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Gordon: A Clan History: From the Highlands to the New World
A detailed and authoritative journey through the origins, rise, and global diaspora of the Gordon name.
For centuries, the Gordons shaped the history of the north-east of Scotland. Their story begins in the medieval Borders, where the first “de Gordon” landholders appear in surviving charters, and follows their remarkable ascent after the family’s relocation to Strathbogie under the early Stewart kings. From these beginnings grew one of Scotland’s most influential a house that commanded major estates, forged powerful alliances, and played a decisive role in the political and military life of the nation.
This book traces that entire journey with clarity and depth. It
the early landholdings in Berwickshire
the move north and the creation of the Gordon heartland
castles, strongholds, and the development of territorial authority
alliances, marriages, and regional politics
the emergence of the Earls and Marquesses of Huntly
feuds, rivalries, and the pressures of national conflict
the transformation of Gordon identity across centuries
the great migrations that carried the name across the world
Alongside the history of chiefs and noble branches, this volume also considers the wider communities who lived under Gordon the tenants, labourers, soldiers, ministers, emigrants, and settlers whose daily lives formed the broader Gordon world. Their experiences bring depth to the story and show how the surname travelled from rural parishes in the north-east to the farms, towns, and frontiers of Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and beyond.
Written for readers who carry the Gordon name or descend from it, this book offers a clear, carefully researched account of how the family rose, adapted, endured, and spread across the globe. It is both a guide to the surname’s origins and a companion to the long journey that connects past and present.
For centuries, the Gordons shaped the history of the north-east of Scotland. Their story begins in the medieval Borders, where the first “de Gordon” landholders appear in surviving charters, and follows their remarkable ascent after the family’s relocation to Strathbogie under the early Stewart kings. From these beginnings grew one of Scotland’s most influential a house that commanded major estates, forged powerful alliances, and played a decisive role in the political and military life of the nation.
This book traces that entire journey with clarity and depth. It
the early landholdings in Berwickshire
the move north and the creation of the Gordon heartland
castles, strongholds, and the development of territorial authority
alliances, marriages, and regional politics
the emergence of the Earls and Marquesses of Huntly
feuds, rivalries, and the pressures of national conflict
the transformation of Gordon identity across centuries
the great migrations that carried the name across the world
Alongside the history of chiefs and noble branches, this volume also considers the wider communities who lived under Gordon the tenants, labourers, soldiers, ministers, emigrants, and settlers whose daily lives formed the broader Gordon world. Their experiences bring depth to the story and show how the surname travelled from rural parishes in the north-east to the farms, towns, and frontiers of Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and beyond.
Written for readers who carry the Gordon name or descend from it, this book offers a clear, carefully researched account of how the family rose, adapted, endured, and spread across the globe. It is both a guide to the surname’s origins and a companion to the long journey that connects past and present.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 14, 2025
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