New Spalding Club > House of Gordon > Gordons under arms

330 HOUSE OF GORDON.
who was a son of William, 1381a, and who had Charles, of Braco, Jamaica
(1747 P-iSzg), ancestor of the Gordons of Newtimber Place, Sussex (J. M.
Bulloch in Huntly Express, 1907, Aug. 9, 16).
1389- William. Capt., so described 1746, Jun. 23 {Dumfries Sasines,
vol. 15, folio 51).
Only son of Adam, goldsmith, Edinburgh, who was the fourth son of
William, of Pencaitland, Haddingtonshire, appointed Sheriff Clerk of Aberdeen
in 1678, who m. a niece of Lord Dirleton (J. M. Bulloch's " Money-lending
Sheriff Clerk," in Banffshire Advertiser, 1911, Aug. 31, Sep. 7, 14); owned
Broomrig, and other land in the parish of Holywood, Dumfries ; m. before
1766, Jul. 18, Jean ; d. s.p. 1766, Jun. 24 {S.M., vol. 28, p. 589), being
succeeded by his sister Helen {Services of Heirs).
1390- William. 1739, or earlier, Capt., H.E.I.C.S. (Bombay); May
10, Stephen Law, president of the Bombay Council writes to Shahu Raja,
King of the Mahrattas, "on my entering upon the change of the government
of this island of Bombay, it became immediately and naturally my care to pay
my respects to your Majesty. To this end I send Captain Gordon a person
of trust"; instructs Gordon to repair
with all convenient expedition to Satara, or wherever the Maratha chief was to be found,
taking with him several presents and an interpreter. As one great inducement in sending you
is . . . gaining some information and insight into the Government interests, and designs at that
Court, I would have you use your best industry and management to obtain a sufficient knowledge
of the state of the Shahu Raja's government. ... In the conference you may have . . . you
are to assure them, that, on my coming to the government, my first care \vas to seek the means
of renewing the ancient good correspondence and friendship betwixt our governments, to which
end I had pitched on this expedient of sending you as an early mark of the sincerity of our in-
tentions. . . . You are to represent to them . . . how much it is their interest and advantage
to live upon amicable terms with us, it being notorious that our nation has never meddled with
their religion, or had any views of conquest or extending our dominions in these parts, where
our trade is our sole business and end of residence. . . . If any overtures are made to you, that
you judge may be depended upon and require a conclusion, advise me fully, that I may give
you suitable instructions. Otherwise, you are to come away, when you have done your busi-
ness, keeping a diary of your procedure and transactions until you return.
Gordon left Bombay, May 12; reached Lund-Rajapur, May 13, when the
statue of a cow and a calf intended as part of the present to the Raja was re-
turned on the bomb ketch, " as the badness of the ways would not admit of
carrying it " ; May 14, set out on a gallivat, being joined by the man appointed
as a guide and introducer to Shripatrav ; May 15, " an officer of the Mahrathas
kept us prisoners, blaming our not bringing Bagirav's or Chimnaji's pass, but
after seeing our letters, he released us, and granted a guard "' ; May 20,