Sir William Gordon, 1st Baronet (died 1742) was a Scottish politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

between 1708 and 1742. Gordon was the eldest son of Sir Adam Gordon of Dalpholly, Sutherland and his wife Anne Urquhart, daughter of Alexander Urquhart of Newhall, Ross. He succeeded his father in 1700, and by 1702 had acquired the estate of Inverbreakie, on the Cromarty Firth, which was renamed

Invergordon Invergordon (; or ) is a town and port in Easter Ross, in Ross and Cromarty, Highland (council area), Highland, Scotland. It lies in the parish of Rosskeen. History The town built up around the harbour which was established in 1828. The area ...

. He was created

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 ...

on 3 February 1704. He married firstly a daughter of Sir William Henderson, 2nd,Baronet of Fordel, Dalgety, Fife, but appears to have had no children by her. He married secondly Isabel Hamilton, daughter of Sir John Hamilton of Halcraig, Lanarkshire on 19 March 1704. Gordon was burgess of Glasgow in 1704 and burgess of Edinburgh in 1708. At the 1708 general election he was returned as Member of Parliament for

Sutherland Sutherland () is a Counties of Scotland, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in the Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland. The name dates from the Scandinavian Scotland, Viking era when t ...

. He was re-elected in 1710. However, by 1713, his servants had beaten and robbed a merchant who had called at his house to collect a debt and he was faced with a legal action. He also became involved in allegations of corruption against his brother who was a customs collector. At the 1713 general election, the Sutherland family who controlled the seat put forward an alternative candidate and Gordon had to stand aside. However his opponent decided to sit at Peebleshire, and Gordon was returned at a by-election on 7 May 1714. Gordon was returned unopposed at Sutherland in

1715 Events For dates within Great Britain and the British Empire, as well as in the Russian Empire, the "old style" Julian calendar was used in 1715, and can be converted to the "new style" Gregorian calendar (adopted in the British Empire in ...

and was appointed a Commissioner for stating army debts also in 1715, a post he held until 1720. In about 1717 he became Sheriff of Ross and remained as such until 1725. He was re-elected MP for Sutherland at the 1722 general election but in 1727 he had to stand aside for another protégé of the Sutherland family. He contested at Sutherland in 1734 but was unsuccessful. At the 1741 general election he was returned as MP for Cromartyshire through the assistance of the 3rd Earl of Cromarty, who had married his daughter Isabella (‘Bonnie Bell Gordon’ Gordon's wife, Isabel died in 1740, and Gordon himself at Chelsea on 9 June 1742. He had four sons and five daughters. He was succeeded, in the estate, baronetcy (to 1783) and parliamentary seat (until 1761), by his eldest son,

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

(1707-1783).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Sir William, 1st Baronet 1742 deaths Nobility from Highland (council area) British MPs 1708–1710 British MPs 1710–1713 British MPs 1713–1715 British MPs 1715–1722 British MPs 1722–1727 British MPs 1741–1747 Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Scottish constituencies 801