brown's three adult children who worked on the farm there were three servants of which George was one. He was recorded as a 'cattleman'. There was a female domestic servant, Jessie Cruikshank, aged 14 years, a ploughman, Henery Craig, aged 19 years, and George, aged 15 years, the youngest person on the farm. His birthplace was noted as Clatt.

In late December 1867 George Gordon's son Peter, by Helen Shand, was born in the parish of Keig Aberdeenshire.

George Gordon was working in 1871 at a farm in Old Meldrum parish according to the census for Aberdeenshire of that year. He was a farm servant to Alexander Whyte, a 62 year old farmer of 365 acres, 347 of which were arable. George lived in Ardconan Bothie and was recorded as 23 years of age. His birthplace was Clatt.

In 1876 George Gordon married Normina Winton in Edinburgh.

In November 1877 George's daughter Norminnie was born, and it was he who registered her birth. He was recorded in the birth certificate as being a police constable.

George registered the birth of his son James in the parish of Temple, Midlothian on May 6th 1879. His occupation then was recorded as policeman.

In May 1880 George registered the birth of his daughter, Christina, at Temple. He was recorded then as being a policeman.

The census of 1881 for Liberton in Edinburgh recorded George Gordon and his family living at Dalkeith Road Police Station. George was head of the household and worked as a Police Constable. He was aged 35 years and had been born in Clatt in Aberdeenshire. Living with him were his wife, three sons, David, George and James, and two daughters, Normina and Christina.

When Alexander Gordon was born in 1881 it was his father George, a police constable, who had been present where the birth took place, who registered his son's birth. He gave notice before the registrar, William Cochrane, at Liberton on 31 December 1881.

When William Gordon was born in 1884 it was his father George, now a labourer in an oil works, who registered his son's birth. He gave notice before the registrar, William Cochrane, at Liberton on 10 July 1884.

George Gordon with his wife and six children were recorded by the 1891 census at 32 Low Port, Linlithgow. The census recorded George's age as 45 years and that he had been born in Clatt, Aberdeenshire. His occupation was that of 'retortman'.

In the marriage certificate of his son Peter, by Helen Shand, in 1896 George Strachan Gordon was recorded as a general labourer.

In the marriage certificate of her daughter Janet in 1897, Normina Winton was the only parent of Janet Winton listed. She was recorded as 'Normina Winton domestic servant now wife of George Strachan Gordon oil refiner'.

When George Wright Gordon, George's son, married in 1900, his father was recorded in the marriage certificate as 'George Strachan Gordon oilwork labourer'.

In 1901 George, his wife and two of his sons, James and William, were recorded living together at Lagandorach Place, Pumpherston, Mid Calder in West Lothian, in a house with two windowed rooms. George's age was recorded as 54 years and his occupation as general labourer. He had been born in Clatt, Aberdeenshire.

George was an oilwork labourer, according to the marriage lines of his son James in 1906.

The 1911 census for Uphall West Lothian recorded George Gordon as head of a household comprising George aged 64 years, his wife Normina aged 60 years, and a boarder, John McGlone, a single man aged 21 years, living at Hawthorn Cottage. George was recorded as a general labourer in the oilworks and had been born in Clatt, Aberdeenshire. His boarder, John, born in Dalmeny, worked as a butcher in the co-operative society.

George died in 1929. He was recorded in his death certificate as a retired gardener married to Normina Winton. His age was recorded as 83 years. His usual residence was noted as Greenend, Liberton, Edinburgh. Both of his parents were deceased.

In 1933, when his son James died, James' death certificate recorded both of James' parents as then deceased. (This is partly mistaken. Normina Gordon, George's wife, did not in fact die until 1937). His father George was recorded in James's death certificate as having been an 'oilworker'.

George's son Peter died in 1936. In his death certificate George Strachan Gordon was recorded as an 'oil worker deceased'.

In 1943 when his daughter Christina died, George was recorded as a 'police sergeant deceased'.

In the death certificate of his son, George Wright Gordon, in 1953, George Gordon was recorded as a 'gardener deceased'. ^{3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13}

  Research Notes:

HARDGATE OF CLATT

The 1841 census records that Hardgate in the parish of Clatt was an area of tradesmen's households. There was in fact at Hardgate a 'Carpenter's House' that contained the Anderson family and a Carpenter's House Unoccupied. There was also a Merchant's and a Blacksmith's House there. The Andersons were related to Christian Home, Margaret Anderson being her sister, Margaret Home. Margaret's husband was a master carpenter and took on apprentices and journeymen who were working their way through the system to qualify in their own wright (!)

PREMNAY PARISH

Premnay is about eight miles from Clatt in a slightly southwesterly direction. The distance could be covered walking in about two to three hours. Edengarioch in earlier centuries was the home of the Leith family.

OLD MELDRUM PARISH

Old Meldrum is situated about nineteen miles east of Clatt.

BOTHY OR BOTHIE

A bothy is either a simple shelter for walkers or climbers in hilly areas, left unlocked for their use and protection, or a basic form of accommodation found on farms and estates for the servants and workers who labour there.

PUMPHERSTON

Pumpherston refers both to the village of Pumpherston in West Lothian and the Pumpherston Oil Company who moved into the village in 1884 and built over two hundred houses for the workers in the shale mining industry which it introduced there. The Company refined the oil from the shale the miners produced.

The houses were brick built and of different sizes, some were back to back. There was a washhouse for every four tenants, and gardens were provided for the use of the tenants. A good library and hall existed nearby, and there was a bowling green in the centre of the village.

Evidence of this late 19th century and early 20th century phenomenon has largely vanished. A golf course occupies the area and Livingston New Town diverts attention elsewhere.

  Medical Notes:

Douglas Kerr MD, who saw George after death, certified the cause of death.

George's son, also George, notified the registrar at Liberton, A. Wilson. on 26 March 1929 of his father's death.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Time of death: at 12.10 pm.

George had a relationship with Helen SHAND, daughter of William SHAND and Christian ROBSON. (Helen SHAND was born on 9 June 1848 in Keig parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland ^{14 15 16}, baptised on 12 August 1848 in Keig parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland ¹⁶ and died 9 February 1921 at 5.00 am in 25 Dee Village Road, Aberdeen, Scotland ^{14 17}.). The cause of her death was chronic rheumatism and debility.

George next married Normina WINTON, daughter of James WINTON and Helen WEBSTER, on 18 April 1876 in 10 Stanley Place, London Road, Edinburgh, Scotland.¹ (Normina WINTON was born between January 1851 and December 1850 in Edinburgh, Scotland and died on 5 December 1937 in 197 Onslow Drive, Glasgow, Scotland.). The cause of her death was influenza, bronchitis and syncope.

  Marriage Notes:

The marriage took place in the district of Canongate, in the burgh of Edinburgh, after banns, according to the forms of the Church of Scotland. Robert Milne of Abbey Parish, Edinburgh was the officiating minister. The witnesses were Thomas Anderson and Isabella Smith.

Geo(rge) Gordon, a police constable aged 29 years, lived at 10 Stanley Place, London Road, Edinburgh. He was a bachelor. His father was deceased and his mother still living.

Normina Winton, also unmarried, of the same address, was 26 years old and was a domestic servant. Both of her parents were alive.

The marriage was registered at Edinburgh on 20 April 1876, George McArthur being the signing registrar.

NOTE: The marriage place and date of this couple was recorded sometimes inaccurately in the birth certificates of their children. ¹