Editing George Gordon, 1st Earl of Aberdeen

{{Short description|Lord Chancellor of Scotland}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix   = [[The Right Honourable]]
| name               = The Earl of Aberdeen
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| order              =
| office             = [[Lord Chancellor of Scotland]]
| term_start         = 1682
| term_end           = 1684
| monarch            = [[Charles II of England|Charles II]]
| predecessor        = [[John Leslie, 1st Duke of Rothes|The Duke of Rothes]]
| successor          = [[James Drummond, 4th Earl of Perth|The Earl of Perth]]

| order2             =  <!--Can be repeated up to eight times by changing the number-->
| office2            =  [[Privy Council of Scotland|Lord President of the Privy Council]]
| term_start2        =  1681
| term_end2          =  1682
| monarch2           =  [[Charles II of England|Charles II]]
| predecessor2       =  [[John Maitland, 1st Duke of Lauderdale|The Duke of Lauderdale]]
| successor2         =  [[Duke of Montrose|The Marquess of Montrose]]

| birth_date         = 3 October 1637
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| death_date         = 20 April 1720 (aged 82)
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| birthname          = George Gordon
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| spouse             = Anne Lockhart
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| parents            = [[Sir John Gordon, 1st Baronet, of Haddo]]<br>Mary Forbes
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| alma_mater         = [[University of Aberdeen]]
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'''George Gordon, 1st Earl of Aberdeen''' (3 October 1637{{snd}}20 April 1720), was a [[List of Lord Chancellors of Scotland|Lord Chancellor of Scotland]].

==Early life==
Gordon, born on 3 October 1637, the second son of [[Sir John Gordon, 1st Baronet, of Haddo]], [[Aberdeenshire (historic)|Aberdeenshire]], (executed in 1644);
{{sfn|Yorke|1911|pp=45–46}} and his wife, Mary Forbes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/149727914/mary-gordon|title=Mary Forbes Gordon – Find a Grave}}</ref> He graduated [[MA (Scotland)|MA]], and was chosen professor at [[Aberdeen University|King's College, Aberdeen]], in 1658. Subsequently, he travelled and studied [[civil law (legal system)|civil law]] abroad.{{sfn|Yorke|1911|pp=45–46}}

==Career==
At the [[Restoration (Scotland)|Restoration]] the sequestration of his father's lands was annulled, and in 1665 he succeeded by the death of his [[Sir John Gordon, 2nd Baronet, of Haddo|elder brother]] as the ''3rd [[Gordon baronets|Baronet Gordon, of Haddo]]'' and to the family estates.  He returned home in 1667, was admitted advocate in 1668 and gained a high legal reputation.  He represented [[Aberdeenshire (Parliament of Scotland constituency)|Aberdeenshire]] in the [[Parliament of Scotland]] of 1669 to 1674, the [[Convention of Estates]] of 1678 and the following parliamentary assembly of 1681/82. During his first session he strongly opposed the projected [[union of the two legislatures|union of England and Scotland]].  In November 1678 he was made a [[Privy Council of Scotland|Privy Counsellor]] for [[Scotland]], and in 1680 was raised to the [[Court of Session|bench]] as Lord Haddo.  He was a leading member of the [[James II of England|Duke of York]]'s administration, was created a [[Lords of the Articles|Lord of the Articles]] in June and in November 1681 [[Privy Council of Scotland|Lord President of the Privy Council]].{{sfn|Yorke|1911|pp=45–46}}  The same year he is reported as moving in the council for the torture of witnesses.<ref>{{harvnb|Yorke|1911|pp=45–46}} cites Sir J. Lauder's ''Historical Notices'' (Bannatyne Club, 1848), p. 297.</ref>

In 1682 he was made Lord Chancellor of Scotland, and was created, on 13 November, Earl of Aberdeen, Viscount Formartine, and Lord Haddo, Methlick, Tarves and Kellie, in the [[Scottish peerage]], being appointed also [[Sheriff of Aberdeen]] and [[Sheriff of Edinburgh]] later the same year.{{sfn|Yorke|1911|pp=45–46}}

Burnet reflected unfavourably upon him, writing of him, "...a proud and covetous man ... the new chancellor exceeded all that had gone before him.<ref>{{harvnb|Yorke|1911|pp=45–46}} cites Burnet ''History of His Own Times'', p. 523.</ref>

He executed the laws enforcing religious conformity with severity, and filled the parish churches, but resisted the excessive measures of tyranny prescribed by the [[English government]]; and in consequence of an intrigue of the [[William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry|Duke of Queensberry]] and [[James Drummond, 4th Earl of Perth|Lord Perth]], who gained the [[Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth|duchess of Portsmouth]] with a present of £27,000, he was dismissed in 1684.{{sfn|Yorke|1911|pp=45–46}}

After his fall he was subjected to various petty prosecutions by his victorious rivals with the view of discovering some act of maladministration on which to found a charge against him, but the investigations only served to strengthen his credit.  He took an active part in parliament in 1685 and 1686, but remained a non-juror during the whole of [[William III of England|William]]'s reign, being frequently fined for his non-attendance, and took the oaths for the first time after Anne's accession, on 11 May 1703.{{sfn|Yorke|1911|pp=45–46}}

In the great affair of the [[Acts of Union 1707|Union in 1707]], while protesting against the completion of the treaty till the [[Alien Act 1705|act declaring the Scots aliens]] should be repealed, he refused to support the opposition to the measure itself and refrained from attending parliament when the treaty was settled.{{sfn|Yorke|1911|pp=45–46}}

He is described by John Mackay as, "...very knowing in the laws and constitution of his country and is believed to be the solidest statesman in Scotland, a fine orator, speaks slow but sure.{{sfn|Yorke|1911|pp=45–46}}

His person was said to be deformed,{{By whom|date=August 2017}} and his ''want of mine or deportment'' was alleged as a disqualification for the office of Lord Chancellor.{{sfn|Yorke|1911|pp=45–46}}

==Family==
He married Anne Lockhart, daughter and (eventual) sole heiress of [[George Lockhart of Tarbrax]] and [[Anne Lockhart of Tarbrax|Anne Lockhart]].{{sfn|Yorke|1911|pp=45–46}} They had several children:{{sfn|Paul|1904|p=89}}
*John Gordon (1673–1675)
*George Gordon, Lord Haddo (1674{{snd}}after 1694), d.v.p.s.p.
*Lady Anne Gordon (1675–1709), married [[Alexander Montgomerie, 9th Earl of Eglinton]]
*James Gordon (1676–?), d.v.p.s.p.
*Lady Jean Gordon (1678–?)
*[[William Gordon, 2nd Earl of Aberdeen]] (1679–30 March 1746)
*Lady Martha Gordon (1681– ?), married John Udny of Udny in March 1701
*Lady Mary Gordon (1682–1753), married [[Alexander Fraser, 13th Lord Saltoun]], 26 October 1707
*Lady Margaret Gordon (d.1738)

His only surviving son, William, succeeded him as 2nd earl of Aberdeen. He died on 20 April 1720, having amassed a large fortune.

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* {{cite book |last=Paul |first=Sir James Balfour |author-link=James Balfour Paul |year=1904 |title=The Scots Peerage |publisher=D. Douglas  |page=89 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_KEKAAAAIAAJ | access-date=17 February 2008}}

'''Attribution'''
*{{EB1911|wstitle=Aberdeen, George Gordon, 1st Earl of|last= Yorke | first= Philip Chesney |volume=1 |pages=45–46}} Endnotes:
**''Letters to George, earl of Aberdeen'' (with memoir: [[Spalding Club]], 1851);
**''Hist. Account of the Senators of the College of Justice'', by G. Brunton and D. Haig (1832), p.&nbsp;408;
**[[George Crawfurd|G. Crawfurd]]'s ''Lives of the Officers of State'' (1726), p.&nbsp;226;
**''Memoirs of Affairs in Scotland'', by Sir G. Mackenzie (1821), p.&nbsp;148;
**[[John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall|Sir J. Lauder]]'s (Lord Fountainhall) ''Journals'' ([[Scottish History Society|Scottish Hist. Society]], vol. xxxvi., 1900);
**J. Mackay's ''Memoirs'' (1733), p.&nbsp;215;
**[[Andrew Lang|A. Lang]]'s ''Hist. of Scotland'', iii. 369, 376.

==External links==
*{{Cite DNB|wstitle=Gordon, George (1637-1720) |short=x}}

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{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aberdeen, George Gordon, 1st Earl Of}}
[[Category:1637 births]]
[[Category:1720 deaths]]
[[Category:Nobility from Aberdeenshire]]
[[Category:Academics of the University of Aberdeen]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Aberdeen]]
[[Category:Earls of Aberdeen|01]]
[[Category:Gordon baronets|603]]
[[Category:House of Gordon|George]]
[[Category:Peers of Scotland created by Charles II]]
[[Category:Lord chancellors of Scotland]]
[[Category:Shire Commissioners to the Parliament of Scotland]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Privy Council of Scotland]]
[[Category:Scottish scholars and academics]]
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[[Category:Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1669–1674]]
[[Category:Members of the Convention of the Estates of Scotland 1678]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1681–1682]]