Alexander Gordon, 3rd Earl of Huntly
Alexander Gordon, 3rd Earl of Huntly | |
|---|---|
| Died | 21 January 1524 Perth, Scotland |
| Noble family | Clan Gordon |
| Spouse(s) | Jean Stewart Elizabeth Gray |
| Father | George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly |
| Mother | Annabella of Scotland |
Alexander Gordon, 3rd Earl of Huntly (died 1524) was a Scottish nobleman. He was a member of Parliament, a member of the Privy Council, a regent and Lieutenant of the kingdom.
Biography
He was the son of George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly and his second wife, Annabella of Scotland.[a] [1] He succeeded his father in June 1501 as the 3rd Earl of Huntly.[1] He acquired considerable grants of land throughout his career and was a favorite of King James IV.[2] That same year Alexander was given considerable powers in the north of Scotland.[3] He witnessed the marriage contract of James IV in 1503 and was engaged in quelling disturbances in the Isles in 1505.[2]
Alexander fought in the Battle of Flodden on 9 September 1513, where he commanded the Scots left wing and was one of the fortunate few Scottish noblemen who escaped with their lives.[1] He was a member of the council of Regency in 1517 during the minority of James V of Scotland and was appointed King's Lieutenant over all of Scotland excepting Argyle in 1517–18.[1] Alexander died on 21 Jan 1524 at Perth.[2] The same year he was succeeded by his grandson, George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly.[4]
Family
Alexander married by contract, 20 October 1474, Lady Jean Stewart, daughter of John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl and Margaret Douglas, who in turn was the daughter of Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas. Alexander and Jean had the following children:
- John Gordon, Lord Gordon, (died 1517)[2]
- Alexander Gordon of Strathavon, married Janet Grant and had issue[5]
- William Gordon, Bishop of Aberdeen[5]
- Janet Gordon, married Sir Colin Campbell, 3rd Earl of Argyll[5]
- Christian Gordon, married Sir Robert de Menzies[5]
After the death of his first wife, Alexander Gordon married Lady Elizabeth Gray, daughter of Andrew Gray, 2nd Lord Gray and Janet Keith, some time after 27 July 1511.
Notes
- ^ There has been some uncertainty regarding Alexander's mother, whether she was Annabella Stewart (m. to Geo. Gordon c. 1460–1471) or Elizabeth Hay (m. 1471–1501). The fact that his father married Elizabeth Hay after 18 Aug 1471 [CP, vi, 677 & n. b.] and that Alexander himself was a member of parliament as well as being one of the Lords of the Articles in 1485 makes it chronologically implausible he could have been Elizabeth's son. Logic dictates he could not have held these positions of authority at age 13 or less. See: SP, IV, 529, 532; CP, VI, 677 n. f.
References
- ^ a b c d George Edward Cokayne, The Complete Peerage; or, a History of the House of Lords and all its members from the earliest times, Vol. VI, eds. H. A. Doubleday: Howard de Walden (London: The St. Catherine Press, Ltd., 1926), p. 677
- ^ a b c d The Scots Peerage, Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland, ed. James Balfour Paul, Vol. IV (Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1907), p. 532
- ^ A. D. M. Barrell, Medieval Scotland (Cambridge; New York, Cambridge University Press, 2000), p. 220
- ^ The Scots Peerage, Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland, ed. James Balfour Paul, Vol. IV (Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1907), p. 534
- ^ a b c d The Scots Peerage, Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland, ed. James Balfour Paul, Vol. IV (Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1907), p. 533
See also
- . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.