GORDON, James Minister of Rothiemay parish, Reverend Mr
- Born: 16 May 1617, Kinmundy, Aberdeenshire, Scotland 1
- Marriage (1): GORDON, Margaret in July 1643 1
- Marriage (2): GORDON, Katherine 14 August 1663(contract) 1
- Died: 26 September 1686
User ID: L597.
General Notes:
1
Research Notes:
from National Library of Scotland Biographies
James Gordon of Rothiemay (c. 1615 - 1686)
by Christopher Fleet
James Gordon of Rothiemay has an important part to play in the story of Pont's manuscript maps. First, he assisted his father, Robert of Straloch, when he undertook work on Pont's maps for Joan Blaeu who was basing the Scottish volume of his Atlas novus on the work of Pont and needed certain maps clarified or elaborated before they could be engraved. Second, following the death of his father in 1661, James Gordon preserved all of Pont's surviving maps (along with his own and his father's maps and topographical works) and passed them on to Sir Robert Sibbald in the 1680s, thereby ensuring their survival today.
James was the fifth son of Robert Gordon, and from his graduation at King's College, Aberdeen, in 1636, we may infer that he was born about 1615. In 1641 he became pastor of Rothiemay, near Huntly in Banffshire, a position which he occupied for all his working life. In his early years as minister, during the Covenanting Wars, he was admonished more than once for failing to act against persons suspected of anti-Covenanting leanings, but he managed to hold on to his post.
His cartographic activities, for which he is probably most famous, began with his detailed survey and map of Fife in 1642 at the request of Sir John Scot of Scotstarvit. Although this had not been specifically requested by Blaeu, it surpassed Pont's original maps which had already been engraved, and therefore Blaeu added it to his atlas, the only map specifically credited to James Gordon (Stone, 1988). He also produced a sketch map of the county of Kinross in October 1642, and this survives in manuscript form in the National Library of Scotland (Adv.MS.70.2.10, [Gordon] 52).
His next cartographic project took him to Edinburgh in 1646-47, where he drafted the most detailed bird's-eye view of the town in its entire history. This became the standard map or view of Edinburgh for nearly a century, often copied and reprinted, and still popular today. It is not surprising that, in addition to paying him 500 merks for his labours, the Town Council elected him a burgess and guild brother as a token of their appreciation. James also drafted views of Edinburgh from the north and south, as well as architectural drawings of the Castle, Parliament House and George Heriot's Hospital (now George Heriot's School).
In 1647 the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland issued a warrant instructing him to proceed to Stirlingshire 'for drawing the mappe thereof', but there is no evidence that he undertook this project. Similarly, in 1648, he was asked by the nobility of Angus to describe their shire, but no map or evidence of a survey by him survives (Stevenson, 1982). Despite his obvious skills as a surveyor and draughtsman, it was not until 1661 that he received his next and final major commission: to map his home town of Aberdeen. The result was 'ane meekle cairt of paper', a detailed and beautiful map of the Old and New Towns of Aberdeen (not to be superseded until the mid-18th century), along with a detailed and flattering textual description. The Town Council were so impressed they awarded him 'a silver piece or cup of twenty ounces of sliver, ane silk hat for his own use, and ane silk gown for his bedfellow'.
By this time his father had died, passing Pont's maps into his care with instructions 'to be countable therfore to the publique, but because they are all imperfect, that they be weil corrected or [i.e. before] any use [be] made of them' (Gordon, 1841). In fact there is no evidence that James was able to revise any of Pont's maps after this time, but he was a careful custodian and clearly saw their value to a Scotch Atlas project which Sir Robert Sibbald advertised in 1683. Probably sometime between 1683 and his death on 26 September 1686 he therefore passed on to Sir Robert Sibbald the entire manuscript map collection deriving from Pont, and his and his father's own activities, along with textual and topographic descriptions of Scotland.
James Gordon is also credited with being the author of the History of Scots Affairs from 1637 to 1651 (Gordon, 1841), and of a commonplace book on divinity, with illustrations that indicate considerable artistic ability. He was twice married, and had two sons by his second wife, Katherine. All images and text © National Library of Scotland
James married Margaret GORDON, daughter of William GORDON of Rothiemay and Stock of Cairnborrow and Katherine FORBES, in July 1643.1 (Margaret GORDON was born about 1618 and died on 2 November 1662.)
Marriage Notes:
(at Rothiemay in 1641)
"James Gordon, born Kinmundy, 17th May 1617, fifth of the eleven sons of Sir Robert G. of Straloch and Pitlurg, the geographer and antiquary, and a daugh. of Alexander Irvine of Lynturk; educated at King s College, Aberdeen; M.A. (1636); licen. by Presb. of Strathbogie in 1639; pres. Sept. 1640 by the trustees of William Gordon of Rothiemay (the Presb. having accepted his nomination in place of William Milne, its own presentee), and adm. before 11th May 1641; died 26th Sept. 1686.
He assisted his father in his geographical studies, and in the preparation of the Scottish maps for Bleau's Atlas. The earliest known views of historic buildings in Edinburgh (The Castle, Holyrood, Parliament Hall, etc.), and others throughout Scotland, were sketched by him. He executed a large map of Edinburgh (1646-7) [engraved by De Witt], for which the magistrates gave him 500 merks, made him a burgess, and 'treated him to a collation'; For a plan of Aberdeen done at the request of the Town Council in 1661, he received a silver cup weighing twenty ounces, a silk hat, and a silk gown for his wife. On 1st Sept. 1647 the General Assembly gave him permission to proceed to Stirlingshire 'for drawing the mappe thereof'; The Memoirs of Scots Affairs, 1620-51, now definitely proved to have been his, and written between 1659 and 1661, throws a clear light on many of the events of his time the Covenanting epoch and the Wars of Montrose.
He was admonished more than once for a remissness in the exercise of discipline against persons suspected of anti-Covenanting leanings. He lived a quiet, uneventful life, and was more a man of study and research than ecclesiastic or bigot.
He marr.
(1) July 1643, Margaret (died 2nd Nov. 1662), daugh. of William Gordon of Rothiemay. She left 1000 merks for the use of the schoolmaster at Rothiemay. They had issue Elizabeth (marr. George Chalmer, min. of Drumblade); Anna (marr. Alexander Gellie, min. of Fordyce)"
from Fasti Ecclesiae 1
James next married Katherine GORDON 14 August 1663(contract).1 (Katherine GORDON was born about 1630 and died in May 1703 1.)
Marriage Notes:
He (James Gordon) marr.
(2) cont. 14th Aug. 1663 Katherine Gordon, and had issue James of Techmury in Buchan, served heir to the lands of Zeochrie, Banffshire, 21st Feb. 1694; Alexander; Ludovick, min. of this parish; George."
from Fasti Ecclesiae 1
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