GORDON, George (DNA Linked) 2 3
- Born: 1810, Rothes parish, Moray, Scotland 4 5
- Baptised: 4 November 1810, Rothes parish, Moray, Scotland 6
- Partnership (1): HOME, Christian
- Marriage (2): SANG, Eve on 24 December 1847 in Saint Nicholas parish, Aberdeen, Scotland 1
- Died: 10 December 1885 at 11.00 am, St Swithin Street, Aberdeen, Scotland 7
Cause of his death was bronchitis over 1 month 14 days and dilatation of the heart of unknown duration.7
Another name for George was GRANT, George.3
User ID: B3.
General Notes:
The relationship between this George Gordon and Christian Home has now been confirmed (2016) by DNA test verification between descendant offspring of the marriage of George Gordon and Eve Sang and descendants of George Gordon and Christian Home.
"GORDON
GEORGE
OR GRANT//PETER GORDON/JEAN GRANT
M
04/11/1810
141 30 / 275
ROTHES AND DUNDURCAS"
from Births and Baptisms
Old Parish Registers
Rothes and Dundurcas parish Moray
Baptisms
"1810
GORDON
4 November
Peter Gordon Roadmaker in the Town and Jean Grant had a natural child baptized by the name of George. Witnesses James Simpson and James Gordon both in the Town"
In 1834 in Rothes Moray, Isabella Inch and George Gordon were witnesses at the baptism of Isabella Gordon, natural daughter of James Gordon Shoemaker and Ann Winter.
The census of 1841 recorded George Gordon living at New Street, Rothes, with Peter and Isabella Gordon, his father and stepmother, and a female servant Margaret McDonald. George was noted as being a cabinet maker's apprentice, aged 30 years, and had been born in Morayshire.
The census of 1851 recorded George Gordon, married to Eve Sang, with their two small children, living at Millbank Terrace in the parish of Old Machar, Aberdeen. George Gordon was recorded as a Journeyman Wright. He was aged 39 years and had been born in Rothes, Morayshire.
In 1856 George Gordon's daughter, Jane, died in Aberdeen at the age of 14 months. George Gordon, who was present where the death occurred, gave notice of her death before the registrar, Charles Stronach, at Aberdeen on 7 January 1856. George himself was recorded as a house carpenter.
In 1861 the census recorded George Gordon, his wife, and family of five children, living in Glascharn, in the parish of Kiltarlity in Invernessshire, over a hundred miles from Aberdeen. George was recorded as 50 years of age and born in Rothes. His occupation was noted as house carpenter. Their home had three rooms with one or more windows.
George Gordon's father, Peter, died in 1868. The informant of Peter Gordon's death was his son, George. He gave notice of his father's death before the registrar, John Garden, at Rothes on 19 February 1868. It was recorded that George Gordon was resident in Aberdeen.
The census of 1871 recorded this Gordon family resident at 10 Hawthorn Place, Aberdeen, in Old Machar parish. There were four children and two parents recorded. George Gordon, head of the household, was aged 60 years, born in Rothes, Morayshire. He was recorded as a house carpenter.
George was a joiner according to the marriage certificate of his son George in 1876.
The census of 1881 recorded George Gordon and his wife Eva S. Gordon living together at '2 South St Swithin Street (back house)'. George's occupation was recorded as house carpenter & joiner. His age was noted as 70 years and his birthplace as Rothes, Elgin, Scotland.
George Gordon died in 1885. His death certificate recorded him as a 'joiner (photographic works)', and 'married to Eve Sang or Duncan'. It also stated that he was illegitimate. He was recorded as aged 75 years at death. Both of his parents were deceased.
In her death certificate of 1896 Eve Gordon was recorded as being widowed for the second time at the death of George Gordon 'house carpenter journeyman'.
The occupation of 'joiner' was recorded of him in his son George's death certificate in 1929.
In 1933 when George's daughter Georgina died, George's occupation was recorded in her death certificate as 'wheelwright'. 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Research Notes:
WHICH GEORGE GORDON WAS THE FATHER OF GEORGE AND GEORGINA?
George Gordon has been confirmed now as the father of George Strachan Gordon and Georgina Gordon by DNA matches of his descendants but the reasoned research that pointed to him originally as been posted here for interest.
1 Introduction
Only a couple of solid facts about the father of George Strachan Gordon and Georgina Gordon are available from the documents we have. These facts, carefully considered, produced six possible candidates for the father of young George and Georgina Gordon, Christian Home's children. Of the six candidates that met the initial criteria, three were fairly quickly eliminated when more information was unearthed about them. Of the three remaining, one was a possible but unlikely, another was undetermined because of conflicting information, and the third, George Gordon son of Peter Gordon and Jean Grant, was, even on an initial survey, a certain possibility, and even a very strong probable candidate to be the father we are researching, and has been presented as such here. The choice is not one hundred per cent certain; it is, however, more reasonable to assume that he was the father than to assume he was not.
2 An Earlier Simple Possibility
The George Gordon baptized in the parish of Clatt, Aberdeenshire in 1796, son of Robert Gordon and Janet Anderson, formerly considered as possibly the father in question, has now been completely discounted. This sentence from the minutes of the meeting of the Clatt Kirk Session on 27 July 1845 makes it clear that George Gordon was not of the parish of Clatt, and that therefore George Gordon of Clatt, who had been the obvious candidate, was not the father of Christian Home's children: 'George Gordon also produced a certificate of good character from his native Parish'.
3 Looking at George Gordon
Taking into account age, marriage status, occupation, skill level, residence, opportunity, the most likely candidate to be the father of Christian Home's children is George Gordon, born in Rothes, and living in that town when recorded by the 1841 census. He was described then as a cabinet maker's apprentice. Around 30 years of age, he was older than average to be an apprentice. Apprenticeship usually lasted from about 14 years of age to 21 years. Apprentices, as well as being young, were usually unmarried, and would live in the master craftman's household. When George Gordon went to Clatt, sometime between 1841 and 1844, it is probable that he would have gone to work for John Anderson, who was a master carpenter there, with a view to living in his household and continuing his training, either as a journeyman carpenter or to become a fully fledged journeyman carpenter.
Now John Anderson, the master carpenter in Clatt, was married to Margaret Home, Christian Home's older sister. George Gordon would have worked professionally with John Anderson, and, in all likelihood, would have been treated as one of the master carpenter's extended family. In order to become a journeyman craftsman when his apprenticeship was completed, George Gordon would have had to complete another period of seven years of supervised work and training. Still an apprentice in 1841, that would have taken him until at least 1848, perhaps later. Until then he would be paid less than he would be later, he would be supervised in his work, and he would lack the social status he would later have. If he later became a master, which it is notable that George never did, he could run his own business, hire and train employees, and be considered at the top of his trade.
By 1851 George was calling himself a journeyman wright in the census entry of that year, and working in the Old Machar parish of Aberdeen. A significant proportion of journeymen did not succeed in becoming masters of their trade. We have no documents that refer to George as such, nor any evidence that, as a master, he himself was training apprentices and journeymen. George Gordon was part of a system of training that operated all over the western world in past centuries, and in some trades and crafts endures to the present.
JAMES SIMPSON
This may be the James Simpson who married Jannet Forsyth on 28 July 1803 in Rothes, Morayshire.
ROTHES
This parish has been part of Banffshire as well as part of Morayshire.
GLASCHARN
Also Glasscharn. It is on the river Beauly in Invernesshire upstream from Dunballach, about three miles or so from Kiltarlity.
ILLEGITIMACY IN SCOTLAND
Although for the average illegitimate child a coat of arms is not a viable prospect, it is worth hearing how illegitimacy was viewed in Scotland, especially before the narrow moralising of Victorian times:
"Bastard Arms The situation in Scotland as regards bastardy is unlike the situation in England in two ways. The first is that subsequent marriage of the parents will legitimate a child so long as the parents were free to marry at the time of that child's birth. The most famous example of this is the 'MacDonald Peerage Case' where the Irish Barony of MacDonald was inherited by the descendents of the first child son after the marriage of 3rd Lord MacDonald and the Scots Baronetcy passed to the descendents of the eldest son (born previous to the marriage). The second is that an illegitimate child in Scotland is not 'filius nullius' but is considered a full member of the family or clan. This means that all an illegitimate child (male or female) needs to do is to apply for a re-matriculation of arms suitably differenced to reflect his or her status. This principle would also apply (though an opinion has not been sought from Lyon court for this) to children where the father is unknown since in such a situation the child would become part of the mother's family or clan and application could be made for suitably differenced arms of that family.
It is even possible for illegitimate children to inherit undifferenced arms if they are the 'assignees' of the armiger. This comes from the old Celtic inheritance principle of there being a group of potential heirs (usually all those sharing a particular great-grandparent) from whom the heir could be chosen. To quote Sir Iain Moncreiffe:
At a meeting of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs,..., the present author pointed out that illegitimacy did not necessarily in Scotland exclude a son from succession even to a chiefship, if covered by a parental nomination accepted by the Crown - and that this applied in fact to a fellow chief present. After the meeting two other chiefs (neither of them the one I had in mind) came up to me separately and protested 'I've never been called a bastard in public before'. This may seem to have everything to do with the inheritance of clan chiefdoms rather than arms, but the two are intimately linked as a clan chief is the possessor of the undifferenced arms of the clan.
In general, bastard arms in Scotland are differenced with a bordure compony, but this is not always the case, especially with ancient coats of arms and royal bastards and it is possible to find batons sinister (Dempster of Careston - bastards of Malcolm Canmore) or no obvious bastardy difference at all (Stewart, Earl of Mar - bastards of the Wolf of Badenoch)."
from www.clanmacrae.ca/documents/heraldry.htm
Medical Notes:
Forbes F. M. Moir MD certified the causes of death.
William Gordon, son of the deceased, of Forth Bridge, Queensferry, Edinburgh, gave notice of his father's death before the registrar, George D. Valentine, at Aberdeen on 15 December 1885. 7
Noted events in his life were:
1. Baptism, 4 November 1810, Rothes parish, Moray, Scotland. George was recorded as George Gordon or Grant, his parents being Peter Gordon and Jean Grant and unmarried.
2. census entry: George an apprentice cabinet maker living in father's home, 1841, Rothes parish, Moray, Scotland. 4
3. conception: of son George, September 1844, Clatt parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. George Strachan Gordon was born 12 June 1845 so 12 September 1844 would have been nine months before that.
4. Appearance before Kirk Session: Called to explain conduct, 7 June 1845, Clatt parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
5. Birth of son George: to Christian Home, 12 June 1845, Clatt parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
6. Re-appearance before Kirk Session: George provided good conduct reference from own parish minister, 27 July 1845, Clatt parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
7. Baptism of his son George Strachan Gordon, 29 July 1845, Clatt parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. George Gordon, father of the child was described as a wright.
8. procreation: of daughter Georgina, August 1846. Georgina Gordon was born 14 May 1847 so 14 August 1846 would have been nine months before. However Georgina's birth seems to be more focused on Aberdeen. The Clatt register says she was born there, so the meeting of her parents may well have taken place there.
On the other hand it may be Georgina was conceived in Clatt in the August of 1846, and George Gordon left at the November 1846 or May 1847 fair time, and Christian went after him to Aberdeen.
9. Birth of daughter Georgina Gordon: to Christian Home, 14 May 1847, Saint Nicholas parish, Aberdeen, Scotland. George Gordon, father of the child was described as a wright. The child was not baptised.
10. Marriage: to Eve Sang or Duncan, 24 December 1847, Saint Nicholas parish, Aberdeen, Scotland.
11. Birth of daughter: Jane Gordon, 22 December 1854, Old Machar parish, Aberdeen, Scotland.
12. census entry: George journeyman wright, married with 2 children, 1851, Old Machar parish, Aberdeen, Scotland. 5
13. Birth of son: John Gordon, 5 June 1856, Old Machar parish, Aberdeen, Scotland.
14. Birth of daughter: Isabella Gordon, 26 January 1858, Old Machar parish, Aberdeen, Scotland.
15. census entry: George lived in Highland area with wife and 5 children, 1861, Kiltarlity Invernessshire, Scotland. 9
16. Death of father: George acted as informant, 17 February 1868, Rothes parish, Moray, Scotland. 8 George was noted in the death certificate as being resident in Aberdeen.
17. census entry: George aged 60 years with wife and four children in Aberdeen, 1871, Old Machar parish, Aberdeen, Scotland. 10
18. census entry: George aged 70 years living with his wife Eva, 1881, South St Swithin's Street Aberdeen. 13
19. Death, 10 December 1885, St Swithin Street, Old Machar Parish, Aberdeen. 7
George had a temporary relationship with Christian HOME, daughter of Peter HOME in Mains of Tilliangus, (DNA Linked) and Christian STRACHEN (DNA Linked). (Christian HOME was baptised on 8 July 1819 in Clatt parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland 3 and died 12 May 1912 at 0.12 am in Wright's Building, Gilmerton, Edinburgh, Scotland.). The cause of her death was erysipelas and old age.7
Marriage Notes:
George Gordon and Christian Home never married. In later life Christian Home continued to style herself 'single' or 'unmarried', and George Gordon married someone else soon after his relationship with her. This is a not untypical pattern in North East Scotland at that time. Their children George Strachan and Georgina were their 'natural' children, conceived and born outside marriage. Christian Home never married anyone else.
"Voluntarily compeared Christian Home, an unmarried woman, residing at Mains of Tullyangus, and acknowledged that she had been guilty of the sin of fornication. Being solemnly exhorted to speak the truth and interrogated, she declared that George Gordon an unmarried man residing at Hardgate of Clatt had been guilty with her and was the father of the child. Voluntarily compeared also the said George Gordon, and acknowledged that he had been guilty with Christian Home & that he was the father of the child. After a suitable admonition both parties were dismissed for the present." (! June 1845)
"Sederunt the Rev. James Walker, Modr., Messrs James Wilson, John Sangster, the Rev. John Minto, Elders, Mr Minto, Cler.
Tokens of the admission to the Communion were given to 9 individuals, and their names added to the roll.
Thereafter compeared George Gordon and Christian Home, acknowledging their sincere sorrow for the sin of which they had been guilty. The said Christian Home having produced a certificate bearing the she had been admitted a member of the Established Church, at Glasgow, and had, during her residence there, maintained an irreproachable character, received a suitable admonition and was absolved.
George Gordon also produced a certificate of good character from his native Parish. The Minister reported that the said George Gordon, having formally waited upon him & expressed his desire not only to be absolved from Church censure but also to be admitted into full communion with the Church, had been examined by him as to his knowledge of the ordinance of the Lord's Supper. The Session being satisfied as to his religious knowledge, the Moderator after a suitable admonition, absolved him from censure and admitted him to the privileges of the Church." (Saturday 26 July 1845)
from Minutes of the Kirk Session of the Parish of Clatt
Old Parish Registers
Clatt parish Aberdeenshire.
Baptisms
' Gordon & Home
12 June 1845
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.'
George Gordon and Christian Home's daughter, Georgina, was born in the parish of St Nicholas, Aberdeen, in May 1847. George Gordon's name was recorded in the entry of her birth, not in her baptism, in the Parish of Clatt, Book of Birth and Baptisms, as
"George Gordon, Wright, late at Hardgate of Clatt."
14 15
George next married Eve SANG, daughter of Andrew SANG and Margaret ROBERTSON, on 24 December 1847 in Saint Nicholas parish, Aberdeen, Scotland.1 (Eve SANG was born about 1819 in Aberdeen, Scotland 11 16 17 and died 15 January 1896 at 5.00 pm in 45 Charles Street, Aberdeen, Scotland 9 10 11 13 16 18 19.). The cause of her death was senile decay.7
Marriage Notes:
"GORDON
GEORGE
EVE SANG/FR8101 (FR8101)
24/12/1847
168 / A 310 / 237
ABERDEEN"
from Index of Marriages
Old Parish Registers
St Nicholas parish Aberdeen
Marriages
"After due declaration of banns George Gordon House Carpenter in Aberdeen was on the Twenty Fourth of December one thousand eight hundred and forty seven years, married at Aberdeen to Eve Sang there, Daughter of Andrew Sang Labourer in Aberdeen by the Reverend James Foote Minister of the Free East Church Aberdeen, in presence of these witnesses Thomas Sang Shoemaker and William Graham Baker both in Aberdeen" 18 20
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