The foregoing account of the lineage of Charles, VI of Terpersie, is abstracted, amongst other sources, from the chart, Pedigree of the Gordon Family, from about 1050, dated January, 1935, which accompanies an updated version of Captain Douglas Wimberley's original 1900 study, Notes On the Family of Gordon of Terpersie with a Table of Their Descent, back to the genesis of the Gordon dynasty, c. 1050.

Parents

Charles's parents were George, V of Terpersie, to whom Wimberley refers as mentioned in a Sasine of 1677, and Anne Burnett, otherwise 'Anne, dau. of Sir Alex. Burnett of Craigmyle'.

Anne was apparently still living in 1745, as Charles referred to her as 'my poor mother, if still living' in his letter to his wife written in Carlisle and dated 14^th November 1746, the eve of his execution.

Grandparents

George's parents were James, IV. of Terpersie, of whom it is stated:

JAMES, IV. of Terpersie, mentd. as yr. of Terpersie 1643 ; James and his spouse got sasine in Auchlyne in 1637 ; men. as "of Terpersie" in a sasine 1671

and Anne Gordon, daughter of John Gordon of Craig.

The above-mentioned Sir Alex. Burnett of Craigmyle was therefore the maternal grandfather of Charles, VI of Terpersie.

Great-grandparents

James's father was:

WILLIAM, III. of Terpersie, mentd. as fiar of Terpersie 1610, got sasine in Terpersie 1634 and 1636, served heir to his father George 29th Aug. 1655 in Culburnies, &c. Apparently still living in 1668.

The chart identifies William's wife only as 'A dau. of Gordon of Leicheston; so in Balb. MS.' ('Balb.' signifies 'Balbithan'.)

The above-mentioned John Gordon of Craig and his wife Jean, a daughter of Sir James Gordon of Lesmoir, 1^st bart., were therefore the maternal grandparents of George, V of Terpersie.

Great-great-grandparents

In the previous generation it is stated only of George, II of Terpersie, that he 'd. prob. in 1634'. George was married to 'Perhaps 1^st, Margaret, dau. of Gordon of Auchannachie' and (then) to 'Margaret Ogilvy, dau. of Ogilvy of Inverquharity, so Balb. MS., mentd. as his spouse in an action of date 1626.' The chart indicates that it was from the first Margaret, if indeed she existed, that William and his progeny descend.

The above-mentioned Gordon of Leicheston was therefore the maternal grandfather of James, VI of Terpersie.

Sir James Gordon of Lesmoir, 1^st bart., was likewise of this generation and therefore a great-great-grandfather of Charles, VI of Terpersie.

Great x 3 grandparents

George's father was William, I of Terpersie, of whom it is recorded that:

He built the House of Terpersie ; prob. still living in 1589.

William was married twice. The author of the chart was unable to identify with certainty his first wife - from which the line appears to descend - but advances three candidates:

Margaret, dau. of Sir Walter Ogilvy of Dunlugas (C. E. D.'s MS. of 1580), or of Sir W. Ogilvy of Boyne, or of the Laird of Banff (Balb. MS.)

William subsequently married:

Elspet, dau of George Gordon of Tilphoudie. See Rec. of Aboyne, pp. 201 and 213.

Captain Wimberley advances a useful synopsis of William Gordon of Terpersie in Memorials of the Family of Gordon of Lesmoir in the County of Aberdeen, by Captain Douglas Wimberley, printed for the author at the office of the Northern Chronicle, Inverness, 1893, pp. 15-16.

William of Terpersie. A Royal Charter of Confirmation was granted to him and Margaret Ogilvy his wife, of the lands of Terpersie, Warackstoun, and Bogyshallach, in Tullynessle, &c., dated 8th August, 1585 – Records, book XI., No. 231. An earlier charter of lands was granted by George, 4th Earl of Huntly, "to his kinsman," William Gordon of Terpersie, son of James Gordon of Lesmoir, in 1552 – Vide Place names in Strathbogie. Terpersie or Dalpersie was in the parish of Tullynessle and Forbes, 5 or 6 miles N. W. of Alford. But the lands of Terpersie, &c., had been granted to William Gordon, son of James Gordon of Lesmoir, by William Forbes, Bishop of Aberdeen, in 1556. This William was at the Battle of Corrichie, 1562, but signed the Band for the Queen's service in 1568, and also at the clan fight at Tilly-(p. 16) angus, near Terpersie, but in the parish of Clatt, where he killed "Black Arthur," brother of Lord Forbes, in 1572. The Forbeses had been stirred up by the Earl of Mar, then Regent, to rise against the Earl of Huntly, and compel him to return home for the protection of his own country. They accordingly assembled in great force at Druminor (the old Castle Forbes), and forced an engagement with Sir Adam Gordon, Huntly's brother, at Tillyangus, in which the Gordons defeated them, and pursued them to Druminor, which is in the parish of Auchindoir. – Vide New Statist. Acct., and William Gordon's History.

There exists an interesting although unsubstantiated biographical sketch of William and his son, George.

Great x 4 grandparents

Serious confusion arises at this point. In the 1900 study, Wimberley states that William was the fourth son of James Gordon of Lesmoir and 'Margaret, dau. of Patrick Stewart of Laithers'. James subsequently married:

Margaret Ogilvy, dau. of Ogilvy of Finlater, afterwards of Ogilvy. Born 1472, died 1505.

However, in his earlier 1893 study on the Gordons of Lesmoir, he had referred to two men of the same name, the 1^st and 2^nd lairds of Lesmoir respectively. In 1900, he appears to be conflating the two, which would explain why James was apparently married twice. The earlier account appears distinctly the more lucid and is therefore to be preferred. In the 1893 study, he states (p. 14):

I come to the conclusion that the Lesmoir family commenced as follows : - I. JAMES GORDON, 1st laird of Lesmoir, b. probably about 1472, died about 1505 ; married Anne Stewart, daughter of either Walter Stewart of Lorn and Innermeith, or of James Stewart, Earl of Buchan, or of Robert Stewart of Laithers, and had by her one son, JAMES. II. JAMES GORDON, 2nd laird of Lesmoir, b. probably about 1495, d. probably about 1555, married Margaret Ogilvy, daughter of Alexander Ogilvy of Deskford, by his first wife Janet, daughter of James, 3rd Lord Abernethy of Saltoun, who had a charter of lands dated 21st June, 1509 – Vide Douglas and Wood's Peerage under Saltoun, p. 469.

By this reckoning, William Gordon, I of Terpersie's parents were the above James Gordon, 2^nd of Lesmoir, and Margaret Ogilvy. It may be noticed in passing that William's mother and wife both bore the same name.

Great x 5 grandparents

Great x 6 grandparents

James Gordon of Lesmoir's father was George of Tillytermont, who was born c. 1440 and died c. 1500. His mother was a:

dr. of Beroald Innes of Meilliers ; he witnessed a marriage contract at Fyvie, 1481.

The above-mentioned Patrick Stewart of Laithers was therefore the maternal grandfather of William, I of Terpersie.

Great x 7 grandparents

George's parents were William of Tillytermont, who was born about 1405 and died about 1480, and a daughter of Sir John Rutherford.

The above-mentioned Beroald Innes of Meilliers was therefore the maternal grandfather of James Gordon of Lesmoir.

Great x 8 grandparents

William of Tillytermont's father was John de Gordon, apparently otherwise known as Jock of Scurdargue and Essie, who died c. 1420 and was married to 'Margaret, dr. of Sir Patrick Maitland of Gight.' The compiler of the 1935 chart notes that:

Two daughters of Sir P. Maitland, Kt., Elizabeth and Janet, resigned certain lands in favour of Lord Gordon, 1467. Vide Douglas & Wood’s Peerage, under Gordon, p. 644.

John de Gordon had two known brothers, Sir Adam de Gordon and:

Thomas de Gordon, or Tam of Ruthven, ancestor of families of Sauchin, Hallhead, and others.

The above-mentioned Sir John Rutherford was therefore the maternal grandfather of George of Tillytermont.

Great x 9 grandparents

John de Gordon was a younger son of Sir John de Gordon and 'Elizabeth, dr. of Cruikshank of Aswanly'. Of Sir John the pedigree chart records:

got Charter from Robert II., confirming grant of Strathbogie, 1376 ; defeated and captured Sir Thomas Musgrave, governor of Berwick, 1378 ; killed at Otterburn, 1388.

The above-mentioned Sir Patrick Maitland of Gight was therefore the maternal grandfather of William of Tillytermont.

Great x 10 grandparents

The younger Sir John's father was also Sir John de Gordon:

taken prisoner at Durham, 1346, not released till 1357 ; got second grant of Strathbogie, 1357-58.

The elder Sir John de Gordon was married to Elizabeth, who is:

mentioned in deed, under which the Earl of Douglas became a surety for her husband, on his release.

The above-mentioned Cruikshank of Aswanly was therefore the maternal grandfather of John de Gordon.

Great x 11 grandfather

The elder Sir John's father - his mother is unknown - was Sir Alexander de Gordon, who was:

at Halidon Hill, 1333; said to have been killed at the battle of Durham, 1346.

Great x 12 grandparents

Sir Alexander's father was Adam de Gordon, who:

joined Sir William Wallace 1297 ; joined Robert Bruce about 1314 ; got first grant of Strathbogie ; killed at Halidon Hill, 1333.

Adam de Gordon's wife was Annabella, who 'consented to a grant to monks of Kelso by her Husband, 1308'.

Great x 13 grandparents

Adam the younger's father was Adam de Gordon, who was:

summoned to attend Parliament at Gloucester, 1287 ; died about 1295.

The elder Adam's wife was:

Marjory, who, as his widow, obtained restitution of his estates, 1296, having sworn fealty to Edward I.

Great x 14 grandfather

The elder Adam's father was a further Adam de Gordon, who married Alice or Alicia de Gordon his cousin, one generation removed, and died at Tunis, 1269; he was the 'grandson of Adam, the brother of Richard'. This refers to Richard de Gordon, of whom we are told that he 'granted Charter to Kelso, and others, 1170'. The same Richard was Alicia's great-grandfather.

Great x 15 grandfather

We know only that the father of the Adam who married Alicia was a son of this last Adam's grandfather, also Adam de Gordon; his Christian name has not yet been established.

Great x 16 grandfather

The Adam de Gordon in this generation was, as previously stated, a brother of Richard de Gordon.

Great x 17 grandfather

Adam and Richard's father was Adam de Gordon, who 'granted Charter to Abbey of Kelso, 1130'.

Great x 18 grandfather

Adam's father was the Adam de Gordon 'killed at siege of Alnwick, 1093'. He was a knight who fought alongside King Malcolm Canmore, III of Scotland, who with his son, Edward, was killed on 13^th November in that year, in an engagement with an army of knights led by Robert de Mowbray near the town of Alnwick, Northumberland. Malcolm was a son of Duncan who sought to recover the throne from the usurper, Macbeth.

Adam, the founder of the de Gordon dynasty in Scotland, was a Norman; insofar as can be determined, he was born in France. Further information concerning his antecedents is not available.