1st Duke of Gordon

THE DUKES OF RICHMOND, LENNOX AND GORDON WERE THE GREATEST LANDOWNERS IN BANFFSHIRE, WITH 159,925 ACRES

This noble family deduces its origin from SIR ADAM DE GORDON, knight, of Huntly, who was slain in 1402, and was succeeded in his estates by his only daughter, Elizabeth, who married ALEXANDER SETON, second son of Sir William Seton, of Seton, upon which occasion that gentleman assumed the name of GORDON, and was created, in 1449-50, Earl of Huntly, in which title he was succeeded by the eldest son of his third marriage, with Elizabeth, daughter of William, Lord Crichton,

GEORGE, who wedded Princess Annabella, daughter of JAMES I of Scotland, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

ALEXANDER, who was succeeded in 1523-24 by his grandson,

GEORGE, to whom succeeded his son,

GEORGE, who was succeeded by his only son,

GEORGE, created, in 1599, Baron Badenoch, Lochaber, Strathavon, Balmore, Auchindoun, Garthie, and Kincardine, Viscount Inverness, Earl of Enzie, and Marquess of Huntly.

His lordship married Lady Henrietta, eldest daughter of Esme, Duke of Lennox, and was succeeded, in 1636, by his eldest son,

GEORGE, who was created, in 1632, Viscount Aboyne, with remainder, at his demise, or succession to the family honours, to his third son, Lord James Gordon.

His lordship was a staunch adherent of the unfortunate CHARLES I, and suffered, in consequence, decapitation, in 1649, when he was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

LEWIS, who was succeeded, in 1653, 

GEORGE, who was advanced to a dukedom, in 1684, as DUKE OF GORDON.

His Grace wedded Lady Elizabeth, second daughter of Henry, Duke of Norfolk, by whom he had a son and daughter. He died in 1716, and was succeeded by his only son,

ALEXANDER, 2nd Duke,  who married, in 1706, Lady Henrietta, daughter of Charles, Earl of Peterborough and Monmouth, by whom he had issue four sons.

His Grace wedded secondly, Jane, Dowager Duchess of Atholl, by whom he had seven daughters. He died in 1728, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

COSMO GEORGE, 3rd Duke. His Grace married, in 1741, Lady Catherine, daughter of William, Earl of Aberdeen, by whom he had issue,

ALEXANDER, 4th Duke.

• Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke (1743–1827), eldest son of the 3rd Duke
• George Gordon, 5th Duke (1770–1836), elder son of the 4th Duke

Dukes of Gordon, second Creation (1876)

Other titles: Duke of Richmond (1675), Duke of Lennox (1675), Earl of March (1675), Earl of Darnley (1675), Earl of Kinrara, in the county of Inverness (1876), Baron of Settrington, in the county of York (1675) and Lord of Torboulton (1675)

• Charles Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond, 6th Duke of Lennox, 1st Duke of Gordon (1818–1903), eldest son of the 5th Duke of Richmond, himself nephew of the above 5th Duke of Gordon
• Charles Gordon-Lennox, 7th Duke of Richmond, 7th Duke of Lennox, 2nd Duke of Gordon (1845–1928), eldest son of the 6th Duke
• Charles Gordon-Lennox, 8th Duke of Richmond, 8th Duke of Lennox, 3rd Duke of Gordon (1870–1935), eldest son of the 7th Duke
  • Charles Gordon-Lennox, Lord Settrington (1899–1919), eldest son of the 8th Duke (at that point Earl of March), died without issue
• Frederick Gordon-Lennox, 9th Duke of Richmond, 9th Duke of Lennox, 4th Duke of Gordon (1904–1989), second son of the 8th Duke
• Charles Gordon-Lennox, 10th Duke of Richmond, 10th Duke of Lennox, 5th Duke of Gordon (b. 1929), eldest son of the 9th Duke
  • Heir apparent: Charles Gordon-Lennox, Earl of March and Kinrara (b. 1955), only son of the 10th Duke

• • Lord March's heir apparent: Charles Gordon-Lennox, Lord Settrington (b. 1994), Lord March's eldest son

GORDON CASTLE, near Fochabers, Morayshire, was originally built in the 1470s and is the spiritual home of the House of Gordon.

Enlarged in the 1770s as his principle residence by Alexander, 4th Duke of Gordon who, until his succession to the dukedom in 1827, was 7th Marquess of Huntly, it became one of the largest houses ever built in Scotland.

The 5th Duke who, like his father before him, was  known as the "Cock o’ the North", died without legitimate male issue in 1836 and Gordon Castle, the Scottish Estates, and eventually the dukedom passed to his nephew, the Duke of Richmond.

Meanwhile, the marquessate of Huntly (traditionally the name of the eldest son of the Duke of Gordon) passed to His Grace's distant cousin, the then Earl of Aboyne.

During the Great War the Castle, like the fictional Downton Abbey, was used as an auxiliary hospital for the wounded soldiers returning from the front.

The 9th Duke sold Gordon Castle and his Scottish estates in 1938 as a result of penal death duties following the deaths of his father and grandfather in 1935 and 1928 respectively.

The Castle fell into disrepair, but was bought back by one of the 7th Duke’s other grandsons, Lieutenant-General Sir George Charles Gordon-Lennox KBE CB CVO DSO, after the 2nd World War.

He was forced to knock much of it down due to significant dry and wet rot, but then turned it into the wonderful family home it is today.

His son, Major-General Bernard Charles Gordon-Lennox CB MBE, successfully continued this legacy with his wife Sally-Rose; and now his grandson Angus and his wife Zara have taken over the running of Gordon Castle and Estate.

HUNTLY CASTLE, Aberdeenshire, originally called Strathbogie Castle, was a seat of the Dukes of Gordon.

First published in October, 2015.