GORDON, John of Cluny, then of Birsemore 1
User ID: B400. John married Margaret GORDON, daughter of George GORDON 2nd of Lesmoir and Katharine FORBES.1 (Margaret GORDON was born about 1548 and died before 16 December 1606.) Marriage Notes: "She (Margaret Gordon) married thirdly John Gordon of Birsemoir, in the parish of Birse, the second son of John Gordon of Cluny : by this marriage she had two sons, Patrick of Birsemoir and John. Patrick married Jean, daughter of Patrick Leslie, Provost of Aberdeen. Her second and third marriages led to some serious results. On Ballindalloch's death, John Grant in Foyness, his brother ... the Tutor (legal guardian) of his son, withheld payment of the rents due to her as his widow, and endeavoured otherwise to wrong her. Upon this her nephew, James Gordon, grandson of Lesmoir, and afterwards first Baronet, took up her quarrel, and went with some of his friends to Ballindalloch to obtain justice for her. Thereupon the Tutor paid up all the arrears due to the lady, except a trifle, which he insisted on retaining. An altercation ensued, in which the servants of both parties took part and came to blows, but they were separated, and James Gordon returned home. Judging that his aunt's interests would be better attended to if she had a husband's protection, he persuaded John Gordon of Birsemoir, brother of Sir Thomas of Cluny, to marry her, the families of Cluny and Lesmoir having been long on an intimate footing. This incensed the Tutor of Ballindalloch so much that he killed one of John Gordon's servants; and in consequence he and such of his servants as harboured or assisted him were declared outlaws and rebels, and the sixth Earl of Huntly got a Commission to apprehend and bring them to justice (Browne's History of the Highlands). The quarrel soon extended to a feud between the Gordons and the Grants." |