GORDON, Charles of Braid, WS, 3rd of Cluny (of the 3rd House) ¹

   User ID: P494.

  General Notes:

"He (Charles Gordon) acquired the estate of Braid, near Edinburgh, on the south-west side of the hill of Blackburn, known to readers of Scott as the point from which Sir Walter makes Marmion look down upon Dunedin.... He also acquired the estate of Slains, in or about 1801, for in May and June of that year he leased the Kirkton of Slains to John Anderson, against whom his son, Colonel John Gordon, raised an action in the Court of Session on Dec. 20, 1820, as to whether Anderson was entitled to carry off the straw of his way-going crop. The pleadings in the case are in King's College, Aberdeen. Slains was purchased by Gordon from Sir James Callander of Crichton. Mair ('Ellon,' p. 387) shows that Charles Gordon, as a heritor in Slains in March, 1806, with his fellow heritor, General Gordon of Pitlurg, agreed with the Presbytery about a new church. It was on the farm of Brownhill on the estate of Slains that John Gordon of Cluny introduced the steam plough into Aberdeenshire, April 24, 1872."

" 'The Times' (July 23, 1858) says that he 'had all the penuriousness, if not all the ability for management, of his father. As he advanced in years the passion for saving became a perfect disease. He declined to move about for fear of incurring expense, and latterly he refused even to get up out of bed, on the ground that he could not afford it. It is told that the Duke of Gordon went to Cluny to bring him across to Gordon Castle, as he was injuring his health by confinement. The old man declined the offer, alleging that he had no servants nor any one to take him across. "Oh," said the duke, "I'll take you over, and it won't cost you a penny." But we believe his grace's well meant efforts were unsuccessful.' "

from The Gordons of Cluny




"Gordon
Charles
2 / 11 / 1814
Esquire of Cluny
Inventory ; Probate of Will
Edinburgh Sheriff Court Inventories
SC70/1/11"

"Gordon
Charles
8 / 8 / 1818
esq., of Cluny
Additional Inventory
Edinburgh Sheriff Court Inventories
SC70/1/17"

from Wills and Testaments ^{1 2}

  Noted events in his life were:

• Decree Arbital, August 0007-10 September 1787. ¹

• Admitted Writer to the Signet, 15 July 1763. ¹

• Made Clerk of Session: by Dundas, 1788. ¹

• Served heir: to his brother Cosmo 2nd of Cluny, 2 February 1805. ¹

Charles married Joanna TROTTER 'of Mortonhall' on 8 November 1775 in Edinburgh, Scotland.¹ (Joanna TROTTER 'of Mortonhall' was born about 1750, died on 10 August 1798 in Weymouth, England ¹ and was buried on 7 September 1798 in St Cuthbert's cemetery, Edinburgh, Scotland ¹.)

  Marriage Notes:

"He (Charles Gordon) married on Nov. 8, 1775, Joanna (usually known as 'Jackie') Trotter, daughter of Thomas Trotter of Mortonhall, Midlothian (a family described at length in Burke's 'Landed Gentry'). She died at Weymouth, Aug. 10, 1798 ('Gentleman's Mag.,' vol. 68, p.' 729). The Gordon mausoleum in St. Cuthbert's, Edinburgh, gives the date as Sept. 7. Charles Gordon had at least three sons and three daughters

1. John Gordon IV. of Cluny.

2. Alexander Gordon of Great Myless, Essex. For a time he occupied Terregles House, in the parish of that name in Kirkcudbright, but whether he actually owned land there I cannot say. In 1775 a John Gordon had sasine of an annual rent of £6 10s out of the one Merkland of Nunwood-head, formerly called Carlyle lands of old extent in Terregles ('Dumfries Particular Sasines Register'). The Harrow School Register certainly describes Alexander Gordon as 'of Terregles.' He died at Nunton on Benbecula on September 13, 1839 ('Gentleman's Magazine,' vol. 12, N.S., p. 550). The Gordon mausoleum in St. Cuthbert's, Edinburgh, gives the date as Oct. 12. He married Eleanor, who died March 2, 1850 ('Gentleman's Magazine,' vol. 33, N.S., p. 451). He had six sons and four daughters

3. Cosmo George Gordon, 'youngest son of Gordon of Braid,' died there Sept. 8, 1795 ('Scots Mag.'). The Gordon mausoleum at St. Cuthbert's, Edinburgh, gives the date as Sept. 12.

4. Joanna ('Jacky') Gordon. Margaret Mackintosh, daughter of John Mackintosh of Corrybrough More, on the Findhorn, writes to her sister Anne, about 1802, that she had met 'Miss,' that is Jacky, Gordon at the 'practising,' and that she was 'ridiculously' dressed ('Balfours of Pilrig,' 196). Her ridiculousness, however, did not prevent her capturing, two years later (May 28, 1804), the future Earl of Stair. At that time he was plain Mr John William Henry Dairymple, son of General the Hon. William Dalrymple, who was uncle of the 6th Earl of Stair. He was an officer in the 5th Dragoon Guards, and met Joanna Gordon when his regiment was stationed in Edinburgh, being at the time of his marriage only 20 years of age. He told her that family circumstances rendered it necessary to keep the marriage secret during the life time of his father. Miss Gordon 'yielded to his injunctions of secrecy,' and the pair simply exchanged mutual written promises to this effect (more detail given here of the secret relationship)...... On June 3, 1808, Dalrymple married at St. George's, Hanover Square, by special licence, Laura Manners (youngest daughter of John Manners, by Louisa, afterwards sua jure Countess of Dysart), on the ground that his marriage with Miss Gordon was invalid. Miss Gordon carried her case to law, and it was decided in her favour in the Consistory Court at Doctors' Commons on July 16, 1811, by Sir Walter Scott, afterwards Lord Stowell (whose younger brother, Lord Eldon, the well known Lord Chancellor, had taken a similar step by a run-away marriage at Gretna Green in 1772). (further detail of the aftermath of this situation follows in the text)"

5. Mary Gordon, died unmarried, July 7, 1846 (Gordon Mausoleum, Edinburgh).

6. Charlotte Gordon is described by Col. Gordon as 'my third sister.' Margaret Mackintosh met her at the 'practising' in Edinburgh in 1802, and says she 'looked very well,' in contrast to her sister Jacky, who was 'very ridiculously dressed' ('Balfours of Pilrig,' 196). Sir James Dalziel of Binns (1774-1841) was with her; 'he is a constant attendant of Charlotte, and they say he will be a match.' As a matter of fact, he died unmarried, while Charlotte herself married at Edinburgh, May 18, 1805, Captain (afterwards Sir) John Lowther Johnstone of the Coldstream Guards, son of Governor George Johnstone (1730- 1787) and nephew of Sir William Pulteney ('Scots Magazine'). (more detail follows regarding Charlotte's family)"

from The Gordons of Cluny ¹