GORDON, Harry R. E., 10th of Knockespock, Colonel 1
- Baptised: 2 August 1725, Clatt parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland 2 3
- Marriage (1): MEREDITH, Hannah 1755 (private) 1763(public)
- Died: 23 August 1787, Eastbourne, East Sussex, England 3 4
Other names for Harry were GORDON, Harry Commander in Chief Royal Engineers, Colonel 3 and GORDON, Heary.2
User ID: W714.
General Notes:
"GORDON
HEARY
GEORGE GORDON/
M
02/08/1725
180/ 10 30
Clatt"
from Births and Baptisms
Old Parish Registers
Clatt parish Aberdeenshire
Baptisms
"1725
August2d
George Gordon of Knockespoct had a son baptized named Heary witnesses James Gordon of Achlyne William Smith"
"Harry (Gordon), who became a Colonel in the Royal Engineers, and succeeded as 10th laird under the entail made by his half-brother, James."
from Gordon of Knockespock 1 2
Harry married someone Hannah MEREDITH 1755 (private) 1763(public). (Hannah MEREDITH was born about 1730 and died on 4 November 1811 in Clatt parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland 3.)
Marriage Notes:
"Harry Gordon, eldest son by his second marriage of George Gordon of Knockespock and Jean Leith, his spouse, succeeded his halfbrother, under the entail made by the latter, as 10th laird in or about 1768. He married a lady named Hannah Meredith, being an officer in the Royal Engineers, serving in America. By her he had 4 sons and 2 daughters, viz. : -
1. Peter, b. 1759, drowned in Grenada 1787.
2. Harry, b. 1761, who succeeded his father as laird of Knockespock.
3. James, b. 1763. A barrister, died unmarried in 1831.
4. Adam, b. . A major-general in the British Army, Colonel of the 67th Regiment, died in 1815 at Stonehive (Stonehaven).
5. Jane, died in infancy.
6. Hannah, died unmarried in 1827."
from Gordon of Knockespock
"615- Harry. 1742, Eng. Extraordinary, R.E. 1745, Dec. 14, arrived at Inverness on H.M.S. 'Hound' (Fraser's Chiefs of Grant, n. 194). 1747, Jul., serving in Flanders, under the Duke of Cumberland, 55. a day. 1754, Sub. Eng., serving in Canada under Gen. Braddock, who started from Alexandria, May 30, to cross the Alleghany Mountains to attack Fort Du Quesne at the junction of the Ohio with the Monongahela (Orme's Journal, pp. 227, 387); Jul. 9, surprised by the French, and their Indian allies, and cut to pieces,
'Mr. Engineer Gordon was the first man that saw the enemy, being in front of the Caysentels, marking and picketting the road for them'.
Braddock was killed, while Gordon and five others were wounded (A. G. Bradley's Fight with France for N. America, 96; Sackville Papers, Hist. MSS. Com.). 1756, Feb. 12, Lt., attached as Eng. to and served with 60th Ft. (MS. A.L., 1752, pt. 2, p. 57, P.R.O.); Sep. 9, Eng. Extraordinary. 1757, May 14, Capt. Lt. 1758, Jan. 4, Bt. Capt.; served under Gen. Wolfe. 1759, Aug. 16, Capt. 1762, in command of one of the ten Coys., 60th Ft., Jan., served at siege of Martinique, wrote a long despatch about it (Add. MSS., 21,648, f. 176, B.M., printed in extenso in Aberdeen Free Press, 1905, Aug. 8); Jun., served at the siege of Havannah (Whitworth Porter's R.E., \\.163, 171, 195); Aug. 13, served at Cuba, wounded (S.M., vol. 24, p. 504). 1766, Jun. 18, started on an official voyage of discovery (1164 miles) down the Ohio from Fort Pitt to the mouth of the river, which he reached Aug. 9; continued his journey, Aug. 10, on the Mississippi; Aug. 16, arrived at Fort Masiasch, where a fort had been erected by the French to check the Cherokee Indians coming down the river; Gordon proposed that a new fort should be built in connection with the Mississippi and Ohio trade (account of his tour in the Dartmouth Papers, Hist. MSS. Coin.; part of the journal printed as Appendix 4, Thomas Pownall's Topographical Description of N. America, 1776). 1768, commanding the troops in Grenada. 1770, in Dominica. 1772, Jul. 23, Bt. Maj. 1776, serving in Canada (Hadden's Journal, p. 174). 1777, Aug., arrived in London, was presented to and had a conference with the King at St. James's Palace (Land. Chron., Aug. 6, 7, 9); Aug. 29, Bt. Lt. Col. 1778, 'an experienced engineer, directed the getting ready of the King's Batteries for 32 pounders, when Paul Jones was cruising the Irish Channel in the ' Ranger' privateer and Liverpool was preparing to face him' (Gomer Williams's Liverpool Privateers); Dec. 18, Sub. Director of Eng. and Maj. 1780, Nov. 20, Col. Comdt. In or before 1787, Comdr. in Chief of Eng., in the Leeward Islands (A.L., 1754-87).
Younger son of George, of Knockespock (to which he succeeded), and his second wife, Jean Leith, which George was younger son of Harry, of Auchlyne (House of Gordon, 11. (368)); m. 1755, privately by the Chaplain of a British reg. at Philadelphia, Hannah Meredith of that city, and, 1763, publicly there.
The first ceremony gave rise to a very painful Chancery suit, 1816-21 (Swanston's Cases, i. 166, n. 400-482). He had Peter, drowned, s.p., in Grenada, 1787, Aug.; Adam, 102; Henry (Harry), 628; James. Gordon landed at Eastbourne, 1787, Aug. 18, and, having been very ill on the voyage from Grenada, (d. there Aug. 23, although the monument erected at Clatt by his dau. Mrs. Hannah Fellowes-Gordon states that he d. in America. An account of his career by J. M. Bulloch appeared in the Huntly Express, 1907, Mar. 29, Apr. 5; see also Wimberley's Gordons of Knockespock, p. 88. Brother of Peter, 1149; described, 'Harry' in R.E., and in 6oth Ft., 1759; 'Henry' in 6oth Ft., 1759-65."
from Gordons Under Arms< 5
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