House of Gordon Australia

This Adam de Gordun was a famous knight born in 1280 he first comes to notice as Captain of Dumferline Castle when it was attacked and besieged by Welsh Knights. Adam Counter attacked and drove the welsh back to the river where most of them drowned. Then during the Wars of Scottish Independence he was one of the first noble families to follow William Wallace and led the attack on Wigtown Castle after which Wallace made him Governor. He is said to have gone into single combat with Prince Edward Later Edward 1(Longshanks as he was very tall) and was the only known knight able to stand his enslaught. This earned him great respectr from the Prince and they became friends as later he was the negotiator btetween Edard and Robert the Bruce. His oritory ability was exceptional as he with Sir Edward Marbuisson and Abbot Kininan took the Declaration of Arbroath to the Papal Court at Aviemore France and successfully presented the document and had Robert the Bruces Excommunication lifted in 1320. For his assistance during the Black Douglas wars he was granted Strathbogie and the lands surrounding it. He was head of the Gordon Forces at Bannockburn in 1314 but was slain at the battle of Halliden Hill 12 July 1333. His wife annabella was the daughter of David de strathbolgie from who the castle was taken. She bore him four sons and a daughter. The Eldest Alexander inherited Clan Chief at Huntly ( Strathbogie), William, the holdings of Stitchell in Berwickshire, Thomas was the father of the Haddo Line and Robert became a priest , Adam died young and Mary married Walter Hambledon. Strathbogie was a gift from Robert the Bruce in 1307 but they did not take up permanent residence there until 1376.

Adam's son was Adam Alexander de Gordun of whom little is known was born in 1285 and died in 1351. His son was Sir John de Gordun born 1315 and got a second charted from the King of Strathbogie in 1376.It was an important document as it was the first time the "Gordon" name was used. Sir John whilst fighting alongside the Douglases had to burn Roxburgh castle to keep it from falling into English hands but then he defeated Sir John de Lilburn at Carham and Sir Thomas de Musgrave but was captured by the english at the battle of Otterburn and killed 1388. He left fout sons Adam, Alexander John & Roger. Alexander and Roger fell at Halidon Hill 1402 so Adam inherited Strathbogie and John the Berwick Gordon Estates. Adam who later fell at Homildon 1402 and his wife Elizabeth Keith daught of the Marashal of Scotland had only one daughter Elizabeth. John married firstly Elizabth Somervell and they had Adam and Mary later part of the setons and secondly Elizabeth Cruikshanks of Aswanly , a handfast marriage which resulted in John and Thomas ( Later known as Jock and Tam. )

Elizabeth was a shrewd woman and claimed her fathers estates claiming Jock and Tam were illegitimate. She won the rights but had to marry a cousin so she marrieds Alexander Seton and her line became the Ducal line. Jock and Tam still followed her and apparently had no problem with this arrangement as they did not object during the hearings.

This means that there was now Four(4) clear lines Elizabeth and the ducal lines known as the Seton Gordon or Huntly line
William's line of Stitchell and Kenmuir amd the Jock and Tam lines and Thomas founded the Haddo or aberdeen Gordon line.