New Spalding Club > House of Gordon > Gordons under arms

HOUSE OF GORDON.
Opportunity and patronage similarly gave an impulse to soldiering
in other Gordon countries. It was marked in Sutherland, though there
it is somewhat obscured by the fact that the Earls of Sutherland had
abandoned the name of Gordon before the great recruiting impetus of
the eighteenth century began. A very remarkable instance is afforded
by Adam Gordon (1750-1831), tacksman at Griamachary, Kildonan, for
no fewer than fifteen of his male descendants have been officers, includ-
ing the well-known " gemini generals," Sir John James Hood and
Sir Thomas Edward Gordon. Their fame endures, but not one stone
of their old home — probably a mere " but and ben " in Griamachary —
is now standing on the other.
It is not possible in the space at one's disposal to go into all the
families producing officers, but the following are some striking cases
of male descendants in the British Services, though the totals could be
increased by including service under other flags and as Jacobites : —
Haddo — William, 2nd Earl of Aberdeen {d. 1745) had
Croughly — James, farmer (d. 18 12) had
Hallhead — Robert, the laird {d. 1793) had
Cairnjicld — Robert, of Lunan (b. 1655) had
Newton — James, Portsoy (d. t745) had
Abergeldie — Charles, the laird (d. 1796) had
Griamachary — Adam, tacksman (d. 1831) had
Wardhotise — James, of Beldorney (alive 1746) had
Kenmure — John, "8th" Viscount (d. 1769) had .
Clonmel — Thomas, of Spring-garden (d. 1805) had
Embo — Sir John, 5th bart. (d. 1779) had
Culvennan — William (d. 1757) had
There are other groups distinctly military though not so easily classed
as these families. For instance, the Gordons of Park are represented
throughout the book by 14 fighting members : the Gordon-Cummings
by 12, the Gordon-Lennox family by 11, and the Conway-Gordons by
the same number.
That the fighting spirit was widely diffused among men bearing
the name of Gordon, and did not rely on the power of the Dukes to
give it expression, is seen in the number of officers produced by the
Gordons of Spring-garden, Clonmel, who were founded by a tanner,
and who were brilliantly represented in Major-General Edward Charles
Acheson Gordon, R.E. There were several other Irish families,
grouped here for the first time, although none of them can be traced back