Charles Gordon of Buthlaw and Cairness

1749 - 1796


Biography

Absentee slave-owner, having purchased the Georgia estate in Trelawny c. 1778 and subsequently visiting it 'occasionally.' Built Cairness House, near Lonmay, reportedly using the profits from the Georgia estate and the enslaved people upon it. Father of Thomas Gordon (q.v.).


Sources

University of Aberdeen [Scotland] MS 3193/10 papers and MS 1160/19-26 concerning Georgia estate of Gordon family of Cairness; Colin A. McLaren and Margaret A. Stephen, 'Estate and Family Papers of Gordon of Buthlaw and Cairness, 1642-1938 (MS 1160)', Reports and surveys of archives in northern Scotland, 'Northern Scotland', 2 (1976-1977), 184-187


Further Information

Absentee?
British/Irish
Spouse
Married but no further details
Children
Thomas

Associated Estates (2)

The dates listed below have different categories as denoted by the letters in the brackets following each date. Here is a key to explain those letter codes:

  • SD - Association Start Date
  • SY - Association Start Year
  • EA - Earliest Known Association
  • ED - Association End Date
  • EY - Association End Year
  • LA - Latest Known Association
1779 [EA] - 1795 [LA] → Owner
1796 [EA] - 1804 [LA] → Previous owner

Legacies Summary

Physical (1)

Country house
Cairness [Built] 
description →
Neo-classical country house built to designs of James Playfair (remodelling an earlier design of Robert Burn and with contributions from Sir John Soane) for Charles Gordon of Buthlaw 1791-1797. The...

Relationships (2)

Nephew → Uncle
Father → Son