Pedigree of John Stuart By my paternal Grand Mother Charlotte Boyd Cattanach or Stuart (‘by’ apparently signifying ‘in the line of’, as opposed to authorship) I William first Laird of Tarpersie & in the    Parish of Tullynessle was the II Son of James    Gordon of Lesmoir, youngest Son of the Earl    of Huntly by Stuart Sister of King James the    V of Scotland1 and relict of Barclay Gartlay.    This William married Gordon of Banff. II George married Lady Clunie a daughter    of the Earl of Sutherland, a Gordon too. III William married Ogilvie of Inverquharity. IV William married Ogilvie of Terchieston. V James married Gordon of Craig. VI George married Annie Burnett daughter    of Sir Alexander Burnett of Craigmile. VII Charles married Stuart of Airdclach2, he was my Great Great Grandfather who suffered at Carlisle in 1746 for having followed the fortunes of Prince Charlie. This Charles Gordon’s sister was Great Grandmother to Lord Brougham which makes Lord Brougham’s Grand Mother and my Great Great Grand Mother (Helen Gordon)3 wife of George Cattanach Kildrummie first Cousins and his Lordship by this means and I were first and fourth Cousins.4 The above Charles Gordon, who followed Prince Charlie, with his Eldest Son (Charles) was beheaded at Carlisle his Son owing to his yougth (sic) was banished to the West Indian plantations. His other Son Harry was a Captain in the Marines. His Estate of Tarpersie was forfieted (sic) and his Two daughters were boarded with the poor peasants to prevent Cumberland’s soldiers burning them for rebel’s Children. Helen Gordon was the daughter of Charles the 7th Laird and was a great beauty, her Husband George Cattanach although educated for a Priest, he fancied the proud and pretty Helen, by whom he had issue. Two Sons and Seven daughters, the seventh who was Charlotte Boyd Cattanach was my Grand mother, who married John Stuart Newmill Birse and had Issue five Sons & two daughters the eldest Son Robert was my Father.

Notes

¹ The clear implication of this statement is that the Gordons of Terpersie were lineal descendents of the royal Stuart dynasty, through the Gordons of Lesmoir who proceeded them. This is questionable but certainly interesting enough to warrant further investigation. It is also supported by other documents in the collection, e.g. the brief note on James of Lesmoir’s sons and in The Lairds of Terpersie.

² The statement that Charles Gordon of Terpersie married a Stuart of Airdclach is also questionable; he is elsewhere reckoned to have married Margaret Gordon.

³ John Stuart’s logic seems to have failed him here. Helen Gordon was surely his great-grandmother, not his great-great-grandmother, as stated.

⁴ This convoluted statement appears to signify that, in the first place, Helen Gordon and Lord Brougham’s grandmother were first cousins and, in the second, that John Stuart and Lord Brougham were fourth cousins. Much the same story appears in an extract from a pedigree by George Stuart, John’s uncle, contained in Extracts from correspondence 1850-98, various.