George Gordon (bef. 1764 - bef. 1855)

Born before 1764 in Scotland

Husband of Margaret (Anderson) Gordon — married 16 Dec 1780 in Mortlach, Banffshire, Scotland

Descendants

Died before 1855 at about age 91 in Scotland [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: David Dobie [send private message]

Biography

George Gordon's date of birth are unknown and his estimated latest year of birth has been made by reference to the record of his marriage to Margaret Anderson (bef.1764–?) in 1780.^[1] His parentage and year of death is also unknown.

At the time, Scotland followed the principles of Roman law, where males could marry at the age of fourteen years and females at twelve, although, in Scotland, marriages at these early ages were almost unknown.^[2] George was likely to have been at least 16 years old when he married, and was therefore likely to have been born on or before 1764, and probably some time before that.

Based on his marriage record, it is likely that he was born in Scotland, probably in the county of Banffshire, and possibly in the parish of Mortlach.

He contracted marriage with Margaret Anderson on 9 December 1780 and they married in the Banffshire parish of Botriphnie on 16 December 1780.^[1] The entry made in the marriage register was as follows:

"Gordon & Anderson / Decr 9th 1780 / George Gordon in the parish of Mortlach with Margaret Anderson in this parish were Matrimonially Contracted in Order for Marriage Consigned pledges for performance & married Decr 16th".

They had three known children, each baptised in the parish of Mortlach.

Their first child, Margaret Gordon (1871–?), was baptised on 1 October 1781.^[3] The entry made in the baptismal register was:

"Baptisms 1781 […] Gordon & Anderson / Octr 1st 1781 / Margaret lawful daughter of George Gordon & Margaret Anderson in Glenmarky [sic] witnesses were Alexr Duncan and William [illegible] both in Glenmarky [sic]".

A second daughter, Janet Gordon (1785–1865), was baptised on 16 January 1785.^[4] The entry made in the baptismal register was:

"Baptized 1785 […] Janry 16th / Janet lawful daughter of George Gordon & Margaret Anderson in [?]Belnebrien in Glenmarky [sic] Alexr Duncan in Knowhead and William Maver at Haugh of Glass witnesses."

Their third child, Alexander Gordon (1790–?), was baptised on 25 July 1790.^[5] The entry made in the baptismal register was:

"Baptized 1790 […] July 25th 1790 / Alexander lawful Son of George Gordon and Margaret Anderson in Glenmarky [sic] Alexander Carmichael in Newley and Alxr Duncan in Dykeheads were witnesses."

The baptismal records place George, Margaret, and their children at "Glenmarky” ("Glenmarkie") in Mortlach and Janet's baptismal record in 1758 refers to a property which appears to be "Belnebrien of Glenmarky".

"Belnebrien" may have been a place which was no-longer extant when the parish was documented by the Ordnance Survey between 1867 and 1869 (as it was not listed in the Ordnance Survey Name Book for Mortlach), or it may be an older or alternative name for a property named "Belnaboyle",^[6] which is no longer extant, but was located at map coordinates 57°25'57"N, 3°01'44"W.

Glenmarky may refer to a narrow valley named "Glen Markie".^[7] Glenmarky might also be a reference to one of two farms: "Glenmarkie",^[8] now derelict, which was located at map coordinates 57°25'49"N, 3°01'16"W; or "Newtown of Glenmarky",^[9] also derelict, which was located at map coordinates 57°25'27"N, 3°01'14"W.

George’s date and place of death has not been established. No entry has been found for him in the statutory Register of Deaths, so he is assumed to have died before 1855. No obvious entry for him has been found in the 1841 or 1851 censuses of Scotland, although there is insufficient information about his birth place and birth year to be absolutely confident that he was not enumerated on those censuses somewhere outside Banffshire.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} “Old Parish Registers, Marriages and Banns, 1553–1854,” database and images, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk : accessed 11 April 2021), image, entry for George Gordon and Margaret Anderson, married 16 December 1780, recorded at Botriphnie, Banffshire, citing reference no 148/ 10 410.
2. ↑ G T Bisset-Smith, "Vital registration, A Manual of the Law and Practice Concerning the Registration of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, Registration Acts for Scotland," second edition (Edinburgh: William Green & Sons, 1907), page 66 ; digital images, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/ : accessed 18 August 2020).
3. ↑ “Old Parish Registers, Births and Baptisms, 1553–1854,” database and images, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk : accessed 15 April 2021), image, entry for Margaret Gordon, baptised 1 October 1781, recorded at Mortlach, Banffshire, citing reference no 162/ 10 229.
4. ↑ “Old Parish Registers, Births and Baptisms, 1553–1854,” database and images, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk : accessed 11 April 2021), image, entry for Janet Gordon, baptised 16 January 1785, recorded at Mortlach, Banffshire, citing reference no 162/ 10 246.
5. ↑ “Old Parish Registers, Births and Baptisms, 1553–1854,” database and images, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk : accessed 15 April 2021), image, entry for Alexander Gordon, baptised 25 July 1790, recorded at Mortlach, Banffshire, citing reference no 162/ 10 267.
6. ↑ Ordnance Survey, “Name Books for Banffshire, 1867–1869,” Ms, volume 23, page 179, held by National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh; ScotlandsPlaces (https://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk : accessed 15 April 2021), database with images, entry for Belnaboyle, Parish of Mortlach, citing reference OS1/4/23/179.
7. ↑ Ordnance Survey, “Name Books for Banffshire, 1867–1869,” Ms, volume 23, page 244, held by National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh; ScotlandsPlaces (https://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk : accessed 15 April 2021), database with images, entry for Glen Markie, Parish of Mortlach, citing reference OS1/4/23/244.
8. ↑ Ordnance Survey, “Name Books for Banffshire, 1867–1869,” Ms, volume 23, page 182, held by National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh; ScotlandsPlaces (https://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk : accessed 15 April 2021), database with images, entry for Glenmarkie, Parish of Mortlach, citing reference OS1/4/23/182.
9. ↑ Ordnance Survey, “Name Books for Banffshire, 1867–1869,” Ms, volume 23, page 179, held by National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh; ScotlandsPlaces (https://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk : accessed 15 April 2021), database with images, entry for Newtown of Glenmarkie, Parish of Mortlach, citing reference OS1/4/23/179.

See also:

• “FamilySearch Family Tree.” FamilySearch International (https://www.familysearch.org), database, entry for George Gordon, citing person id 9M5H-MWB.

Acknowledgements:

• Research by George's fifth great grandson, David Dobie.