Robert Gordon (1786–1864) was a British landowner and politician.
Life
He was the only son of William Gordon, a West Indies planter, of Auchendolly in
Kirkcudbrightshire
Kirkcudbrightshire ( ), or the County of Kirkcudbright or the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright is one of the historic counties of Scotland, covering an area in the south-west of the country. Until 1975, Kirkcudbrightshire was an administrative coun ...
, and his wife Anna Nash, daughter of Stephen Nash of Bristol, and was educated at
Eton College
Eton College () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI of England, Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. i ...
from 1799 to 1803. He entered Lincoln's Inn in 1803, and matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford in 1804, graduating B.A. in 1808 and M.A. in 1824.
Gordon succeeded his father in 1802, inheriting the West Indies plantation, and estates in Sherborne, Dorset and Cricklade, Wiltshire. He was a cornet (1805) and lieutenant (1808) in the Dorset yeomanry and a captain in the Wiltshire yeomanry (1816).
Appointed High Sheriff of Gloucestershire for 1811–12, Gordon served as MP for Wareham from 1812 to 1818. He was then MP for Cricklade from 1818 to 1837 and for New Windsor from 1837 to 1841. He was a commissioner to the Board of Control from 1832 to 1833 and joint
secretary
A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a ...
from 1833 to 1834 and from 1835 to 1839. He was
Financial Secretary to the Treasury
The financial secretary to the Treasury is a mid-level ministerial post in His Majesty's Treasury. It is nominally the fifth most significant ministerial role within the Treasury after the first lord of the Treasury, the chancellor of the Exchequ ...
from 1839 to 1841.
Gordon died in 1864.
Family
Gordon married his cousin Elizabeth Anne, the daughter of
Charles Westley Coxe
Charles Westley Coxe ( – 10 March 1806) was the member of Parliament for Cricklade in England from 13 April 1784 to 4 April 1785.