House of Gordon Australia

History Part II.
Many Norman Knights had already been in England well prior to 1066 as they often worked for local Lords and hired themselves out for various tasks. This may have been the case for Adam de Gordun. We know that he assisted Malcolm Caenmore in his fight against McBeth and was present at the battle of Lumphanan in 1057 along with the Bruces and de Swinton families.

I mention these families are there is a theory that Adam de Gordon was a brother of Cospatrick de swinton and took the name Gordon after this time. Most historians do not agree and feel that Adam de Gordun was of Norman Origin.

William the Conqueror was not concerned with Scotland and had alsready set up his Norman knights in strategic locations across England although he did invade it in 1072 unsuccessfully. By 1100 William's son Henry became King of England and he took a Scottish wife, Matilda daughter of Malcolm Caenmore. Matilda known as Good Queen Maud and her brother David were brought up in the English Court, Eventually David was declared king of Strathclyde and Lothian in 1124.

However Earlier in 1040 Caenmores father Duncan 1 was slain near Elgin by Maclbertha ( McBeth of Shakespears fame) which caused Malcolm Caenmore to flee to England to protection by Edward the Confessor where he lived for 15 years. Scotland was not too happy with McBeth's rule and one of its more powerful lords, Duff, Thrane of Fife came to England to urge Caenmore to regain his throne.
He sought aide from Seigfried, Earl of Northumbria who lent him 10,000 troops many of whom were French, Norman and Flemish
knights among who was one Adam de Gordun.They marches to Lumphanan just out of Aberdeen and defeated the Usurper in 1057.

For his services Adam was granted land along the tweed near Kelso in Berwickshire in the Scottish lowlands along the border lands. These lands were known as Gordon and Huntly. In the meantime David 1 was now King of Scotland and brought all his Norman Knights or sons of, to Scotland giving them Lands and estates in strategic locations. There are other stories of how Adam came to England but are related in other parts of the website (Myth and Legend).

The Gordons made land grants to Kelso Abbey in 1130 and also in 1154. Kelso had been a favorite of David 1 who had granted it to the monks in 1126. Adam remained a confidante of Malcolm Caenmore and together invaded England in 1093 and at the Battle of Alnwick both Perished.

Adam de Gordun had died in Battle at Alnwick but he left a son also named Adam. Little is known about this Adam except that he died at the battle of the standard 1138 and left two sons, Adam and Richard.

Richard was responsible for the land grants to Kelso Abbey and was known as Richer de Gordun Lord of the Barony of Gordon in the Merse. His brother was known as Adam de Gordon of Huntly and Faunes. Richard's son Thomas also donated land to the monks but died without a male heir but left a daughter Alicia de Gordun.

Adam de Gordun had a son who was named eitherAdam or Alexander de Gordun and he too had a son Adam and this Adam married his cousin Alicia thus uniting the two branches again. In some texts it indicates that this Adam also had two brothers William and Robert but I can find no further reference to these brothers.

Adam and Alicia de Gordun had a son Adam de Gordun who married Margory de Cumming (Comyn) and died in 1296 Their son Adam de Gordun was born 1280.