New Spalding Club > House of Gordon > Gordons under arms

GORDONS UNDER ARMS — CONTINENT. 437
1733- James. 1628 ? entered the service of the King of France, and
" in some battle with the Spaniards he was taken prisoner and lay seven years
in irons" (Biniie MS., p. 249). "Old Sandie Donald, the father of the
Donalds in the Enoch, used to tell that James o' Laggan, as he was called
after he settled at that place, when he had been dozing and sleeping in his
chair in the winter evenings, one of his people would say to another of them :
' I wish you were in the King of Spain's irons ' ; upon which he would in-
stantly rouse himself, and entertain them with his adventures abroad the
rest of the evening" {ibid.).
Third son of George, I. of Beldorney (forfeited for fighting at Corrichie,
1563), and Janet Rose of the Kilravock family {ibid.) ; but does not appear in
\.\\t Dalhitlian MS. Cautioner in cases before the Sheriff of Aberdeen, 1619
and 1620 (Littlejohn's Aberdeen Sheriff Court Records, 11. 126, 126, 127).
The Biniie MS. says : —
On his return into his own country, he embroiled himself in fresh difficulties by taking an
active part in revenging the death of the Viscount of Aboyne and John Gordon of Rothiemay,
who on 8 Oct., 1630, were cruelly burned at the Castle of Frendraught. Being bred to arms
he was called '* The Soldier," and afterwards from the many bold and daring enterprises which
he promoted and led a troop of his namesal^es to adopt against the Laird of Frendraught by
plundering and slaying waste the lands, he also acquired the title of " The Sword of the
House of Huntly ".
1635, May 7, the Marquis of Huntly sent his son Adam, and James Gordon
of Letterfourie, to arrest the gang, whereupon James Gordoun "callit the
Souldiour" and three other Gordons " schippit at Cowrie over to Ross to
Caithness, and fra that furth and left the countrie perforce" (Spalding's
Trnbles, i. 62). 1636, Jul. 3, the Privy Council ordered the arrest of various
"light horsemen," including James "callit the Soujour". 1642, May 31,
raided the lands of Lyon of Muiresk {Privy Conn. Reg., 2nd ser., vii. 309).
" In his old age he married and settled at the Laggan of Auchindoun." He
left one daughter Jane, who married David MacWilliam, younger of Auch-
more, in Glenrinnes {Biniie MS.). He was alive, 1648, Sep. 13 {Presbytery
Book of Strathbogie, 92).
1734- James, 2nd Viscount of Aboyne. 1633, accompanied his father,
George (then Lord Enzie), 1710, and his brother George, 1711, with the Scots
Men-at-Arms, to France (Spalding's Trubles, 1. 32 ; F'orbes-Leith's Scots
Men-at-Arms, 1. 195). 1636, Oct., returned to Scotland with his father
(Spalding's Trubles, i. 76.)
Second son of George, 2nd Marquis of Huntly, 1710; a valiant anti-
Covenanter, fighting at the Bridge of Dee, 1639, June 19. 1644, Mar. 24, ex-