GORDON, Thomas of Grandholm, Burgess of Aberdeen 2 5
- Born: About 1571
- Marriage (1): FORBES, Margaret in Mill of Gellan before 2 July 1604 1
- Marriage (2): GRAY, Elspet on 18 February 1612 in Saint Nicholas parish, Aberdeen, Scotland 2 3
- Marriage (3): GORDON, Janet 4
Other names for Thomas were GORDON, Thomas of Grandoun,4 GORDON, Thos of Dilspro,6 GORDONN, Thomas of Grandame,7 GORDONN, Thomas 3 7 8 9 and GORDONN, Thomas of Grandum.8
User ID: X321.
Research Notes:
A CONFUSION OF THOMAS GORDONS
It is clear from the records reproduced in House of Gordon that there were several men named Thomas Gordon living in the same general area about the same time, and at least two of them had some legal connection or were connected by name with Dilspro. The man here is one of them.
They were of two different families of Gordon. The three Thomas Gordons that should be distingusihed were:
1 Thomas Gordon of Grandholme, sometimes named of Dilspro, son of Alexander, was of the Abergeldie family 2 Thomas Gordon of Dilspro, son of Henry or Harry, was of the Lesmoir family. 3 Thomas Gordon of Broadland, son of James Gordon, was also a Lesmoir descendant. he was an ancestor of the Buthlaw family of Gordon.
Matters are complicated further because more than one branch of them had legal or land links to Goval in New Machar.
Dilspro and modern Grandhome are situated quite near each other, a few miles east of Aberdeen Airport at Dyce.
DILSPRO
"Fairy Hillock © Copyright and database right 2011. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100020548. Alternative Names Mains of Grandhome; Grandhome House Policies; Dilspro; Fairyhillock Site Type FARMSTEAD Canmore ID 136165 Site Number NJ81SE 59 NGR NJ 8995 1274 Council ABERDEEN, CITY OF Parish OLD MACHAR Former Region GRAMPIAN Former District CITY OF ABERDEEN Former County ABERDEENSHIRE Datum OSGB36 - NGR
There is a possible reference to this un-named settlement in the writings of J Cruikshank: '1642 Thos Gordon of Dilspro and Margt Allardas, his spouse with a number of lawless and broken persons armed with swords, staves and other weapons came, under cloud and silence of night, entered the houses and assaulted the said tacksman and their servants and violently thrust them to the doors and would not suffer them to labour the lands or keep the Mill and other goods thereupon'. (Dilspro is a name for Grandhome Estate in the 16th and 17th centuries). NMRS, MS/992/5, visited 1 November 1998.
The farmstead, comprises four unroofed buildings, of which one is L-shaped and one is T-shaped, is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Aberdeenshire 1869, sheet lxvi), but it is not shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1990). Information from RCAHMS (AKK) 19 April 1999.
This farmstead is situated 320m N of Mains of Grandhome farmsteading in the SW corner of an arable field that lies on a prominent terrace 160m E of the River Don. The farmstead comprises five buildings: three form an informal U-shaped range open to the N; the fourth is situated immediately to the E of the range; and the fifth, a probable cottage, is set some 33m SSE of the range."
GRANDHOLM
"Aberdeen, Grandhome House © Copyright and database right 2011. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100020548. Alternative Names Grandholm House; Dilspro; Grandhome Policies Site Type COUNTRY HOUSE (17TH CENTURY), MANOR HOUSE Canmore ID 76853 Site Number NJ81SE 36 NGR NJ 89849 11747 Council ABERDEEN, CITY OF Parish OLD MACHAR Former Region GRAMPIAN Former District CITY OF ABERDEEN Former County ABERDEENSHIRE Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Archaeological Notes
(Location stated as NJ 8980 1170 ). Grandhome House. Site of manor/mansion house. Mansion on E-plan; harled, crow-stepped gables; N wing 17th century incorporating earlier work; S wing 17th century. The two wings are linked by the 18th century W range; forestair to door in centre of second floor. The estate belonged successively to the Keiths, Ogilvies, Buchanans, Gordons and Jaffrays until the late 17th century when it passed to the Patons of Farrochie, Fettercairn, who changed the earlier name for the property, Dilspro, to that presently used. NMRS, MS/712/79."
from RCAHMS 6 10
Noted events in his life were:
1. Admitted: Burgess, 4 March 1606, of Aberdeen. 11
Thomas married Margaret FORBES in Mill of Gellan before 2 July 1604.1 (Margaret FORBES in Mill of Gellan was born about 1575.)
Marriage Notes:
"A charter was granted on July 25, 1604, by William Allan, burgess of Aberdeen, with assent of Andrew Hervie of Alrik, and James Hervie, his eldest son and heir, for their interest in terms of a contract between the granter on the one part and Thomas Gordon of Grandholm for himself and Margaret Forbes his wife on the other, granting to them and their heirs male in feu farm the town and lands of Carnefield (i.e. Balgownie) with manor house, etc., also the lands of Danestoun and Corthyburn (St. Machar) : to be held from the granter of the Principal, regents, etc.. of King's College (Laing Charters, P- 357)."
"Thomas of Grandholm married (i) Margaret Forbes, daughter of Alexander Forbes at the Mill of Gellan, and they had sasine on the lands of Carnfetie, July 2, 1604."
from Abergeldie 1
Thomas next married Elspet GRAY, daughter of Gilbert GRAY Bailie in Aberdeen and Unknown, on 18 February 1612 in Saint Nicholas parish, Aberdeen, Scotland.2 3 (Elspet GRAY was born about 1580 7.)
Marriage Notes:
"GORDONN THOMAS ELSPET GRAY/FR3958 (FR3958) 18/02/1612 168/A 120 293 Aberdeen"
from Index of Marriages
"Again Thomas Gordon 'of Grandhum' was married to Elspet Grant, (see note) apparently a widow, for (according to the Privy Council Register, x., p. 486) on March 28, 1616, Alexander Watsoun, messenger in Aberdeen, complained that when he went to summon James Murray, brother of the Laird of Cowbardie, and others, to appear before the Council to answer the charge of ravishing Marjorie Fergusoun, daughter of Elspet Grant ('now wife of Thomas Gordoun of Grandum'), and was executing the charge against Arthour Chalmer, in his house in the Kirktoun of Kinnoir, he was attacked by the said Arthur, who 'preassit to haif rivene his Majesties blasin of his breist,' struck him with 'fauldit nevis,' and pulled out a long dirk, with which he would have slain pursuer, had he not escaped. Pursuer having gone afterwards to the house of Alex. Mathesoun, messenger, 'and efter supper haveing past to his bed for taking the nichtis rest thairintill,' the said Arthour, accompanied by Johnne Abircrombie in Sandistoun, and other accomplices, to the number of ten, all armed, came to the house about midnight, surrounded it, 'strak in at the windois' with swords and long weapons, forced an entrance at the door, and thereafter most cruelly assaulted pursuer, who 'narrowlie eschaipit from thame'. The Lords order Chalmer and Johnne Abircrombie to be denounced rebels.' "
from Abergeldie
Note:
This wife is here named as Elspet Grant, but in the OPR baptism records of their children she is named as Elspet Gray. 1 3
Thomas next married Janet GORDON, daughter of Alexander GORDON 3rd of Lesmoir and Anne Mariota FORBES.4 (Janet GORDON was born about 1570 and died after 19 February 1620 5.)
Marriage Notes:
"According to the Collections on the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff (p. 231), Grandholm was called Dilspro 'while possessed by the Jaffrays'. In 1626 Thomas Gordon of Dilspro was caution in £20 (Privy Council Register) that Sir James Gordon of Lesmoir (whose sister Thomas Gordon of Grandholm married) should pay his College of Heralds bill (Sir James was made a baronet in 1625). Dilspro had belonged to the Lesmoir Gordons, for the first Laird of Lesmoir had a son Harry of Dilspro. In Nov., 1638, Thomas Gordon, 'late of Dilspro,' resigned the shady half of the lands of old Govill in New Machar to John Kintie."
"Janet, daughter of Alexander Gordon, 3rd Laird of Lesmoir, and widow of James Crichton of Frendraught, whose son was the host of Lord Aboyne when the latter was burned at Frendraught in 1630. (A Thomas Gordon appears in 1635 as one of the Gordons called on to give caution for their good behaviour, especially in view of the Frendraught affair.)"
from Lesmoir 5
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