John Gordon, 1st Viscount of Kenmure (1599–1634) was a Scottish nobleman, renowned

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

, and founder of the town of

New Galloway New Galloway () is a town in the historical county of Kirkcudbrightshire in Dumfries and Galloway. It lies on the west side of the valley of the Water of Ken, north of the end of Loch Ken. Before the local government reform of 1975, it was the s ...

Biography

Sir John Gordon of

Lochinvar Lochinvar (or Lan Var) is a loch in the civil parish of Dalry in the historic county of Kirkcudbrightshire, Dumfries and Galloway Scotland. It is located in the Galloway Hills, around north-east of St. John's Town of Dalry. The loch formerly ...

(as he was known before his ennoblement) was the eldest son of Sir

Robert Gordon of Lochinvar Sir Robert Gordon of Lochinvar (died 1628) was a Scottish landowner, courtier, and promoter of colonies in Nova Scotia. He was a son of John Gordon of Lochinvar and his second wife Elizabeth Maxwell, a daughter of John Maxwell 4th Lord Herries. ...

(d. November 1628), a Gentleman of the King's Bedchamber, by his wife, Lady Elizabeth Ruthven, daughter of the

William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie, 4th Lord of Ruthven (c. 1541May 1584) was a Scottish peer known for devising the Raid of Ruthven. Life and career William Ruthven was born in 1541 in Ruthven Castle, in Perthshire, Scotland, the son of Patr ...

. After completion of his studies he travelled on the continent, and while there he resided in the house of the famous John Welsh, who was then minister at St. Jean d'Angély in France, having been banished from Scotland. He was one of the first to embark in the scheme for the establishment of colonies in America, and in 1621 obtained a charter of what was called the barony of Galloway in Nova Scotia (now

Baleine, Nova Scotia Baleine ( ) (formerly Port aux Baleines) is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality on Cape Breton Island. The community is perhaps best known as the landing site for pilot Beryl Mark ...

). On his return home Gordon exerted himself with success in getting

Anwoth Anwoth is a settlement near the Solway Firth in the historic county of Kirkcudbrightshire, southwest Scotland, within a parish of the same name in the Vale of Fleet, Dumfries and Galloway. Anwoth lies a mile (1.5 km) to the west of Gatehouse ...

the parish in which the family residence was situated, disjoined from two other parishes with which it had been united; and through his,

Samuel Rutherford Samuel Rutherford (also Rutherfurd or Rutherfoord; – 29 March 1661) was a Scottish Presbyterian pastor and theology, theologian and one of the Scottish Commissioners to the Westminster Assembly. Life Samuel Rutherford was born in t ...

was appointed minister of the new charge in 1627, which Kenmure later said was "the most meritorious action of my life". At some point Gordon was knighted. A strong supporter of the

Stuart Stuart may refer to: People *Stuart (name), a given name and surname (and list of people with the name) * Clan Stuart of Bute, a Scottish clan *House of Stuart, a royal house of Scotland and England Places Australia Generally *Stuart Highway, ...

monarchy, on 8 May 1633, as Sir John Gordon, knight, he was created Viscount of Kenmure and Lord Lochinvar by

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 ...

Letters Patent Letters patent (plurale tantum, plural form for singular and plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, President (government title), president or other head of state, generally granti ...

, at his Scottish coronation in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

. The destination was to heirs male whatsoever bearing the surname and

Arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...

of Gordon. He attended the parliament held at Edinburgh the following June, but avoided the debate on the King's measures relative to the church, retiring instead to Kenmure Castle. He later regretted that he took no part but expressed his dilemma at not wishing to upset his monarch. Among other favours conferred upon him by Charles I was the charter, dated 15 January 1629, of a

Royal Burgh A royal burgh ( ) was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished by law in 1975, the term is still used by many former royal burghs. Most royal burghs were either created by ...

, a new town which was built within the limits of his estate at Kenmure Castle.

attended Kenmure on his deathbed and later wrote a tract entitled ''The last and heavenly Speeches and glorious Departure of John, Viscount Kenmure'', printed in Edinburgh in 1649, by Evan Tyler, His Majesty's Printer. It was reprinted in 1827. John Gordon married Lady Jane Campbell, sister of

Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll (March 160727 May 1661) was a Scottish nobleman, politician, and peer. The ''de facto'' head of Scotland's government during most of the conflict of the 1640s and 1650s known as the Wars of the Three K ...

Widow

When John Gordon died, Lady Jane remarried, on 21 September 1640, to Sir Harry Montgomerie of Giffen, second son of Alexander Montgomerie, 6th

Earl of Eglinton Earl of Eglinton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created by James IV of Scotland in 1507 for Hugh Montgomerie, 3rd Lord Montgomerie. In 1859, the thirteenth Earl of Eglinton, Archibald Montgomerie, was also created Earl of Winto ...

, and they had no children. She lived to February 1675.

Bibliography

*Douglas's Scottish Peerage (Wood), i. 27 *Howie's Scots Worthies *Memoir by Thomas Murray, prefixed to Rutherford's Last and Heavenly Speeches of John, Viscount Kenmure. Edinburgh, 1827 *Works of Samuel Rutherford

References

;Citations ;Sources *Anderson, William, ''The Scottish Nation'', Edinburgh, 1867, vol. v, pp. 333–4; vol. vi, p. 599 * * * * * * Covenanters People from Kirkcudbright

External links

''The Last and Heavenly Speeches, and Glorious Departure of John Viscount Kenmure'' (generally attributed to Samuel Rutherford)
in its entirety (PDF download) {{DEFAULTSORT:Kenmure, John Gordon, 1st Viscount Of 1599 births 1634 deaths Nobility from Dumfries and Galloway

402 __NOTOC__ Year 402 ( CDII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Arcadius and Honorius (or, less frequently, year 1155 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 4 ...

Viscounts in the Peerage of Scotland Peers of Scotland created by Charles I 17th-century Scottish people Scottish Presbyterians Scottish knights Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1628–1633