Robert Gordon of Straloch facts for kids
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Robert Gordon of Straloch (born September 14, 1580 – died August 18, 1661) was a very talented Scottish person. He was known for making maps, writing poems, and being good at math. He also studied old things and geography. Plus, he had a special collection of music for the lute, which is a stringed instrument.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Robert Gordon was the younger son of Sir John Gordon. He went to school at Marischal College in University of Aberdeen. He was actually the very first student to graduate from this college! After that, he continued his studies at the University of Paris in France.
Around 1608, Robert bought a large piece of land called Straloch. This estate was located north of the city of Aberdeen. Later, in 1619, his older brother John passed away without children. So, Robert also inherited his family's main estate, Pitlurg.
His Lute Music Collection
Robert Gordon loved music, especially the lute. He put together a collection of lute music. This collection was known as the Straloch Manuscript. Sadly, the original book is now lost. However, copies of his music still exist today.
His music book was titled 'Ane playing booke for the Lute'. It had many different songs and musical pieces. One of the famous tunes included was for a song called Greysteil. He finished collecting this music in Aberdeen in February 1627.
Amazing Work and Contributions
Robert Gordon was a very important person for mapping Scotland. In 1641, King Charles I asked him to help finish a big project. This project was to create a detailed atlas, or book of maps, of Scotland. Another mapmaker, Timothy Pont, had started it.
Creating the Scottish Atlas
To help Robert with this huge task, the Scottish Parliament made special rules. They said he didn't have to join the army. The church also asked its leaders to help him. Robert finished the atlas in 1648. It was published by Joan Blaeu in Amsterdam. The book was called Theatrum Scotiae.
This atlas was very special. People said it was the first time Scotland had been mapped so accurately. It was based on actual surveys and measurements. New versions of the atlas were published in 1655 and 1662.
Other Writings and Maps
Besides the atlas, Robert Gordon made many other maps. He also improved existing maps. He added descriptions of places and wrote an introduction for Blaeu's atlas. This introduction gave a full overview of Scotland's government and ancient history. His writings were some of the first attempts to understand Scotland's old history.
He also wrote other essays. Many of these are still in handwritten form today. One important work was a history of the Gordon family. It was written in Latin and covered the family's story up to 1595. He also wrote a foreword for a history book about the Church of Scotland.
Family and Final Years
Robert Gordon got married in 1608. His wife was Catherine Irvine. They had a large family together, with nine sons and six daughters.
He passed away in 1661. He was buried in his family's special burial place in New Machar on September 6. A painting of him hangs in the main hall of Marischal College. This painting was done by Jameson, a famous Scottish artist. Robert Gordon was the grandfather of another Robert Gordon. This later Robert Gordon founded a school and university, which are now known as Robert Gordon's College and The Robert Gordon University.
