The ancestors of Lucy McIntyre

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James Gordon of Knockespock

1694 - 1768

These are the salient genealogical facts testified to in the following deeds:

Excerpts from Procuratory of Resignation and Deed of Entail by James Gordon [of
Knockespock] in favor of himself and others. 29^th February 1743-4. Registered in
the Register of Tailzies 19 July 1768. Of the Barony of Clatt & others. Compared
against the original, Edinburgh, 22 January 1877.
Excerpts from Disposition & Deed of Tailzie by James Brebner & Francis Grant in
favor of Captain Henry Gordon & others, dated 20 December 1769. Registered in the
Register of Tailzies 22 November 1770. Of the Town & Lands of Auchlyne & others.
Compared against the original, Edinburgh, 22 January 1877.

On 29^th February 1744, James Gordon, the owner of substantial properties in Aberdeenshire, was designated ‘late of St Christophers now of the Parish of St Anne and liberty of Westminster Esquire’. ‘St Christopher’ is taken as referring to the former British Colony of that name in the Leeward Islands, West Indies. On 19^th July 1768 he was ‘of Knockespock Esquire’.

James Gordon’s wife was Mary, daughter of ‘Patrick Heron of Heron Esquire’.

According to George Leslie’s manuscript, he was commonly called Judge Gordon and bought the forfeited Terpersie estate from the government.

‘James Gordon died a few weeks ago’, i.e. a few weeks prior to 19^th July 1768, without issue. From the fact that she is described in the 1769 deed as his widow, Mary may be taken to have survived him.

Forebears

According to the Leslie manuscript, James Gordon was a grandson of Harry Gordon, 1^st Laird of Auchline, son of William, IV of Terpersie.

Brothers and Sisters

James Gordon had three younger brothers, in order of age, George, Henry and Patrick. According to the 1769 deed, Henry was James’ s ‘brother of the half blood’. This no doubt reflects upon Patrick and possibly upon George too. Patrick Gordon died without issue. What dreadful offence George, who was deceased by 1769, had committed is not stated but the essential point of the Entail is his ‘Descendents of the body’ were ‘forever excluded’ from the order of succession.

James also had two sisters, one elder, Margaret, and the other younger, Barbara.

Margaret Gordon was the wife of ‘James Brebner in Towie of Clatt’. James and Margaret, both of whom were deceased by 1769, had two (known) lawful sons, James and George. The elder of these, James Brebner, later Gordon, was in 1744 a Student of Law in the Middle Temple, London; in 1769 he was Chief Judge of Grenada. George died without issue.

Barbara Gordon was the wife of William Grant. William and Barbara, both of whom were likewise deceased by 1769, had a son, whose name is left blank in the Procuratory of Resignation and Deed of Entail but identified in the Disposition and Deed of Tailzie as Francis Grant, later Gordon; in 1769, he was a Captain in the Royal Navy.