The
first Gordon on record is Richard of Gordon, previously of
Swinton, said to have been the grandson of a famous knight who
slew some monstrous animal in the Merse during the time of King
Malcolm III of Scotland. This Richard was Lord of the Barony of
Gordon in the Merse. Between 1150 and 1160 he granted from his
estate a piece of land to the Monks of St. Mary at Kelso, a
grant which was confirmed by his son Thomas Gordon. Other
notable Gordons from this time include Bertram de Gordon who
wounded King Richard of England with an arrow at Chalons.
Alicia Gordon, 4th of the Gordon family was the heiress who
married her cousin, Adam Gordon. Adam Gordon was a soldier who
King Alexander III of Scotland sent with King Louis of France to
Palestine. One tradition is that from Adam's grandson, Sir Adam
all of the Gordons in Scotland are descended from. This Adam
Gordon supported Sir William Wallace in 1297 to recapture the
Castle of Wigtown from the English and Adam was made the
Governor.
Marquess
of Huntly is
a title in the
Peerage of
Scotland. It was
created on April
17, 1599, for
George Gordon,
6th Earl of
Huntly, making
it the oldest
existing
marquessate in
Scotland, and
the
second-oldest in
the British
Isles, only the
English
marquessate of
Winchester being
older. The
Gordon family
descends from
Sir Adam Gordon,
of Huntly, who
was killed at
the Battle of
Humbleton Hill
in 1402. He was
succeeded in his
estates by his
daughter
Elizabeth, wife
of Alexander
Seton. Their son
Alexander
assumed the
surname of
Gordon in lieu
of Seton and was
created Earl
of Huntly in
the Peerage of
Scotland in
1445. He was
succeeded by his
son, the second
Earl. He served
as Lord
Chancellor of
Scotland from
1498 to 1501.
His younger son
the Hon. Adam
Gordon married
Elizabeth,
suo jure
Countess of
Sutherland.
Their grandson
John Gordon
succeeded his
grandmother in
the earldom in
1535 (see the
Earl of
Sutherland for
further history
of this branch
of the family).
Lord Huntly's
elder son, the
third Earl, was
a member of the
Council of
Regency in 1517.
He was succeeded
by his grandson,
the fourth Earl.
He was Lord
Chancellor of
Scotland from
1546 to 1562.
However, he was
killed the
latter year and
in 1563 an Act
of Attainder was
passed through
Parliament with
all his titles
forfeited. His
eldest surviving
son George
Gordon was
condemned to
death for
treason in 1563
but was later
pardoned. He
obtained a
reversal of his
father's
attainder in
1567 and served
as Lord
Chancellor of
Scotland.
When
he died two
years later the
titles passed to
his son, the
fourth Marquess.
In 1661 the
attainder of
1649 was revoked
by Act of
Parliament. In
1684 Lord Huntly
was created
Lord Badenoch,
Lochaber,
Strathavon,
Balmore,
Auchindoun,
Garthie and
Kincardine,
Viscount of
Inverness,
Earl of
Huntly and Enzie
and Duke of
Gordon. All
four titles were
in the Peerage
of Scotland. He
was succeeded by
his son, the
second Duke. He
was a supporter
of the Old
Pretender.
Gordon married
Lady Henrietta,
daughter of
Charles Mordaunt,
3rd Earl of
Peterborough and
8th Baron
Mordaunt. Their
eldest son, the
third Duke, sat
in the House of
Lords as a
Scottish
Representative
Peer from 1747
to 1752. He was
succeeded by his
eldest son,
Alexander
Gordon, the
fourth Duke.
Known as "Cock
o' the North",
he was a
Scottish
Representative
Peer from 1767
to 1784 and
served as
Lord-Lieutenant
of Aberdeenshire
and as Keeper of
the Great Seal
of Scotland. In
1784 he was
created Baron
Gordon of
Huntley, in
the County of
Gloucester, and
Earl of
Norwich, in
the County of
Norfolk, in the
Peerage of Great
Britain. In 1819
Gordon also
inherited the
barony of
Mordaunt through
his grandmother.
Earl of Huntly (1445)- Alexander Gordon, 1st Earl of Huntly (d. 1470)
- George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly (d. 1502)
- Alexander Gordon, 3rd Earl of Huntly (d. 1524) was the son of George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly and either his first wife, Annabella of Scotland, or his mistress and second wife, Lady Elizabeth Hay. Alexander married by contract, firstly, Lady Jean Stewart, daughter of John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl and Margaret Douglas,(daughter of Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas) on 14 October 1474. He married, secondly, Elizabeth Gray, daughter of Andrew Gray, 2nd Lord Gray and Janet Keith, some time after 27 July 1511. Alexander died on 21 January 1523/1524.
- George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly (15141562) (forfeit 1563)
- George Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly (d. 1576) (restored 1565)
- George Gordon, 6th Earl of Huntly (15621636) (created Marquess of Huntly in 1599)
Marquesses of Huntly (1599)
- George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly (15621636)
- George Gordon, 2nd Marquess of Huntly (15921649)
- Lewis Gordon, 3rd Marquess of Huntly (c. 16261653)
- George Gordon, 4th Marquess of Huntly (16491716) (created Duke of Gordon in 1684)
Dukes of Gordon (1684)
- George Gordon, 1st Duke of Gordon, 4th Marquess of Huntly (16491716)
- Alexander Gordon, 2nd Duke of Gordon, 5th Marquess of Huntly (d. 1728)
- Cosmo George Gordon, 3rd Duke of Gordon, 6th Marquess of Huntly (c. 17201752)
- Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon, 7th Marquess of Huntly (17431827)
- George Gordon, 5th Duke of Gordon, 8th Marquess of Huntly (17701836)
Marquesses of Huntly (1599; Reverted)
- Subsidiary titles: Earl of Aboyne and Lord Gordon of Strathaven and Glenlivet (1660; Peerage of Scotland), Baron Meldrum (1815; Peerage of the United Kingdom)
- George Gordon, 9th Marquess of Huntly (17611853)
- Charles Gordon, 10th Marquess of Huntly (17921863)
- Charles Gordon, 11th Marquess of Huntly (18471937)
- Douglas Charles Lindsey Gordon, 12th Marquess of Huntly (19081987)
- Granville Charles Gomer Gordon, 13th Marquess of Huntly (b. 1944)
The Heir Apparent is the present holder's eldest son Alastair Granville Gordon, Earl of Aboyne (b. 1973).
The Heir Apparent's Heir Apparent is his son Cosmo Alistair Gordon, Lord Strathavon (b. 2009).
