The title of Earl of Aboyne in the

Peerage of Scotland The Peerage of Scotland (; ) is one of the five divisions of peerages in the United Kingdom and for those peers created by the King of Scots before 1707. Following that year's Treaty of Union 1707, Treaty of Union, the Kingdom of Scots and the ...

is held by the Gordon family, with the

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

to the Marquessate of Huntly using it as a

courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but is rather used by custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some context ...

. The peerage title of Earl of Aboyne was originally created in September 1660 for Lord Charles Gordon. At the time, he was the fourth son of

George Gordon, 2nd Marquess of Huntly George Gordon, 2nd Marquess of Huntly (c. 1592March 1649), styled Earl of Enzie from 1599 to 1636, eldest son of George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly by Lady Henrietta Stewart, daughter of Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox, born at Huntly Cast ...

, and younger brother to

James Gordon, 2nd Viscount Aboyne James Gordon, 2nd Viscount Aboyne (c. 1620 – February 1649) was the second son of George Gordon, 2nd Marquess of Huntly, a Scotland, Scottish royalist commander in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Early life Aboyne was a member of the powerf ...

. Charles Gordon was also made Lord Gordon of Strathaven and Glenlivet on the same occasion, with both titles being in the Peerage of Scotland. The title descended from father to son for several generations. Charles Gordon's great-great-grandson, the 5th Earl, eventually succeeded to the higher title of Marquess of Huntly in 1836. Since then, the peerage earldom of Aboyne has been a subsidiary title held by the holder of the marquessate. There is some contemporaneous evidence that suggests the title may have originally been created during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

for Viscount Aboyne. However, this alleged prior creation is not substantiated in the primary sources on British and Scottish peerage.

Earls of Aboyne (1660)

Charles Gordon, 1st Earl of Aboyne Charles Gordon, 1st Earl of Aboyne (c1638 – March 1681). The fourth son of George Gordon, 2nd Marquess of Huntly and Lady Anne Campbell, he was created 1st Earl of Aboyne and 1st Lord Gordon of Strathaven and Glenlivet by Letters Patent on 10 S ...

(died 1681) *

Charles Gordon, 2nd Earl of Aboyne Charles Gordon, 2nd Earl of Aboyne (c. 1670 – April 1702). The eldest son of Charles Gordon, 1st Earl of Aboyne and Elizabeth Lyon, he succeeded his father as 2nd Earl of Aboyne in March 1681. At the time of his death in April 1702, he was succe ...

(died 1702) *

John Gordon, 3rd Earl of Aboyne John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

(died 1732) *

Charles Gordon, 4th Earl of Aboyne Charles Gordon, 4th Earl of Aboyne (c. 1726 – 28 December 1794). The eldest son of John Gordon, 3rd Earl of Aboyne and Grace Lockhart, he succeeded his father as 4th Earl of Aboyne on 7 April 1732. On his death in 1794 he was succeeded in his ...

(c. 1726–1794) * George Gordon, 5th Earl of Aboyne (1761–1853) (succeeded as 9th Marquess of Huntly in 1836) see Marquess of Huntly for further succession

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* * Gordon of Gordounston, Robert, ''A Genealogical History of the Earldom of Sutherland'' (Edinburgh 1813), p. 528 (the continuation by Gilbert Gordon of Sallagh, concluded in 1651, provides the most explicit evidence that the 2nd Viscount was "created earl by the king's patent" around 1645). {{DEFAULTSORT:Aboyne Earldoms in the Peerage of Scotland House of Gordon 1660 establishments in Scotland Noble titles created in 1660

Earls of Aboyne (1660)

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