Adam Gordon of Auchindoun (1545–1580) was a Scottish knight, younger brother of the

Earl of Huntly Marquess of Huntly (traditionally spelled Marquis in Scotland; Scottish Gaelic: ''Coileach Strath Bhalgaidh'') is a title in the Peerage of Scotland that was created on 17 April 1599 for George Gordon, 6th Earl of Huntly. It is the oldest existing ...

and military leader during the

Marian civil war The Marian civil war in Scotland (1568–1573) was a period of conflict which followed the abdication of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her escape from Lochleven Castle in May 1568. Those who ruled in the name of her infant son James VI fought against ...

on behalf of

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...

in north west Scotland. In Scottish ballad lore, Adam became known as Edom o'Gordon.

Supporter of Mary, Queen of Scots

Adam was the son of

George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly (151428 October 1562) was a Scottish nobleman. Life He was the son of John Gordon, Lord Gordon, and Margaret Stewart, daughter of James IV and Margaret Drummond. George Gordon inherited his earldom and esta ...

and Elizabeth Keith, daughter of Robert Keith, Master of Marischal. Adam Gordon was taken prisoner at the

battle of Corrichie The Battle of Corrichie, also known as the Battle of Corrichy was a battle fought near Meikle Tap, near Aberdeen, Scotland, on 28 October 1562. It was fought between the forces of George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly, chief of Clan Gordon, agains ...

in 1562, but was restored to royal favour and made Laird of

Auchindoun Castle Auchindoun Castle is a 15th-century L-Plan tower castle located in Auchindoun near Dufftown in Banffshire, Scotland. History While there is evidence of prehistoric or Pictish earthworks in the grounds of the castle, the remains most visible toda ...

. During the

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

he fought for the exiled Queen Mary, particularly against the

Clan Forbes Clan Forbes is a Highland Scottish clan from Aberdeenshire, Scotland. History Origins The name Forbes is most probably a location name assumed from the lands of Forbes in Aberdeenshire, in possession of this family reputedly since the time ...

who followed the cause of

James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until hi ...

against his mother. In March 1571, Jean Ruthven, Lady Methven wrote to her husband

Henry Stewart, 2nd Lord Methven Lord Methven was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created on 17 July 1528 by King James V of Scotland for his stepfather Henry Stewart. The title became extinct on the death of the grantee's grandson in the 1580s. The title takes its n ...

, fearful that Adam Gordon was coming to

Arbroath Arbroath () or Aberbrothock ( gd, Obar Bhrothaig ) is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the council area of Angus, Scotland, with a population of 23,902. It lies on the North Sea coast some ENE of Dundee and SSW of Aberdeen. The ...

. In October 1571 Adam defeated the Forbes at the battle of Tillieangus. In November at Craibstone, or Aberdeen Bridge, he defeated the Forbes and a troop of the Regent's soldiers commanded by Captains Chisholm and Wedderburn. Adam then defeated an army of

Regent Mar John Erskine, 6th Earl of Mar (died 28 October 1572) was a Scottish aristocrat and politician. He was the custodian of the infant James VI of Scotland and Regent of Scotland. Erskine was a son of John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine and Lady Margaret C ...

at Brechin. The major historical sources for Adam's role in the conflict are the near contemporary accounts of

John Knox John Knox ( gd, Iain Cnocc) (born – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Born in Giffordgat ...

's secretary

Richard Bannatyne Richard Bannatyne (died 1605) was a Scottish clergyman and scribe who served as secretary to John Knox. His place in history is substantiated in his role as the compiler of the historical record, Memorials of Transactions in Scotland from 15 ...

and the chronicles, the ''Diurnal of Occurrents'' and ''History of King James the Sext''.

Battle of Tullieangus and the burning of Corgarff

Bannatyne said that Adam had 1,000 men at Tillieangus against 300 Forbes on 17 October 1571. Adam concealed his superior numbers to draw the Forbes into an ambush. The brother of Lord Forbes, Arthur Forbes was killed and 12 or 16 Forbes. William Forbes and 16 others were taken prisoner. Twenty-two Gordons were killed, including John Gordon of Buiky. Before Craibstone, he or his men were involved in a massacre of the Forbes family at

Corgarff Castle Corgarff Castle is located slightly west of the village of Corgarff, in Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland. It stands by the Lecht road, which crosses the pass between Strathdon and Tomintoul. Life The castle was built around 1530 by the Elp ...

. According to Bannatyne, 24 people were burnt to death in the castle including Lady Towie, although a day's truce was agreed. Only one escaped, by crawling through the heather and straw which the attackers had piled to fire the castle. The ''Diurnal'' says that Adam sent his lieutenant Captain Ker to Lady Towie to ask her to surrender "Carrigill or (Corgarffe)." When she said no, Adam ordered the place to be burnt, with about 27 casualties including Lady Towie and her daughters. Gordon's kinsman,

Alexander Gordon (bishop of Galloway) Alexander Gordon (–1575) was a 16th-century Scottish people, Scottish churchman who was successively archbishop of Glasgow, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Athens, titular archbishop of Athens, bishop of the Isles and bishop of Galloway. Biogra ...

wrote from Edinburgh on 16 November 1571 with news of the battle at Tullieangus to

Earl of Shrewsbury Earl of Shrewsbury () is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the Peerage of England. The second earldom dates to 1442. The holder of the Earldom of Shrewsbury also holds the title of Earl of Waterford (1446) in the Peerage of Ireland ...

, who was the keeper of

. He intended to promote the Marian cause in England, writing "there was slain the principals of the gentlemen of the Forbes the number of 36, with my Lord Forbes's brother, one hundred taken, whereof my Lord Forbes' second son is one, and the rest brothers of Baronies and substantial gentlemen".

Battle of Craibstone

According to the ''Diurnal'', the Master of Forbes and Captains Chisholm and Wedderburn marched from

Cowie Cowie may refer to: People *Cowie (surname) Places *Cowie, Aberdeenshire, an historic fishing village located at the north side of Stonehaven, Scotland **Cowie Castle, a ruined castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland ** Chapel of St. Mary and St. Natha ...

to Aberdeen on 20 November 1571. Chisholm and Wedderburn, the Regent's men, commanded two bands of

musketeer A musketeer (french: mousquetaire) was a type of soldier equipped with a musket. Musketeers were an important part of early modern warfare particularly in Europe as they normally comprised the majority of their infantry. The musketeer was a pre ...

s called "hagbutters." Their whole strength was about 800 men. Adam and Captain Ker had 900 men in the town. The Forbes came over the bridge of Aberdeen, and fought with Adam's men for an hour (at Craibstone). The Forbes retreated, Chisholm and 300 men were killed, and the Master of Forbes and 200 men were captured. Two hundred Gordons were killed. Bannatyne mentions that some cavalry commanded by Alexander Campbell fought with the Forbes. Bannatyne says that the Forbes and the Regent's troops came to Aberdeen because they were short of food. Adam was reluctant to fight because he was outgunned, but saw his chance after the troops wasted their ammunition. The Forbes bowmen or archers fled, Bannatyne wrote they "gave backis, and did no guid." A chronicle written by an Aberdeen man, Walter Cullen, records the casualties at 'Craibstayne' as about 60, three score, on each side (unless this a copyist's error for three hundred), and mentions the death of 'Guid' Duncan Forbes. The chronicle ''History of King James of Sext'' described Adam's vigilance in Aberdeen as like a "valiant chiftayne, having alwayis his men in reddienes," and adds there were 600 cavalrymen against him. The fleeing Forbes were pursued for four miles. According to the ''History of James Sext'' (which has a bias against the Regents of Scotland), there were 300 Forbes casualties against thirty Gordons. Adam's victories against the Forbes were marred by the "infamy" of the burning of the Lady Towie.

Exile and death

Adam was included in the peace called the "Pacification of Perth" of 23 February 1573. He was then allowed to go to France, where he tried to rally support for Queen Mary. Then in 1574, Adam was in touch with the English diplomat in Scotland, Henry Killigrew, and in France, and

Francis Walsingham Sir Francis Walsingham ( – 6 April 1590) was principal secretary to Queen Elizabeth I of England from 20 December 1573 until his death and is popularly remembered as her "spymaster". Born to a well-connected family of gentry, Wals ...

trying to secure his reconciliation with

Regent Morton James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton (c. 1516 – 2 June 1581, aged 65) was the last of the four regents of Scotland during the minority of King James VI. He was in some ways the most successful of the four, since he won the civil war that had b ...

. At the same time, his brother, the 5th Earl of Huntly, wrote to

Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...

distancing himself from Adam's activities in France. In September 1574, Morton arrested Alexander Duff, a servant of Adam Gordon who came to Scotland. In the summer of 1575 Adam Gordon returned to Scotland and was imprisoned at

Blackness Castle Blackness Castle is a 15th-century fortress, near the village of Blackness, Scotland, on the south shore of the Firth of Forth. It was built, probably on the site of an earlier fort, by Sir George Crichton in the 1440s. At this time, Blacknes ...

, then in 1577 released under a bond to live in Galloway. On 9 April 1580, Adam Gordon came to Stirling when, according to John Cunningham of Drumquhassle there was a scare that James VI might be abducted to

Dumbarton Castle Dumbarton Castle ( gd, Dùn Breatainn, ; ) has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Scotland. It sits on a volcanic plug of basalt known as Dumbarton Rock which is high and overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton. History Dumba ...

and taken to France. He died at Perth on 27 October 1580.Huntly, Marquess of, ''The Cock o'the North'' (London, 1935), pp. 36–46.

References

* Thomson, Thomas, ed.
''A Diurnal of Remarkable Occurrents in Scotland, 1513-1575'' (Edinburgh, 1833).
* Colville, John, attributed to, Thomson, Thomas, ed.
''The historie and life of King James the Sext: being an account of the affairs of Scotland from the year 1566 to the year 1596'' (Edinburgh, 1825).
* Pitcairn, Robert, ed.
Richard Bannatyne's ''Memorials of transactions in Scotland, 1569-1573'' (Edinburgh, 1836).
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Adam 1545 births 1580 deaths 16th-century Scottish people 16th-century soldiers Lairds Scottish knights Scottish prisoners and detainees Scottish expatriates in France Scottish soldiers Younger sons of earls People of the Scottish Marian Civil War

Adam Gordon of Auchindoun Adam Gordon of Auchindoun (1545–1580) was a Scottish knight, younger brother of the Earl of Huntly and military leader during the Marian civil war on behalf of Mary, Queen of Scots in north west Scotland. In Scottish ballad lore, Adam became k ...