Sir John Gordon, 1st Baronet (1610 – 19 July 1644) was a Scottish

Royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governme ...

supporter of

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

during the

Wars of the Three Kingdoms The Wars of the Three Kingdoms were a series of related conflicts fought between 1639 and 1653 in the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland, then separate entities united in a pers ...

. Gordon distinguished himself against the covenanters at

Turriff Turriff () is a town and civil parish in Aberdeenshire in Scotland. It lies on the River Deveron, about above sea level, and has a population of 5,708. In everyday speech it is often referred to by its Scots name ''Turra'', which is derived f ...

, 1639, and joined

in England. Created a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

in 1642 for his services, he was excommunicated and forced to surrender by the

Covenanter Covenanters ( gd, Cùmhnantaich) were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. The name is derived from ''Covenan ...

s under Argyll at Kellie in 1644 and was subsequently beheaded for treason at Edinburgh. John was the son of George Gordon (eldest son of James Gordon of Haddo and

Methlick Methlick (Scottish Gaelic language, Gaelic: ''Maothulach'') is a village in the Formartine area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, situated on the River Ythan north-west of Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Ellon. Services Methlick is served by a parish church, ...

), and Margaret, daughter of Sir Alexander Bannerman. George predeceased his father, and John succeeded to his grandfather's estates on the latter's death in November 1624.

Career

Gordon was the son of George Gordon (d. 1610), by Margaret, daughter of Sir Alexander Bannerman of Elsick in Aberdeenshire. He succeeded his grandfather, James Gordon of Methlick and Haddo, Aberdeenshire, in November 1624. In 1639, Gordon was appointed by

second-in-command of the forces raised against the Covenanters, under the

Marquess 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 ...

. He took a distinguished part in the skirmish at

on 14 May 1639, where the Royal forces dispersed a gathering of the Covenanters. Gordon was made a

on 13 August 1642 for his role in this affair, an honour which rendered him further odious to the Covenanters. After the conclusion of the treaty of pacification on 20 June, Gordon repaired to the king at Newark. When Huntly raised an army for the King that year, Sir John again joined him, and both were excommunicated by the General Assembly in April. Huntly was forced to retreat, but Sir John tried to hold Kellie against a powerful army led by the "glied

Argyll Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...

". For his opposition to the covenant, letters of intercommuning were issued by the convention against him in November 1643, and an order granted for his apprehension. The sheriff of Aberdeen proceeded accordingly, in January 1644, to his house of Kellie at the head of a large force, but Gordon had escaped. He joined the Marquis of Huntly in behalf of the king, and sentence of excommunication was pronounced against them both by order of the committee of the general assembly on 16 April 1644. On the retreat of the marquis's forces, Gordon attempted to defend his house of Kellie against the Marquis of Argyll, Promised honourable terms of surrender by his cousin,

Earl Marischal The title of Earl Marischal was created in the Peerage of Scotland for William Keith, the Great Marischal of Scotland. History The office of Marischal of Scotland (or ''Marascallus Scotie'' or ''Marscallus Scotiae'') had been hereditary, held by ...

, then in Argyll's army, Gordon capitulated unconditionally on 8 May 1644. Argyll released most of the garrison, but held Gordon and a few officers and plundered Kellie in violation of his terms, much to Marischal's dissatisfaction. Gordon was brought to

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

and imprisoned in the western part of St. Giles' Cathedral, which thereby acquired the name of "Haddo's Hole". He was tried for

high treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

against the Estates for his actions in 1639, and for maintaining a garrison against the Covenanting armies. Gordon defended himself on the grounds that his actions at Turriff had been pardoned under the Pacification of Berwick, and that he had had the King's authority in his deeds, to no avail. He was found guilty and beheaded at the Mercat Cross in Edinburgh on 19 July 1644.

Family

He married Mary Forbes, daughter of William Forbes of Tolquhon, in 1630, and had issue: *

Sir John Gordon, 2nd Baronet, of Haddo Sir John Gordon, 2nd Baronet (c. 1632–1665) was the eldest son of Sir John Gordon, 1st Baronet, of Haddo and Mary Forbes. He succeeded to the title of 2nd Baronet on the execution of his father for treason on 19 July 1644, but due to his father's ...

(c1632-1665) *Patrick Gordon (born between 1633 and 1636) *

George Gordon, 1st Earl of Aberdeen George Gordon, 1st Earl of Aberdeen (3 October 163720 April 1720), was a Lord Chancellor of Scotland. Early life Gordon, born on 3 October 1637, the second son of Sir John Gordon, 1st Baronet, of Haddo, Aberdeenshire, (executed in 1644); and h ...

(1637–1720) *Charles Gordon (born about 1638) *James Gordon of Saphak (about 1639 - about 1683) *Janet Gordon (born c. 1644) *Jean Gordon

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, John, 1st Baronet 1610 births 1644 deaths Baronets in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia People excommunicated by the Catholic Church People executed for treason against Scotland Cavaliers Executed Scottish people 17th-century executions by Scotland 17th-century Scottish people People executed by the Kingdom of Scotland by decapitation Scottish politicians convicted of crimes