Cosmo Gordon of

Cluny Cluny () is a commune in the eastern French department of Saône-et-Loire, in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. It is northwest of Mâcon. The town grew up around the Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , ...

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This so ...

(1736–1800) was a Scottish politician, agricultural improver and co-founder of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

. He sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

from 1774 to 1777 and was a Baron of the Scottish Court of Exchequer from 1777 until his death. He was for several years Rector of

Marischal College Marischal College ( ) is a large granite building on Broad Street in the centre of Aberdeen in north-east Scotland, and since 2011 has acted as the headquarters of Aberdeen City Council. However, the building was constructed for and is on long- ...

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), ...

Life

Gordon was the eldest son of John Gordon of Cluny (died 1769), a former

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

merchant, and estate factor to

Cosmo Gordon, 3rd Duke of Gordon Cosmo George Gordon, 3rd Duke of Gordon KT (27 April 1720 – 5 August 1752), styled Marquess of Huntly until 1728, was a Scottish peer. Life Gordon was the son of the 2nd Duke of Gordon and was named after his father's close Jacobite friend, ...

who had bought Cluny Castle with monies from leasing salmon fishing rights on the

River Spey The River Spey (Scottish Gaelic: Uisge Spè) is a river in the northeast of Scotland. At it is the eighth longest river in the United Kingdom, as well as the second longest and fastest-flowing river in Scotland. It is important for salmon fishi ...

on the Duke’s estate. Gordon studied law at

1749 to 1753 and was created an advocate in 1758. In 1763 he bought the Kinsteary estate in Nairnshire and in 1769 inherited the Cluny estate on the death of his father. In

1774 Events January–March * January 21 – Mustafa III, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, dies and is succeeded by his brother Abdul Hamid I. * January 27 ** An angry crowd in Boston, Massachusetts seizes, tars, and feathers British customs c ...

he succeeded

Sir William Pulteney, 5th Baronet Sir William Pulteney, 5th Baronet (October 1729 – 30 May 1805), known as William Johnstone until 1767, was a Scottish advocate, landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1768 and 1805. He was reputedly the wealthiest ...

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house ...

for

Nairnshire The County of Nairn (also called Nairnshire) ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Narann) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. The county was used for local administration until the county council, based at the county t ...

. Whilst in office he strongly supported the war against America. In 1777 the prime minister,

Frederick North, Lord North Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford (13 April 17325 August 1792), better known by his courtesy title Lord North, which he used from 1752 to 1790, was 12th Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782. He led Great Britain through most o ...

created him a Baron of the Scottish Exchequer, a prestigious and well-paid role which after his death was filled by George Buchanan Hepburn. Gordon was a man of strong character, a friend of Lord Monboddo and

James Boswell James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck (; 29 October 1740 ( N.S.) – 19 May 1795), was a Scottish biographer, diarist, and lawyer, born in Edinburgh. He is best known for his biography of his friend and older contemporary the English writer S ...

. In 1783, along with many Edinburgh literati, he co-founded the

, serving as their Literary President. He was Rector of Marischal College (now the University of Aberdeen) from 1782 to 1788. Gordon died on 22 November 1800 at his now demolished townhouse at 4 St Andrew Square in

Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1799–1800 and was buried in a highly ornate Gothic family vault in the churchyard of

St Cuthbert's Church, Edinburgh The Parish Church of St Cuthbert is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in central Edinburgh. Probably founded in the 7th century, the church once covered an extensive parish around the burgh of Edinburgh. The church's current building was ...

. He lies in the eastmost section of the vault, which is to the north-west of the churchyard. Gordon had married Mary Baillie, daughter of Henry Baillie of Carnbroe, on 30 June 1786. She died in 1791 and he did not remarry. Being childless, his estates passed on his death to his younger brother Charles Gordon of Braid (died 1815) and from there to Charles’ son, John Gordon of Cluny (died 1858).

Family

Cosmo’s youngest brother Alexander Gordon made a fortune in the plantations of

Tobago Tobago () is an island and ward within the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located northeast of the larger island of Trinidad and about off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. It also lies to the southeast of Grenada. The offici ...

Publications

*''On The Dutch Herring Fishery''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Cosmo 1736 births 1800 deaths Alumni of the University of Aberdeen Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Scottish constituencies British MPs 1774–1780 Scottish politicians Barons of the Court of Exchequer (Scotland) Rectors of the University of Aberdeen Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh