GORDON, ¹

  Research Notes:

THE FATHER OF WILLIAM GORDON OF BOGFOUTAIN

This is a vexed question and one that the greatest of all Gordon scholars, J. M. Bulloch, refrained from answering. There is a lack of evidence; that lies at the heart of the matter. Applying knowledge of the Gordon world of his time goes only so far: the Gordons were intensely interconnected, by blood and marriage; not all were conceived within marriage; property was bought and sold among them frequently; some were feudal masters to others; some held titles of nobility, others took their 'title' from the land they owned or occupied. Unravelling the intricacies without definitive documents is inspired guesswork at best. The possibilities, if not endless, are many.

What do we know about this William Gordon?
We know fairly certainly:
- he married Margaret Stuart in Aberlour parish, Banffshire, and was recorded as 'in this parish' in the marriage text
- he later married Helen Ord in Knockando parish, Banffshire in 1775
- the names of his eight children
- he died in early September 1790
- he resided for many years in Auchorachan, Glenlivet, in the parish of Inveravon, Banffshire, but did not own it
- he had a brother named Robert
- he owned property in Forgue parish, Aberdeenshire: 'of Bogfouton'
- he distilled whisky
We know as a strong probability:
- he carried arms in the Jacobite rebellion of 1745 but was home again in less than a year of the uprising
- he lived in or around the Glenrinnes area of Aberlour parish, as did his brother Robert
- he was in his late sixties or seventies when he died in 1790
We know only as a possibility:
- he may have been a merchant and ground officer to the Duke of Gordon
- he may have been a prisoner at Tilbury

What we know, with varying degrees of certainty, affects who may be considered to be William's, and possibly Robert's, unknown father. The matter is complicated too since we know practically nothing about Margaret Stuart, William's wife, or indeed whether Robert had a wife. This is important because the naming of children in a marriage in William and Margaret's era could have offered clues about the names of parents.

A further complication, a massive one in fact, lies in the social and political events of Scottish society between 1645 and 1745, and the effect of religious status on the recorded documents easily available for study. From the time of Charles I until Culloden, the north east of Scotland suffered great upheavals that altered the status of many, from the highest to the lowest: in 1661 the attainder of George Gordon 2nd Marquess of Huntly and earl of Enzie, who was executed in 1649, was reversed by Act of Parliament. Scalan, an illegal Catholic seminary was set deep in Glenlivet because it was such a good place to hide from the authorities. Inveravon parish, where William and his wife lived with their family for much of their family life, was fairly inaccessible before 1745, and for some time afterwards, before the military roads were built following the Jacobite rebellion. Before that a knowledge of the hills and countryside would have been essential, and travel would be done on foot or on horseback. The old bridge at Livet was a narrow bridge that hardly allowed even carts to cross, so pack horses may have been used to transport goods when necessary. The feudal system operated where many farms were worked by tenants renting land and crofts from larger estate owners, like the Duke of Gordon.

Finding a father for William Gordon of Bogfoutaine whose own history and life, in a rational way, is in accord with what we know about William is a daunting task. There may be baptism records in the Old Parish Registers if William belonged to a Roman Catholic family. If the family moved, or were displaced, for political, military or personal reasons, William's origins might not be in Banffshire. If William was born outside marriage, he may have used the name Gordon but not be registered under that name, if recorded at all. William's age at death was reported as 71 years in the Scots magazine, but that may be inaccurate, as such reports often are, for various reasons. His 'brother' Robert may in fact have been a stepbrother, a foster brother, or even a cousin. His connection to Bogfouton in Forgue parish is unknown: we do not know if it was inherited land and, if so, from which parent; if it was a gift, or if it was purchased, or acquired through marriage; we do not even know from which date he was connected to it.

The very fact that the name of William Gordon of Bogfoutain's father is unknown to us, not documented nor passed down by word of mouth, is itself striking. Might it mean that it never was known, or never meant to be known, even to his contemporaries, or was of not enough importance as to be remembered?

MAIN POSSIBILITIES
1
William may have been a 'natural' son, that is born outside marriage. If so, this reduces the possibility of finding his father, as finding evidence in older texts or documented records would be much more difficult
2
William may have been a child of one of the cadet branches of the Minmore Gordons. This is a distinct possibility, but would require extensive research to trace possible lines from William Gordon I of Minmore and his father.
3
William may have been a descendant of a cadet branch of another Gordon family. This too is very possible, but the research involved would be much greater than in 2, and like 2 might be rendered more difficult since there may have been Roman Catholic baptisms or marriages involved that were done privately or in secret, or not recorded for public view.
The Achinarrow Gordons are a possible research area, or the Knockespock or Birkenburn Gordons. There were some marriages there with Bisset of Lessendrum wives, and Lessendrum is in the neighbouring parish to Bogfouton. There are also Gordons in Glenrinnes that might be profitably researched.
4
William may not have belonged to one of the cadet branches. The Gordon offspring were many: some took the name from their service of Gordon families rather than themselves belonging to the landed families by birth. His ancestors may have been small tenant farmers or merchants, whose history is unrecorded or poorly recorded. His residence in Auchorachan, or more generally his residence in the parish of Inveravon, may have been on related more to the family of his wife, Margaret Stuart, since the Stuarts or Stewarts had many links with that area of hill country, than to his own Gordon connections. Indeed it may be Margaret Stuart who was more directly related to the Gordons of Minmore rather than William Gordon.

DOWNAN and THE GORDONS OF MINMORE

Bulloch acknowledges the gap between the Gordons of Minmore and the Auchorachan family of William Gordon of Bogfoutain. There is, however, a William Gordon, mentioned in Bulloch's memoir, who may or may not have been a Minmore Gordon, or who may have been connected by marriage or friendship to them. He is "William Gordon of Dunoone".

Downan, and its variant spellings features a number of times in the book, both during the Minmore years, and through and after the lifetime of William Gordon of Bogfountain. Downan is situated in Glenlivet further north than Auchorachan, between Drumin on its west side, and Deskie on the east. It is worth summarising the incidences where Downan is mentioned, with a view to possible further research on its link to the Gordons in question:
1
page 9 re William Gordon I of Minmore
"(3) Marjorie. 'Alexander Gordon, Minmor, his eldest sonne, his naturall daughter gotten with Elspet Brabiner, baptised Marjorie,' Jan. 11, 1646, 'Thomas M'Innes, his broyr, in Over Downan, witness.' "
2
page 13 re Ludovick II of Minmore
"1681.-Bond for 100 merks by Lodovick Gordone of Minmore to William Mackphersone and Patrick Mackphersone, alias Mackullie, in Wester Corie. Signed at Minmore, December 6, 1681, before witnesses William Gordon of Dunnoone and William Gordon, brother german to the said Lodovick : recorded April 17, 1693 (Elgin Commissary Records)."
3
page 13 re Ludovick II of Minmore
"1693, February 13.-Ludovick Gordon of Minmore had sasine on the lands of Over Dunan (Banffshire sasines)."
4
page 14 re Ludovick II of Minmore
"1699, October.-Ludovick Gordon 'of Minimore' signed a bond for the peaceable behaviour of his men (seven in number), who included his own son William and a William Gordon in Upperdunan (Allardyce's 'Historical Papers,' p. 18)."
5
page 14 re Ludovick II of Minmore
"1700, November 5.-Renunciation of feu ferm of Minmore, by Lodvick Gordone of Minmore ; also renunciation and grant of redemption of lands of Over Dunan, by the same ; both in favour of Duke of Gordon (Banffshire sasines)."
6
page 14 re Ludovick II of Minmore
"1712, July 22.-Elspet Gordon in Dounan had sasine of the annual rent of 800 merks out of the oxgate of Dounan."
7
page 15 re John IV of Minmore
"1767, December 8.-Sasine was presented in favour of John Gordon of Minmore as heir to his father, William Gordon of Minmore, in all and haill the town and lands of Minmore extending to eight oxgate lands; proceeding upon a precept of clare constat granted by the Duke of Gordon. Sasine was also presented in his favour on four oxgate lands of Downan, proceeding on a precept of clare constat granted by Elspet Grant, his spouse, to John Grant in Downan with consent of her husband (Banffshire sasines)"
8
page 15 re John IV of Minmore
"1767, December 26.-He renounced the lands of Minmore and Downan in favour of the Duke of Gordon. On September 24, 1771, George Gordon of Gight had sasine on Minmore (Banffshire sasines)."
9
page 47 re John Gordon of Tomnavoulin
"1792 John Gordon in Tomnavoulin got £300 under his father's will. Light is thrown on him in a document, written by Mr Alexander Thomson, schoolmaster in Mortlach, and subscribed at Hardhaugh, March 1. 1792, before Robert Grant at Mains of Morange, and William Gordon in Lettoch, and recorded at Elgin, December 3, 1792: -
'The parties following, viz. John Gordon in Tomnavoolan on the first part, Robert Gordon in Castletown on the second part, and Charles Gordon in Achorrachan on the third part-all children of the deceased William Gordon, some time in Achorrachan, and brothers german of the also deceased Ensign William Gordon, last of Bogfouton, considering that by an agreement entered into betwixt them by a letter dated at Achorrachan the eighth day of December 1791, said agreement being entered
into and proceeding upon the assertion of the said John Gordon in Tomnavoolan to be supported and proven by the evidence of Robert Stewart in Deskie and Gavin Stewart in Dounan, who were said to be witnesses to a communing betwixt said John Gordon in Tomnavoolan and his deceased brother Ensign William Gordon relative to the transaction about which this submission is entered into : we, the said Robert and Charles, became bound to make payment to the said John Gordon in Tomnavoulin of the sum of £200 sterling at the term of Whitsunday, and that in proportion, to the different sums legated and bequeathed to us by the said deceased Ensign William Gordon, our brother, me the said John Gordon...' "

from Gordons and Smiths in Minmore

¹