Gordons and Smiths at Minmore, Auchorachan, and Upper Drumin in Glenlivet

THE GORDONS IN MINMORE.
^PHE lands of Minmore were tenanted by a family of Gordon,
for over two centuries — at least from 1632 to 1840, when the
family of Smith, in Upper Drumin, took up the tenancy. The
Minmore family is still represented, notably in Mr J. C. Gordon, of
Drimnin, Argyllshire, but it hr>s ceased t) be connected with the
country of Glenlivet, the nearest approach to a northern connection
being in the ancient family, the Gordons of Abergeldie, who owe their
continuity of Gordon blood in the male line to the family of Minmore.
The Minmore Gordons trace to the Gordons of Knockespock, in
the Aberdeenshire parish of Clatt, twenty miles to the north east as
the crow flies.
Alexander Gordon of Knockespock, son of William Gordon, who
was the third son of the famous "Jock" Gordon, of Scurdargue, the
cousin of the lady who founded the ducal line — married " Ardneedlie's
daughter, Bailie, Lady Asswanly, with whom," according to the
Balbithan MS., " he begat four sons and daughters." The second son
was Mr Alexander Gordon, burgess of Elgin. The burgess married
Anne Gordon, the laird of Strathavon's daughter, but he also had a
natural son "gotten with a gentlewoman of the sirname of Stuart,
called William Gordon of Menmoir."
This bar sinister had nothing whatever of the stigma attaching to
it to-day. The ducal line of Richmond itself, owners of Glenlivet,
are proud of it, and the great majority of the Gordons in the north,
including Lord Aberdeen's family, trace to "Jock" Gordon of
Scurdargue, and to his brother, " Tarn," of Ruthven, who were both
natural sons.
WILLIAM GORDON, I. IN MINMORE.
rpHE burgess of Elgin proved that he thought nothing of the
stigma, for he planted his natural son William in Minmore, and
by a commonplace irony his legitimate descendants have all vanished,
while the house of Minmore still flourishes.
The first reference to Minmore as associated with William
Gordon occurs in what is believed to be the year 1632. On May 7
and 8 of a year not actually stated, the Synod of Moray, meeting at
Elgin, ordered William Gordon " of " Minmore and others to be
" processit " as " papists " (Cramond's " Synod of Moray," p. 24).
William must have been a man of some note, for on March 28,
1635, he was commissioned by the Privy Council to arrest certain
"broken'' men (including twenty-eight Gordons) who were terrorising
the country-side in carrying on their fierce vendetta against Crichton
of Frendraught, for the death of their chief, Lord Huntly's son.