GORDON, James of Ardoe, Minister of Banchory Devenick parish, Reverend Mr ^{1 2}

   User ID: B428

James married Elizabeth FORBES, daughter of William FORBES 8th of Corsindae and Kathrine BANNERMAN.^{1 2} (Elizabeth FORBES was born about 1640.)

  Marriage Notes:

(at Banchory Devenick in 1663)

"James Gordon of Ardoe, born about 1640, son of William G., physician and Professor of Medicine, King's College, Aberdeen, and Jean, daugh. of James Sandilands, commissary of Aberdeen; educated at said College; M.A. (1661); adm. before 28th Oct. 1673; dep. by the Primate and Bishops before 21st Jan. 1680 for publishing The Reformed Bishop, which had given great offence from its having denounced in most scathing terms the alleged corruptions prevailing throughout the Church. When he had expressed his sorrow and craved pardon of all whom he had offended by publishing this book, the sentence was removed and he was again inst. 14th March that year. He died 24th Dec. 1714. He bequeathed 40 Scots annually for behoof of the poor of the parish. It has been stated that having been disappointed in his expectations of a bishopric, he 'fell a railling at the grapes, because out of his reach, and lampooned the ecclesiastical peerage'. The nickname of 'Reformed Bishop' was given to him, and in a pasquil of the period 'Ecclesiastes or the Preacher, the Penitential Retractions of Mr James Gordon of Banchory' it was said-

If your book had never been seen,
You had been Bishop of Aberdeen ;
If you had been Bishop of Aberdeen,
Your book had never been seen.

He marr. Elizabeth, daugh. of William Forbes of Corsindae, and had issue James, intruded into the ministry at Foveran, while also a rector in Yorkshire, and afterwards Episcopal min. at Montrose; George, M.D. (King's College 1696). "

from Fasti Ecclesiae




"3 Jul 1674

Signature of the lands of Ardoe granted to James Gordon and Elizabeth Forbes, his wife.

[Signatures were the original drafts in English of the Latin charters found under the same dates in the Register of the Privy Seal and the Great Seal Register: they were in effect the warrants for issuing these charters.]"

from SIG1/64/52 ^{1 2}