GORDON, Alexander 11th of Gight ^{1 2}

   Cause of his death was drowning in River Ythan.²

   Another name for Alexander was DAVIDSON, Alexander Gordon.⁴

   User ID: B558.

  General Notes:

"DAVIDSON
ALEXANDER GORDO
ALEXANDER LAIRD OF GIGHT DAVIDSON MARY GORDON FR188 (FR188)
M
25/05/1716
197/ 10 359
Fyvie"

from Births and Baptisms




"Alexander (Gordon), the eleventh laird, was baptised May 25, 1716, the Earl of Huntly, the Laird of Cockstoune and the Laird of Pitmeddan being godfathers, and Alexander Gordon in Bochelle and William Panton at the Miltoune of Fyvie witnesses (Fyvie Register of Baptisms). In accordance with the sasine on charter granted to his mother (June 22, 1687), he assumed the 'sirname of Gordon and insignia of the family of Gight'. Dr. Temple calls him 'Alexander Davidson Gordon,' but I can find no authority for this middle name. On his tombstone he is called 'Alexander Gordon,' while the Service of Heirs describes him (in 1735 and 1740) as 'Alexander Gordon or Davidson'.

He was served heir to his father in Newton, Wrangham, Glenistoun, Skares and Melvinside on January 10, 1735 ; to his grandfather, Alexander Davidson of Newton, on January 10, 1735 ; to his granduncle, James Davidson of Tillymorgan, who died September, 1720, in Tillymorgan, Sauchieloan, Graystone and Catdenaill in Culsalmond, January 10, 1735 ; to his mother, January 29, 1740."

from Gight ^{2 4}

Alexander married Margaret DUFF, daughter of Patrick DUFF of Craigston and Mary URQUHART, in December 1739 in Banff parish, Banffshire, Scotland.^{1 2 3} (Margaret DUFF was born on 20 December 1720 ^{1 2} and died on 13 November 1801 in Banff, Banffshire, Scotland ².)

  Marriage Notes:

"DUFF
PEGGIE
NAME NOT GIVEN/GORDON/
30/11/1739
147 80 / 20
Banff"

from Index of Marriages


Old Parish Registers
Banff parish Banffshire
Marriages

"1739
Decr
Gordon Laird of Gight & M^rs Peggie Duff Daug^r of Craigston"




"Margaret (Duff), born 1720, died 1801 ; married Alexander Gordon of Gight. She had nine sons and three daughters, and the eldest son, George, born 1741, who married Catherine Innes, was the father of Catherine Gordon, married to Captain John Byron, and mother of the poet."

from Book of the Duffs




"He (Alexander Gordon) married Margaret Duff, born Dec. 20, 1720 ; died at Banff, Nov. 13, 1801 (vide Gight tombstone). She was the daughter of Patrick Duff of Craigston (uncle of the first Earl Fife, and founder of the Duffs of Hatton). This alliance was interesting from several points of view besides Byron's famous love affair with his cousin, Mar)' Duff. The Duffs represented everything that the Gordons of Gight did not. They were never reckless especially where money was concerned ; for their rise is one of the most wonderful stories of success, and was mainly due to brains as applied to commerce. Sometimes (as I argued at considerable length in Scottish Notes and Queries, May, 1898) their brains led them into literature (Sir M. E. Grant-Duff and his brother, Mr. Douglas Ainslie, are cases in point to-day), and it might be advanced that Byron was a good deal indebted to this strain in his blood for his literary instincts. In any case, it may be taken for granted that the Gight family increased their balance at the bankers during the reign of Margaret Duff, despite the fact that she had a large family, and apart from the annexation of the Davidson estates." [....]

"The eleventh laird of Gight and his spouse had no fewer than twelve children nine sons and three daughters. Beyond the appearance of their names on the Gight tombstone at Fyvie and the Register of Baptisms, I have been able to discover nothing about them, so that I imagine most of them died young. Only the eldest of them took the name of Gordon. The rest were Davidsons"

from Gight ^{1 2 3 5}