William Gordon (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
General William Gordon of Fyvie
, was a British general and courtier. He was several times returned to Parliament by the interest of the Duke of Marlborough
, and precipitated a family quarrel with his nephew, the Duke of Gordon
, by commandeering a regiment that the latter was raising.
He was the son of William Gordon, 2nd Earl of Aberdeen
and his third wife Lady Anne Gordon. Educated at Edinburgh University, he was commissioned a cornet
in the 11th Regiment of Dragoons
in 1756. On 11 August 1759, he was appointed to a captaincy in the newly raised 16th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons
. Appointed a lieutenant-colonel in the 105th Regiment of Foot (Queen's Own Royal Regiment of Highlanders)
on 11 October 1762, he went on half-pay when that regiment was disbanded in 1763.
On his grand tour
of Europe, he passed through Rome, where he was painted by Pompeo Batoni
in 1765–66, wearing the uniform of the 105th but with his tartan arranged like a toga
.
In 1767, Gordon was returned as Member of Parliament for Woodstock
, through the influence of his friend the Duke of Marlborough
. He was re-elected in 1768; in 1774, Marlborough put him in for Heytesbury
instead. In Parliament, Gordon supported the Government, although his attendance was irregular. In 1775, Marlborough obtained for him an appointment as Groom of the Bedchamber to King George III
, whom he served until 1812; Gordon was returned again for Heytesbury at the ensuing by-election
.
In 1777, Gordon became involved in a family quarrel with his nephew, Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon
. The Duke had offered to raise a new regiment for the King, with the intent of bestowing the colonelcy upon his brother, Lord William Gordon. King George objected, however, to Lord William, who had disgraced himself by eloping with and then abandoning Lady Sarah Bunbury
. Gordon of Fyvie seized the opportunity to write to Lord Germain
to request the colonelcy, assuring him of his nephew's support. He was brevet
ed a colonel on 29 August 1777 and appointed colonel of the regiment on 19 December. However, the Duke discovered that Gordon of Fyvie had already chosen the officers of the regiment and written to them before he even knew if he would get the command; and the appointments, he thought, were arranged so as to threaten his electoral influence in Aberdeenshire
. Ultimately, the Duke prevailed upon the King to raise a Fencible regiment under his personal command, but the competition in recruiting that followed created a permanent breach between the Duke and Fyvie's branch of the family, including his brother Sandy
.
Gordon remained a consistent supporter of the Government when not absent with his regiment. During the Gordon Riots
of 1780, provoked by his nephew Lord George Gordon
(then also an MP), Gordon of Fyvie asked him if he meant to admit the mob to the House of Commons
and threatened to run him through with his sword if he did. Marlborough did not put him up for Heytesbury in the 1780 election
, and Gordon made no attempt to contest Aberdeenshire.
He was promoted major general
on 19 October 1781. His regiment was disbanded in 1783, and he again went on half-pay. Gordon was appointed colonel-commandant of the 4th Battalion of the 60th Regiment of Foot on 3 October 1787, of the 7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fuzileers) on 29 October 1788, and to the 71st (Highland) Regiment of Foot
on 19 April 1789. Gordon was promoted lieutenant general
on 12 October 1793 and general on 1 January 1798. He was appointed to the colonelcy of the 21st Regiment of Foot on 6 August 1803, which he commanded until his death.
He lived at Martins Heron
House at Winkfield
in Berkshire
. He married his housekeeper, by whom he had already had a son.
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Fyvie
Fyvie is a village in the Formartine area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland.-Fyvie Castle:Fyvie Castle is reputed to have been built by King William the Lyon in the early thirteenth century...
, was a British general and courtier. He was several times returned to Parliament by the interest of the Duke of Marlborough
George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough
George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough KG, PC, FRS , styled Marquess of Blandford until 1758, was a British courtier and politician...
, and precipitated a family quarrel with his nephew, the Duke of Gordon
Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon
Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon KT , styled Marquess of Huntly until 1752, was a Scottish nobleman, described by Kaimes as the "greatest subject in Britain", and was also known as the Cock o' the North, the traditional epithet attached to the chief of the Gordon clan.-Early life:Alexander...
, by commandeering a regiment that the latter was raising.
He was the son of William Gordon, 2nd Earl of Aberdeen
William Gordon, 2nd Earl of Aberdeen
William Gordon, 2nd Earl of Aberdeen , known between c. 1691 and 1720 as Lord Haddo, was a Scottish peer, Tory politician and Jacobite....
and his third wife Lady Anne Gordon. Educated at Edinburgh University, he was commissioned a cornet
Cornet (military rank)
Cornet was originally the third and lowest grade of commissioned officer in a British cavalry troop, after captain and lieutenant. A cornet is a new and junior officer.- Traditional duties :The cornet carried the troop standard, also known as a "cornet"....
in the 11th Regiment of Dragoons
11th Hussars
The 11th Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army.-History:The regiment was founded in 1715 as Colonel Philip Honeywood's Regiment of Dragoons and was known by the name of its Colonel until 1751 when it became the 11th Regiment of Dragoons...
in 1756. On 11 August 1759, he was appointed to a captaincy in the newly raised 16th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons
16th The Queen's Lancers
The 16th The Queen's Lancers was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1759. It saw service for two centuries, before being amalgamated into the 16th/5th Lancers in 1922.-History:...
. Appointed a lieutenant-colonel in the 105th Regiment of Foot (Queen's Own Royal Regiment of Highlanders)
105th Regiment of Foot (Queen's Own Royal Regiment of Highlanders)
The 105th Regiment of Foot was a short-lived British line infantry regiment. It was raised in Perthshire by Maj-Gen David Graeme as a two-battalion regiment on 15th October 1760, by converting independent companies - its name was in honour of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who had already been...
on 11 October 1762, he went on half-pay when that regiment was disbanded in 1763.
On his grand tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
of Europe, he passed through Rome, where he was painted by Pompeo Batoni
Pompeo Batoni
Pompeo Girolamo Batoni was an Italian painter whose style incorporated elements of the French Rococo, Bolognese classicism, and nascent Neoclassicism.-Biography:He was born in Lucca, the son of a goldsmith, Paolino Batoni...
in 1765–66, wearing the uniform of the 105th but with his tartan arranged like a toga
Toga
The toga, a distinctive garment of Ancient Rome, was a cloth of perhaps 20 ft in length which was wrapped around the body and was generally worn over a tunic. The toga was made of wool, and the tunic under it often was made of linen. After the 2nd century BC, the toga was a garment worn...
.
In 1767, Gordon was returned as Member of Parliament for Woodstock
Woodstock (UK Parliament constituency)
Woodstock, sometimes called New Woodstock, was a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom. It comprised the town of Woodstock in the county of Oxfordshire and the surrounding countryside and villages, and elected two Members of Parliament from its re-enfranchisement in 1553 until 1832...
, through the influence of his friend the Duke of Marlborough
George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough
George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough KG, PC, FRS , styled Marquess of Blandford until 1758, was a British courtier and politician...
. He was re-elected in 1768; in 1774, Marlborough put him in for Heytesbury
Heytesbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Heytesbury was a parliamentary borough in Wiltshire which elected two Members of Parliament. From 1449 until 1707 it was represented in the House of Commons of England, and then in the British House of Commons until 1832, when the borough was abolished by the Reform Act 1832.-History:The borough...
instead. In Parliament, Gordon supported the Government, although his attendance was irregular. In 1775, Marlborough obtained for him an appointment as Groom of the Bedchamber to King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
, whom he served until 1812; Gordon was returned again for Heytesbury at the ensuing by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
.
In 1777, Gordon became involved in a family quarrel with his nephew, Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon
Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon
Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon KT , styled Marquess of Huntly until 1752, was a Scottish nobleman, described by Kaimes as the "greatest subject in Britain", and was also known as the Cock o' the North, the traditional epithet attached to the chief of the Gordon clan.-Early life:Alexander...
. The Duke had offered to raise a new regiment for the King, with the intent of bestowing the colonelcy upon his brother, Lord William Gordon. King George objected, however, to Lord William, who had disgraced himself by eloping with and then abandoning Lady Sarah Bunbury
Lady Sarah Lennox
Lady Sarah Lennox was the most notorious of the famous Lennox Sisters, daughters of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond.-Early life:...
. Gordon of Fyvie seized the opportunity to write to Lord Germain
George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville
George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville PC , known as the Hon. George Sackville to 1720, as Lord George Sackville from 1720 to 1770, and as Lord George Germain from 1770 to 1782, was a British soldier and politician who was Secretary of State for America in Lord North's cabinet during the American...
to request the colonelcy, assuring him of his nephew's support. He was brevet
Brevet
Brevet may refer to:* Brevet , a temporary authorization for a person to hold a higher rank* Brevet , a long-distance bicycle ride with check-point controls* Aircrew brevet, a Royal Air Force and British Army badge...
ed a colonel on 29 August 1777 and appointed colonel of the regiment on 19 December. However, the Duke discovered that Gordon of Fyvie had already chosen the officers of the regiment and written to them before he even knew if he would get the command; and the appointments, he thought, were arranged so as to threaten his electoral influence in Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Aberdeenshire was a Scottish county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until 1868...
. Ultimately, the Duke prevailed upon the King to raise a Fencible regiment under his personal command, but the competition in recruiting that followed created a permanent breach between the Duke and Fyvie's branch of the family, including his brother Sandy
Alexander Gordon, Lord Rockville
Alexander Gordon, Lord Rockville was a Scottish judge.Rockville was the youngest son of William Gordon, 2nd Earl of Aberdeen, by his third wife Lady Anne, daughter of Alexander Gordon, 2nd Duke of Gordon...
.
Gordon remained a consistent supporter of the Government when not absent with his regiment. During the Gordon Riots
Gordon Riots
The Gordon Riots of 1780 were an anti-Catholic protest against the Papists Act 1778.The Popery Act 1698 had imposed a number of penalties and disabilities on Roman Catholics in England; the 1778 act eliminated some of these. An initial peaceful protest led on to widespread rioting and looting and...
of 1780, provoked by his nephew Lord George Gordon
Lord George Gordon
Lord George Gordon was a British politician best known for lending his name to the Gordon Riots of 1780....
(then also an MP), Gordon of Fyvie asked him if he meant to admit the mob to the House of Commons
House of Commons of Great Britain
The House of Commons of Great Britain was the lower house of the Parliament of Great Britain between 1707 and 1801. In 1707, as a result of the Acts of Union of that year, it replaced the House of Commons of England and the third estate of the Parliament of Scotland, as one of the most significant...
and threatened to run him through with his sword if he did. Marlborough did not put him up for Heytesbury in the 1780 election
British general election, 1780
The British general election, 1780 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 15th Parliament of Great Britain to be held after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707...
, and Gordon made no attempt to contest Aberdeenshire.
He was promoted major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
on 19 October 1781. His regiment was disbanded in 1783, and he again went on half-pay. Gordon was appointed colonel-commandant of the 4th Battalion of the 60th Regiment of Foot on 3 October 1787, of the 7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fuzileers) on 29 October 1788, and to the 71st (Highland) Regiment of Foot
71st (Highland) Regiment of Foot
The 71st Regiment of Foot was a Highland regiment in the British Army, which in 1881 became the 1st Battalion, Highland Light Infantry .- First formation :...
on 19 April 1789. Gordon was promoted lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
on 12 October 1793 and general on 1 January 1798. He was appointed to the colonelcy of the 21st Regiment of Foot on 6 August 1803, which he commanded until his death.
He lived at Martins Heron
Martins Heron
Martins Heron is a leafy suburban area in the civil parish of Winkfield, on the eastern edge of Bracknell ....
House at Winkfield
Winkfield
Winkfield is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest unitary authority of Berkshire, England.-Geography:According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 15,271...
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. He married his housekeeper, by whom he had already had a son.
External links
- "Colonel the Hon. William Gordon of Fyvie", National Trust for Scotland (Fyvie Castle)
- PORTRAITURE AND THE MAKING OF CULTURAL IDENTITY: POMPEO BATONI'S THE HONOURABLE COLONEL WILLIAM GORDON (1765–66) IN ITALY AND NORTH BRITAIN - Art History
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