Glenbuchat Heritage

86 Charles Gordon's Dirk 1822

Charles Gordon’s Dirk

Picture of Dirk presented to Charles Gordon in 1822. It demonstrates the fearsome main blade for fighting in its sheath and the mini knife and fork for eating with which are held in the pockets in front of the sheath

In medieval Scotland, the Highland dirk was a backup to the broadsword, and was wielded by the left hand while the shield was carried on the arm. Dirks were used to swear an oath upon in Celtic cultures. After the Battle of Culloden, the British government troops made the Scots swear an oath never to "possess any gun, sword, or pistol, or to use tartan". Nearly every Scottish male at the time of the oath had a dirk. The dirk was small and was carried everywhere the owner went. The dirk was worn in plain view suspended from a belt at the waist.

Ken Cruickshank donated this picture of a Dirk presented to Charles Gordon great-grandson of John Gordon (The Old Glenbuchat)

John Gordon was a fervent supporter of the Jacobite cause & was active in the 1715 & 1745 campaigns. He received the rank of Major General from Prince Charles Stuart (Bonny Prince Charlie). Following the Battle of Culloden, he evaded capture by escaping to Norway & then France where he lived in exile. He died in 1750 in Boulogne.

The dirk is engraved:

“Presented by His grace, The Duke of Gordon, as a mark of esteem to Charles Gordon, St Brides on His Majesties visit to Scotland in 1822.

Why this should have been presented at that time is not known. (See newspaper Reports below for update)

From Wikipedia:
The visit of King George IV to Scotland in 1822 was the first visit of a reigning monarch to Scotland in nearly two centuries, the last being by King Charles II for his Scottish coronation in 1651. Government ministers had pressed the King to bring forward a proposed visit to Scotland, to divert him from diplomatic intrigue at the Congress of Verona.
The visit increased the king's popularity in Scotland, turning some subjects away from the rebellious radicalism of the time. However, it was Sir Walter Scott's organisation of the visit, with the inclusion of tartan pageantry, that was to have a lasting influence, by elevating the tartan kilt to become part of Scotland's national identity.

Charles Gordon was a farmer at St Bridget, Kirkmichael, Banffshire, Scotland
Charles was baptised in 1789 (Scottish Catholic Records) with his father acknowledged, although his parents weren't married at the time.
He married Elspet Stuart on 22 August 1816 at Cults Farm, Kirkmichael, Banffshire. Cults Farm was often used for RC ceremonies. Also called 'The Priest's Room'. Leased & farmed by Donald Carmichael, RC Priest at Tomintoul 1808 - 1838.
Although baptised a catholic, Charles didn't adhere to the faith & wasn't included on the Status Animarum (list of catholics in the parish). His wife Elspet Stewart was catholic, hence their marriage in the RC records & her inclusion on the Status Animarum along with Charles' mother Lillas McHardy. Charles is labelled as a protestant on his daughter Ann's marriage record.

Ken Cruickshank has provided a further two newspaper reports relevant to the Gordon family.

Banffshire Journal 26 9 1851 Charles Gordon’s death

Death of the Last of the Gordons.
The Banffshire Journal reports the death of an individual of some historical interest. The late Charles Gordon Esq., of St Bridget, Glenlivet, said to be the last representative of the ancient family of the Gordons of Glenbucket, Aberdeenshire.

The family was very ancient. They had in their possession, a snuff horn, which bears the following inscription, “Presented by James 6. To Gordon of Glenbucket. 1588.” This heirloom at once attests the antiquity and respectability of the family, and was probably given my the regent Moray, in the name of the then infant Sovereign, for services rendered by Glenbucket, in representing the free boarding spirit so common I that period among some of the clans in the north and west of Scotland.


The deceased was presented to George the Fourth at Edinburgh, when the Sovereign visited Scotland in 1822. This visit was somewhat remarkable as and expression of homage to a line of Sovereigns whom his ancestors had so bitterly opposed; and in commemoration of the interesting event, the lst Duke of Gordon presented him with a full highland dress and accoutrements – the dirk bearing the following inscription, “presented by his Grace the Duke of Gordon, as a mark of his esteem, to Charles Gordon, Esq, St Bridget, on his Majesty’s visit to Scotland in 1822.” The Duke of Richmond, on according to the estates, continued the same marks of attention to Mr Gordon as shown by his predecessors: and the tenant of St Bridget was accustomed to attend, in his highland garb, not the marshalling of the clans, but he gathering of his Grace’s tenantry in the peaceful rivalry of an agricultural show on the banks of the Avon or Livet.

The deceased was generally respected throughout the district: and on Wednesday last, when his remains were interred in his family vault of Kirkmichael.

Aberdeen Journal 21 5 1901

DEATH OF MRS ROSE, CRATHIE.
The death occurred at the Schoolhouse, Crathie, on Sunday, of the widow of the late Mr Duncan Rose, Tomintoul. Deceased was one of the Gordons of St Bridget. near Tomintoul, who are in direct lineal descent from Gordon, who figured so prominently in the ’45, as his ancestor had done in the ’15. When Glenbucket’s estates were confiscated, the Duke of Gordon ancestor of the present Duke of Richmond and Gordon, gave the family the choice of a farm on the estate, St Bridget was chosen, and the family have remained there ever since. The present tenant Mr William Gordon, is a brother of deceased. Amongst other interesting relies in the possession of the family the tattered remains of Glenbucket’s standard at Culloden and a silver snuff horn presented to Gordon of Glenbucket by James Vl of Scotland. To the present day the farm of St Bridget is better known as “Glen’s” than by any other name. A tablet on the wall of the Parish Church of Kirkmichael contains the names of successive generations of the family, who had been honoured with burial inside the church down about the middle of the last century.



Old Glenbuchat’s Descendants.

John "Old Glenbucket" Gordon aka Gordon of Glenbucket
Born about 1675 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Son of John Gordon and Mary Gordon
Husband of Jean (Forbes) Gordon —
Children:

John Gordon (abt 1700 - abt 1753) m. Ann Lindsay (abt 1695 - 09 Jun 1750).

1. Jean Gordon (1720)
2. William Gordon (1725) m. Helen Reid (abt 1714 - 03 Feb 1763) abt 1746. m. Christina MacDonnell (abt 1740 - 1800) abt 1770.

1. John Gordon (1747) m. Lillas McHardy (1751 - 30 May 1829) on 14 Jan 1825.

1. Charles Gordon (1789 - 12 Sep 1851
m. Elspet Stewart (abt 1791 - 02 Feb 1856)
on 22 Aug 1816.

1. Ann (Gordon) Fleming (1813 - 08 Dec 1912)
2. Lillas Gordon (14 Apr 1818)