Baronetcy of Haddo The Gordon family descends from
John Gordon, who fought as a Royalist against the
Covenanters in the
Civil War. In 1642 he was created a baronet, of
Haddo in the County of Aberdeen, in the
Baronetage of Nova Scotia. In 1644 he was found guilty of treason and beheaded, with the baronetcy forfeited. The title was restored after the
Restoration for his son John, the second Baronet.
Earldom of Aberdeen The second Baronet died without male issue and was succeeded by his younger brother, the third Baronet. He was a noted advocate and served as
Lord President of the Court of Session and as
Lord Chancellor of Scotland. On 30 November 1682 he was raised to the
Peerage of Scotland as
Lord Haddo, Methlick, Tarves and Kellie,
Viscount of Formartine and
Earl of Aberdeen. He was succeeded by his only surviving son, the second Earl. He sat in the
House of Lords as a
Scottish representative peer from 1721 to 1727. On his death the titles passed to his eldest son from his second marriage, the third Earl. He was a Scottish Representative Peer from 1747 to 1761 and from 1774 to 1790.
Lord Aberdeen, Prime Minister '' by
Thomas Lawrence, 1830. The
Fourth Earl when serving as
Foreign Secretary. The third earl was succeeded by his grandson, the
fourth Earl, who was the eldest son of
George Gordon, Lord Haddo. On 1 June 1814 he was created
Viscount Gordon, of
Aberdeen in the
County of Aberdeen, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, which entitled him to an automatic seat in the House of Lords. Lord Aberdeen was a distinguished diplomat and statesman and served as
Foreign Secretary from 1828 to 1830 and from 1841 to 1846 and as
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1852 to 1855. Aberdeen married firstly Lady Catherine Elizabeth (1784–1812), daughter of
John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn, and assumed by Royal licence the additional surname of Hamilton in 1818. When Lord Aberdeen died, the titles passed to his eldest son from his second marriage to Harriet Douglas, the fifth Earl. He sat as
Liberal member of parliament (MP) for
Aberdeenshire. His eldest son, the sixth Earl, was a sailor and adventurer. He was accidentally drowned off the coast of America in 1870, without marrying or having children.
Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair The sixth earl of Aberdeen was succeeded by his younger brother, the seventh Earl.
John Hamilton-Gordon, was a Liberal politician and served as
Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland in 1886 and from 1905 to 1915 and as
Governor General of Canada from 1893 to 1898. On 4 January 1916 he was created
Earl of Haddo, in the County of Aberdeen, and
Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair, in the County of Aberdeen, in the
County of Meath and in the
County of Argyll. Both titles are in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the
second Marquess, who was a member of the
London County Council and served as
Lord-Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire. He was childless and was succeeded by his younger brother,
the third Marquess. He was notably President of the Federation of British Industries. When he died the titles passed to his eldest son, the
fourth Marquess. He was a member of the
Aberdeenshire County Council and Lord-Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire. He had four adopted children but no biological issue and was succeeded by his younger brother,
the fifth Marquess. He was a broadcaster working for the
BBC. He never married and on his death in 1984 the titles passed to his fourth and youngest brother,
the sixth Marquess. He was Chairman of
The Arts Club. Upon his death in 2002, the
seventh Marquess, who was a
Deputy Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire, inherited the titles. , the Marquessate is held by George Gordon, who is the eighth Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair, having succeeded in that year.
Other family members Numerous other members of the Gordon family have also gained distinction. The Hon. William Gordon (died 1816), eldest son from the third marriage of the second Earl, was a general in the Army. The Hon. Cosmo Gordon, second son from the third marriage of the second Earl, was a colonel in the Army. The Hon.
Alexander Gordon (1739–1792), third son from the third marriage of the second Earl, was a
Lord of Session from 1788 to 1792 under the judicial title of Lord Rockville. His son
William Duff-Gordon was member of parliament for
Worcester. In 1815 he succeeded his uncle as second Baron of Halkin according to a special remainder and assumed the additional surname of Duff (see
Duff-Gordon baronets for further history of this branch of the family). The Hon.
William Gordon, younger brother of the fourth Earl, was a
vice-admiral in the
Royal Navy and sat as member of parliament for Aberdeenshire. The Hon. Alexander Gordon (1786–1815), younger brother of the fourth Earl, was a soldier and was killed at the
Battle of Waterloo. The Hon.
Sir Robert Gordon, younger brother of the fourth Earl, was a diplomat and served as
British Ambassador to Austria. The Hon. John Gordon (1792–1869), younger brother of the fourth Earl, was an admiral in the Royal Navy. The Hon.
Sir Alexander Hamilton-Gordon (1817–1890), eldest son of the second marriage of the fourth Earl, was a general in the Army and sat as member of parliament for
Aberdeenshire East. His eldest son,
Sir Alexander Hamilton-Gordon was also a general in the Army. Reverend the Hon. Douglas Hamilton-Gordon (1824–1901), third son of the second marriage of the fourth Earl, was Chaplain-in-Ordinary to
Queen Victoria and Canon of
Salisbury. The Hon.
Arthur Hamilton-Gordon, fourth son of the second marriage of the fourth Earl, was a Liberal politician and was created
Baron Stanmore in 1893 (see this title for more information on him and this branch of the family).
Ishbel Hamilton-Gordon, Marchioness of Aberdeen and Temair, daughter of
Dudley Marjoribanks, 1st Baron Tweedmouth, and wife of the first Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair, was an author, philanthropist and an advocate of woman's interests. The family seat is
Haddo House,
Aberdeenshire. The title Earl of Haddo is the
courtesy title for the Marquess's eldest son and heir, the eldest son of whom uses the
courtesy title Viscount of Formartine. The Marquesses of Aberdeen and Temair are related to the
Marquesses of Huntly. Sir John Gordon (died c. 1395) of Strathbogie, ancestor of Sir John Gordon, 1st Baronet, was the brother of Elizabeth Gordon. She married Sir Alexander Seton (died 1438) and was the mother of
Alexander Gordon, 1st Earl of Huntly (ancestor of the Marquesses of Huntly). ==Gordon baronets, of Haddo (1642)==