George Gordon, 1st Earl of Aberdeen facts for kids

George Gordon, 1st Earl of Aberdeen (born October 3, 1637 – died April 20, 1720), was an important Scottish leader. He held the high position of Lord Chancellor of Scotland.

Early Life and Education

Growing Up in Aberdeenshire

George Gordon was born on October 3, 1637. He was the second son of Sir John Gordon, 1st Baronet, of Haddo, from Aberdeenshire. His father died in 1644. His mother was Mary Forbes.

University and Travel

George studied hard and earned his master's degree (MA) from King's College, Aberdeen in 1658. After finishing his studies, he traveled to other countries. He used this time to learn more about law.

Political Career

Starting in Public Service

When the king returned to power in Scotland (this was called the Restoration), George Gordon's family lands were given back to them. In 1665, his older brother died, and George became the 3rd Baronet Gordon, of Haddo. This meant he inherited the family estates. He returned home in 1667 and became a lawyer in 1668. He quickly became known as a very good lawyer.

Serving in Parliament

From 1669 to 1674, George Gordon represented Aberdeenshire in the Parliament of Scotland. He also served in the Convention of Estates in 1678 and the Parliament of 1681-1682. During his first time in Parliament, he strongly disagreed with the idea of joining the governments of England and Scotland.

Key Government Roles

In November 1678, he became a Privy Counsellor for Scotland. This was an important advisory role to the king. In 1680, he became a judge in the Court of Session, known as Lord Haddo. He was a leading member of the government under the Duke of York. In June 1681, he was made a Lord of the Articles, which helped prepare laws for Parliament. In November 1681, he became Lord President of the Privy Council.

Becoming Lord Chancellor

In 1682, George Gordon was given the very important job of Lord Chancellor of Scotland. On November 13, he was given the title of Earl of Aberdeen. He also became Viscount Formartine and Lord Haddo, Methlick, Tarves and Kellie. These were all titles in the Scottish peerage. Later that year, he was also made Sheriff of Aberdeen and Sheriff of Edinburgh.

Challenges and Dismissal

George Gordon was known for strictly enforcing laws about religious rules. However, he disagreed with some of the very harsh rules that the English government wanted to put in place. Because of political disagreements with other powerful people, like the Duke of Queensberry and Lord Perth, he was removed from his position in 1684.

After His Dismissal

Even after he was dismissed, his rivals tried to find reasons to accuse him of wrongdoing. However, these investigations only showed that he was honest. He continued to be active in Parliament in 1685 and 1686. He did not support King William III for a long time and was often fined for not attending meetings. He finally took an oath of loyalty to the new queen, Anne, in 1703.

The Union of Scotland and England

In 1707, when the Union between Scotland and England was being discussed, he had mixed feelings. He protested against finishing the treaty until a certain law (the Alien Act) that treated Scots as foreigners was removed. However, he did not join those who completely opposed the Union itself. He chose not to attend Parliament when the treaty was finally approved.

His Reputation

John Mackay described him as someone who knew a lot about the laws and government of Scotland. He was considered a very wise statesman and a good speaker.

Family Life

George Gordon married Anne Lockhart. She was the daughter and only heir of George Lockhart of Tarbrax. They had several children together:

• John Gordon (1673–1675)
• George Gordon, Lord Haddo (1674–after 1694)
• Lady Anne Gordon (1675–1709), who married Alexander Montgomerie, 9th Earl of Eglinton
• James Gordon (1676–?)
• Lady Jean Gordon (1678–?)
• William Gordon, 2nd Earl of Aberdeen (1679–March 30, 1746)
• Lady Martha Gordon (1681–?), who married John Udny of Udny in March 1701
• Lady Mary Gordon (1682–1753), who married Alexander Fraser, 13th Lord Saltoun on October 26, 1707
• Lady Margaret Gordon (died 1738)

His only son who lived to succeed him was William, who became the 2nd Earl of Aberdeen. George Gordon died on April 20, 1720. He had managed to save a lot of money during his lifetime.