View source for Marquess of Huntly

{{Short description|Title in the Peerage of Scotland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox nobility title
| name              = Marquessate of Huntly 
| image             = Coat of arm of the marquess of Huntly - Premier marquess of Scotland.png 
| image_size        =  
| alt               =  
| caption           = '''''Arms:''' Quarterly: 1st, Azure, three Boars' Heads couped Or, langued Gules {{Small|(for Gordon)}}; 2nd, Or, three Lion's Heads erased Gules, langued Azure {{Small|(for Badenoch)}}; 3rd, Or, three Crescents within a Double-Tressure flory counterflory Gules {{Small|(for Seton)}}; 4th, Azure, three Cinquefoils Argent {{Small|(for Fraser)}}. '''Crest:''' Out of a Ducal Coronet Or, a Stag's Head and Neck affronty proper, attired with ten Tynes Or. '''Supporters:''' On either side a Greyhound Argent, gorged with a Collar Gules, charged with three Buckles Or.''
| creation_date     = 17 April 1599 
| creation          =  
| monarch           = [[King James VI]] 
| peerage           = [[Peerage of Scotland]] 
| baronetage        =  
| first_holder      = [[George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly|George Gordon, 6th Earl of Huntly]] 
| last_holder       =  
| present_holder    = [[Granville Gordon, 13th Marquess of Huntly]] 
| heir_apparent     = [[Alastair Gordon, Earl of Aboyne]] 
| heir_presumptive  =  
| remainder_to      = the 1st Marquess's [[heirs male]] [[heirs of the body|of the body]] lawfully begotten 
| subsidiary_titles = Earl of Huntly<br/>Earl of Enzie<br/>Earl of Aboyne<br/>Lord Gordon of Badenoch<br/>Lord Gordon of Strathavon and Glenlivet<br/>Baron Meldrum 
| status            = Extant 
| extinction_date   =  
| family_seat       = [[Aboyne Castle]] 
| former_seat       = [[Huntly Castle]] 
| motto             = '''BYDAND''' ''(Remaining)''<br/>'''ANIMO NON ASTUTIA''' ''(By courage not by stratagem)'' 
| footnotes         =  
}}
'''Marquess of Huntly''' is a title in the [[Peerage of Scotland]] that was created on 17 April 1599<ref name=EB1911/> for [[George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly|George Gordon, 6th Earl of Huntly]]. It is the oldest existing [[marquess]]ate in Scotland, and the second-oldest in the [[British Isles]]; only the English [[Marquess of Winchester|marquessate of Winchester]] is older. The Marquess holds the following subsidiary titles: Lord Gordon of Strathaven and Glenlivet and Earl of Aboyne (1660; Peerage of Scotland), and Baron Meldrum, of Morven in the County of Aberdeen (1815; Peerage of the United Kingdom).{{#tag:ref|The current Marquess may or may not also hold the subsidiary titles: ''Earl of Huntley (1445), Earl of Enzie and Lord Gordon of Badenoch (1599)'' all in the Peerage of Scotland. He is entitled to these per their remainders, but the House of Lords denied the 9th Marquess's accession to those titles.|group=hun}}

==Early family history==
The Gordon family descends from [[Adam de Gordon (died 1402)|Sir Adam Gordon]] of [[Huntly]], killed at the [[Battle of Humbleton Hill]] in 1402 and succeeded in his estates by his daughter [[Elizabeth Gordon, Heiress of Gordon|Elizabeth Gordon]], wife of Alexander Seton, who assumed the surname of Gordon for himself and "all his heirs male." He was created '''Earl of Huntly''' in the Peerage of Scotland in 1445 and was succeeded by his son,<ref name=EB1911/> the second Earl, who served as [[Lord Chancellor of Scotland]] from 1498 to 1501. His younger son, the Hon. Adam Gordon, married Elizabeth, ''[[suo jure]]'' Countess of Sutherland. Their grandson, John Gordon, succeeded his grandmother in the earldom in 1535 (see [[Earl of Sutherland]] for further history about this branch of the family).

Lord Huntly's elder son, the third Earl, was a member of the Council of Regency in 1517. He was succeeded by his grandson, the fourth Earl, Lord Chancellor of Scotland from 1546 to 1562, who was killed in the latter year, and in 1563 an Act of Attainder was passed through Parliament with all his titles forfeited. His eldest surviving son, George Gordon, was condemned to death for treason in 1563 but later pardoned. He obtained a reversal of his father's attainder in 1567 and served as Lord Chancellor of Scotland.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}

George Gordon, became the 1st Marquess, he was the son of the 5th earl; born in 1562, educated in [[France]] as a [[Roman Catholic]]. He was part of a plot to conspire against [[King James VI]]. He worked as captain of the guard of [[Holyrood, Edinburgh|Holyrood]] before the discovery of treason. He went about clan feuds and started a private war, this inspired the ballad [[The Bonnie Earl O' Moray]]. He was succeeded by his son.<ref name=EB1911/> '''Earl of Enzie''' and '''Marquess of Huntly''' in the Peerage of Scotland.  His son was raised protestant in England; in the civil war he became a royalist and in 1647 was given a pardon for his actions, yet later beheaded. He was succeeded by his elder son, the second Marquess.<ref name=EB1911/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.geni.com/people/Lewis-Gordon-3rd-Marquess-of-Huntly/6000000003714055004|website=geni.com|title=Lewis Gordon, 3rd Marquess of Huntly}}</ref>

==17th century onward==
In 1632, four years before his father's death, the seventh Earl was created '''Viscount Aboyne''' in the Peerage of Scotland in his own right, with remainder that the title should be passed on to his second son the Hon. James Gordon on his death or on the death of his father, whichever came first.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}

When he died two years later the titles passed to his son, the third Marquess. In 1661 the attainder of 1649 was revoked by Act of Parliament. In 1684 Lord Huntly was created '''Lord Badenoch, Lochaber, Strathavon, Balmore, Auchindoun, Garthie and Kincardine''', '''Viscount of Inverness''', '''Earl of Huntly and Enzie''' and '''Duke of Gordon'''. All four titles were in the Peerage of Scotland. He was succeeded by his son, the second Duke. He was a supporter of the [[James Francis Edward Stuart|Old Pretender]]. Gordon married Lady Henrietta, daughter of [[Charles Mordaunt, 3rd Earl of Peterborough|Charles Mordaunt, 3rd Earl of Peterborough and 8th Baron Mordaunt]]. Their eldest son, the third Duke, sat in the [[House of Lords]] as a [[List of Scottish representative peers|Scottish representative peer]] from 1747 to 1752. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the fourth Duke. Known as "[[Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon|Cock o' the North]]", he was a Scottish Representative Peer from 1767 to 1784 and served as [[Lord-Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire]] and as [[Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland]]. In 1784 he was created '''Baron Gordon of Huntley''', in the County of Gloucester, and '''Earl of Norwich''', in the County of Norfolk, in the [[Peerage of Great Britain]]. Gordon's great-grandfather, the first Duke, was the husband of Lady Elizabeth Howard, daughter of [[Henry Howard, 6th Duke of Norfolk|Lord Henry Howard]], who had been created Baron Howard of Castle Rising in 1669 and [[Earl of Norwich]] in 1672. The earldom of Norwich had become extinct on the death of the fourth Earl (also the ninth Duke of Norfolk) in 1777 and was now revived in Gordon's favour. In 1819 Gordon also inherited the [[Baron Mordaunt|barony of Mordaunt]] through his grandmother.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}

His son, the fifth Duke, was a general in the Army and served as Lord-Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire and as Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland. In 1807 he was summoned to the House of Lords through a [[writ of acceleration]] in his father's junior title of Baron Gordon of Huntley. Gordon died without legitimate issue in 1836 when the dukedom and remaining titles created in 1684 as well as the titles created in 1784 became extinct. The barony of Mordaunt fell into [[abeyance]] between his sisters. Gordon's eldest sister, [[Charlotte Lennox, Duchess of Richmond|Lady Charlotte Gordon]], inherited the Gordon estates. Her son [[Charles Gordon-Lennox, 5th Duke of Richmond]], assumed the additional surname of Gordon. In 1875, the dukedom of Gordon was revived when his son [[Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond]], was made Duke of Gordon in the [[Peerage of the United Kingdom]] (see the [[Duke of Richmond]] for further history of these titles). The Duke of Gordon was succeeded in the marquessate of Huntly by his kinsman [[George Gordon, 9th Marquess of Huntly|George Gordon, 5th Earl of Aboyne]], who became the ninth Marquess (see the [[Earl of Aboyne]] for earlier history of this branch of the family). However, the House of Lords did not allow his claims to the lordship of Gordon of Badenoch and earldom of Enzie (although they had been created at the same time as the marquessate) while his claim to the ancient earldom of Huntly was also overlooked. Lord Huntly, who also held the subsidiary title of Lord Gordon of Strahaven and Glenlivet, had earlier been a Scottish Representative Peer from 1796 to 1807. In 1815 he had been created '''Baron Meldrum''', of Morven in the County of Aberdeen, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}

[[Image:Huntly Castle.jpg|thumb|right|400px|[[Huntly Castle]], the former seat of the Marquesses of Huntly]]
He was succeeded by his son, the tenth Marquess. He represented [[East Grinstead (UK Parliament constituency)|East Grinstead]] and [[Huntingdonshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Huntingdonshire]] in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] and served as Lord-Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire. His eldest son, the eleventh Marquess, was a [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal]] politician and served briefly under [[William Ewart Gladstone]] as [[Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms]] in 1881. He was succeeded by his great-nephew, the twelfth Marquess. He was the son of Lieutenant-Colonel (Granville Cecil) Douglas Gordon (1883–1930), son of Granville Armyn Gordon (1856–1907), sixth son of the tenth Marquess. {{As of|2013}} the titles are held by the twelfth Marquess' son, Granville Charles Gomer Gordon, 13th Marquess of Huntly, 9th Earl of Aboyne, 9th Lord Gordon of Strathavon and Glenlivet and 5th Baron Meldrum, who succeeded in 1987. He is Chief of [[Clan Gordon]].{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}

Before the passing of the [[Peerage Act 1963]], which granted all Scottish peers a seat in the House of Lords, the Marquesses of Huntly sat in the House of Lords in virtue of their junior title of Baron Meldrum, which was in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}

==Other family members==
Several other members of the Gordon family have also gained distinction. Lord John Gordon, younger son of the first Marquess, was created [[Viscount Melgum]] in 1627. However, he perished in the Fire of [[Frendraught Castle|Frendraught]] and thus, the title became extinct in 1630.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Chambers' Homebook; or Pocket Miscellany containing a choice selection of interesting and instructive reading for the old and the young |publisher=Gould and Lincoln |year=1853 |edition=5th |location=Boston |publication-date=1853}}</ref> Lord Adam Gordon (died 1801), younger son of the second Duke, was a general in the Army. Lord William Gordon (1744–1823), second son of the third Duke, was a [[vice-admiral]] in the [[Royal Navy]]. [[Lord George Gordon]], third and youngest son of the third Duke, sat as [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Ludgershall (UK Parliament constituency)|Ludgershall]] but is best remembered as the instigator of the Gordon Riots. Charles Gordon (1798–1878), illegitimate son of the fifth Duke, was an admiral in the Royal Navy. Lord John Frederick Gordon (1799–1878), third son of the ninth Marquess, was an admiral in the Royal Navy. He married Lady Augusta Fitzclarence, daughter of [[William IV of the United Kingdom|King William IV]] by his mistress [[Dorothea Jordan|Dorothy Jordan]]. Laurence George Frank Gordon (1864–1943), grandson of Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Francis Arthur Gordon (1808–1857), sixth son of the ninth Marquess, was a [[brigadier-general]] in the Army. [[Lord Douglas Gordon]], fourth son of the tenth Marquess, was Member of Parliament for [[Huntingdon (UK Parliament constituency)|Huntingdon]].{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}

The family seat is [[Aboyne Castle]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scotland.org.uk/guide/castles/aboyne-castle|website=scotland.org.uk|title=Aboyne castle|access-date=16 November 2021}}</ref> The family also previously owned [[Huntly Castle]], [[Huntly]], [[Aberdeenshire]].{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}

=={{anchor|Earl of Huntly}}Earls of Huntly (1445)==
[[File:The Marquess of Huntly's House on the Canongate.png|thumb|The Marquess of Huntly's House on the Canongate - now part of Huntly House Museum]]
*[[Alexander Gordon, 1st Earl of Huntly]] ({{Died in|1470}})
*[[George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly]] ({{Died in|1501}})
*[[Alexander Gordon, 3rd Earl of Huntly]] ({{Died in|1524}})
*[[George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly]] (1514–1562) (forfeit 1563)
*[[George Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly]] (died 1576) (restored 1565)
*[[George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly|George Gordon, 6th Earl of Huntly]] (1562–1636) (created '''Marquess of Huntly''', '''Lord Gordon of Badenoch''', and '''Earl of Enzie''' in 1599)

==Marquesses of Huntly (1599)==
*[[George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly]], 6th Earl of Huntly (1562–1636)
*[[George Gordon, 2nd Marquess of Huntly]], 7th Earl of Huntly (1592–1649)
*[[Lewis Gordon, 3rd Marquess of Huntly]], 8th Earl of Huntly ({{Circa|1626}}–1653)
*[[George Gordon, 1st Duke of Gordon|George Gordon, 4th Marquess of Huntly]], 9th Earl of Huntly (1649–1716) (created '''Duke of Gordon''' in 1684)

==Dukes of Gordon (1684)==
*[[George Gordon, 1st Duke of Gordon|George Gordon, 1st Duke of Gordon, 4th Marquess of Huntly]], 9th Earl of Huntly (1649–1716)
*[[Alexander Gordon, 2nd Duke of Gordon|Alexander Gordon, 2nd Duke of Gordon, 5th Marquess of Huntly]], 10th Earl of Huntly ({{Died in|1728}})
*[[Cosmo Gordon, 3rd Duke of Gordon|Cosmo George Gordon, 3rd Duke of Gordon, 6th Marquess of Huntly]], 11th Earl of Huntly ({{Circa|1720}}–1752)
*[[Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon|Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon, 7th Marquess of Huntly]], 12th Earl of Huntly (1743–1827)
*[[George Gordon, 5th Duke of Gordon|George Duncan Gordon, 5th Duke of Gordon, 8th Marquess of Huntly]], 13th Earl of Huntly (1770–1836)

==Marquesses of Huntly (1599; Reverted)==
*[[George Gordon, 9th Marquess of Huntly]], 14th Earl of Huntly, 5th Earl of Aboyne, 1st Baron Meldrum (1761–1853) (Created '''Baron Meldrum''' in 1815)
*[[Charles Gordon, 10th Marquess of Huntly]], 15th Earl of Huntly, 6th Earl of Aboyne, 2nd Baron Meldrum (1792–1863)
*[[Charles Gordon, 11th Marquess of Huntly]], 16th Earl of Huntly, 7th Earl of Aboyne, 3rd Baron Meldrum (1847–1937)
*Douglas Charles Lindsey Gordon, 12th Marquess of Huntly, 17th Earl of Huntly, 8th Earl of Aboyne, 4th Baron Meldrum (1908–1987)
*[[Granville Gordon, 13th Marquess of Huntly|Granville Charles Gomer Gordon, 13th Marquess of Huntly]], 18th Earl of Huntly, 9th Earl of Aboyne, 5th Baron Meldrum ({{Born in|1944}})

The [[heir apparent]] is the present holder's only son, [[Alastair Gordon, Earl of Aboyne]] (born 1973).

The heir apparent's heir apparent is his son Cosmo Alistair Gordon, Lord Strathavon ({{Born in|2009}}).

== Succession and family tree ==
{{Collapse top|title={{small|Line of succession (simplified)}}<ref name=DP>{{cite book |year=2019|chapter=Huntly, Marquess of |editor1-last=Morris |editor1-first=Susan |editor2-last=Bosberry-Scott |editor2-first=Wendy |editor3-last=Belfield |editor3-first=Gervase |title=Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage|volume=1 |edition=150th |location=London |publisher=Debrett's Ltd. |publication-date=|pages=1912–1917 |arxiv= |bibcode= |doi= |isbn=978-1-999767-0-5-1}}</ref>}}
{{tree list}}
*[[Image:Coronet of a British Marquess.svg|35px]] ''Charles Gordon, 10th Marquess of Huntly (1792–1863)''
**[[Image:Coronet of a British Marquess.svg|35px]] ''Charles Gordon, 11th Marquess of Huntly (1847–1937)''
**''Lord Granville Armyne Gordon (1856–1907)''
***''Granville Cecil Douglas Gordon (1883–1930)''
****[[Image:Coronet of a British Marquess.svg|35px]] ''Douglas Gordon, 12th Marquess of Huntly (1908–1987)''
*****[[Image:Coronet of a British Marquess.svg|35px]] '''Granville Gordon, 13th Marquess of Huntly''' (born 1944)
******'''(1).''' Alastair Gordon, Earl of Aboyne (born 1973)
*******'''(2).''' Cosmo Gordon, Lord Strathavon and Glenlivet (born 2009)
****''[[Lord Adam Gordon|Lord Adam Granville Gordon]] (1909–1984)''
*****''Adam Alexander Gordon (1948–2011)''
******'''(3).''' Alexander Charles Adam Gordon (born 1989)
*****'''(4).''' Douglas Herriot Gordon (born 1951)
******'''(5).''' James Adam Anthony Gordon (born 1991)
****''Lord Roderic Amyne Gordon (1914–1996)''
*****'''(6).''' David Esme Douglas Gordon (born 1937)
*****'''(7).''' Angus Lindsay Eustace Gordon (born 1942)
****''Lord Douglas Claude Alexander Gordon (1916–1994)''
*****'''(8).''' Andrew Granville Douglas Gordon (born 1942)
******'''(9).''' Andrew David Gervais Gordon (born 1963)
******'''(10).''' James Bruce Douglas Gordon (born 1965)
******'''(11).''' Glen Gordon (born 1984)
*****'''(12).''' Douglas Geordie Alexander Gordon (born 1947)
******'''(13).''' Thomas Peter Douglas Gordon (born 1979)
*******'''(14).''' Jake Harry George Gordon (born 2012)
******'''(15).''' James Alexander Douglas Gordon (born 1984)
{{tree list/end}}
{{collapse bottom}}

{{Dukes of Lennox, Richmond, and Gordon family tree}}

==See also==
*[[Clan Gordon]]
*[[Earl of Aboyne]]
*[[Viscount Aboyne]]
*[[Viscount Melgum]]
*[[Baron Mordaunt]]
*[[Duke of Gordon]]
*[[Seton Baronets]]
*[[Duke of Richmond]]
*[[Earl of Sutherland]]
*[[Oldmeldrum|Meldrum]]
*[[Morven, Aberdeenshire]]
*[[Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group="hun"|80em}}

==References==
{{reflist|refs=<ref name=EB1911>{{harv|Chisholm|1911|pages=954–955}}</ref>}}

===Sources===

* {{cite EB1911|wstitle=Huntly, Earls and Marquesses of|volume=13|pages=954–955}}
* {{Rayment|date=February 2012}}

== Further reading ==
* {{Cite book |last=Hesilrige |first=Arthur G. M. |title=Debrett's Peerage and Titles of courtesy |date=1921 |publisher=[[Dean & Son]] |location=[[London]] |page=[https://archive.org/details/debrettspeeraget00unse/page/493 493]}}
* {{Cite book |last=Morris |first=Susan |title=Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage 2019 |date=April 20, 2020 |publisher=[[Debrett's]]; eBook Partnership |isbn=978-1-9997-6705-1 |via=debretts.com}} {{Page needed |date=November 2021}}

==External links==
*{{Hansard-contribs | mr-douglas-gordon | Douglas Gordon, 12th Marquess of Huntly }}
*{{YouTube|id=FAmULsO-Uuc |title="The Marquis of Huntly’s Snuff Mill, or Royal Gift"|link=no}}, Aaron McGregor, violin; Alice Allen, cello, Concerto Caledonia directed by David McGuinness

{{Extant British marquesses}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Huntly}}
[[Category:Marquessates in the Peerage of Scotland]]
[[Category:House of Gordon]]
[[Category:Noble titles created in 1599]]