George John Robert Gordon (4 March 1812 – 2 October 1902) was a British diplomat in South America and Europe who attracted attention in the 1870s for his marital situation. He also played a role in introducing the mediaeval song collection ''

Piae Cantiones ''Piae Cantiones ecclesiasticae et scholasticae veterum episcoporum'' (in English ''Pious ecclesiastical and school songs of the ancient bishops'') is a collection of late medieval Latin songs first published in 1582. It was compiled by Jacobus F ...

'' to a wider audience.

Early life and career

Gordon was born in Maryculter,

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire (; ) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Aberdeenshire (historic), Aberdeenshire, which had substantial ...

, on 4 March 1812, the oldest child of Alexander Gordon (an illegitimate son of the 3rd Earl of Aberdeen) and Albinia Elizabeth Cumberland. He joined the diplomatic service in 1833 and served in various locations in South America and Europe. From 1842 to 1843 he was the British envoy to Paraguay and in 1850 he was the chargé d'affaires in Stockholm, where he was among a group of British residents who helped to set up regular Anglican church services. From 1853 to 1854 he was the British ambassador to Uruguay before serving as Minister Plenipotentiary to the Swiss Confederation from 1854 to 1858 and Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Württemberg from 1859 until his retirement in 1871.

''Piae Cantiones''

On a visit to England in 1853, after his time in Sweden, Gordon presented a copy of ''

'', a collection of mediaeval songs published in

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

in 1582, to the

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

clergyman and hymnwriter

John Mason Neale John Mason Neale (24 January 1818 – 6 August 1866) was an English Anglican priest, scholar, and hymnwriter. He worked on and wrote a wide range of holy Christian texts, including obscure medieval hymns, both Western and Eastern. Among his mo ...

. The songs were translated and published by Neale, in collaboration with Thomas Helmore, and include now well-known Christmas carols such as '' In dulci jubilo'' and '' Good King Wenceslas''.

Marriages

Gordon married Rosa Justina Young (1817−1891) in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

in 1843 and had three children: * Cosmo Frederick Maitland Gordon (1843−1884), a naval officer * Alicia Albinia Georgiana Gordon (1845–1935), who married the Austrian army officer Count August von Dillen-Spiering * Arthur John Lewis Gordon (1847–1910), a diplomat, who married his cousin Caroline Augusta Hamilton Gordon, daughter of Colonel Sir Alexander Hamilton Gordon In the 1860s, Gordon began an affair with Emilie von Beulwitz (1841−1909).Niedersächsisches Institut für frühkindliche Bildung und Entwicklung, Manfred Berger, "Emy Gordon of Ellon (1841−1909)"
(in German). Retrieved 22 December 2023. After he declared himself a bachelor and converted to

Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, they married in 1871, and were the parents of:Hildegund Braun, "Emy Gordon: Ihr Leben und ihre Arbeit für die Frauenbewegung" (Würzburg, 1994). * Georgina Gordon (1866−1958) * Robert Gordon (b. 1869) * Richard Wolf Gordon (b. 1870) * Louise Ignace Therese Julie Gordon (b. 1872) After inheriting his father's estate at Ellon Castle in 1873, Gordon lived in Scotland before moving to the

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, residing first in

Bruges Bruges ( , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders, in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is in the northwest of the country, and is the sixth most populous city in the country. The area of the whole city amoun ...

in Belgium before settling permanently in

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is, after Nuremberg and Fürth, the Franconia#Towns and cities, third-largest city in Franconia located in the north of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. It sp ...

in Germany. In 1892, after his first wife's death, Gordon and his second wife were married in a civil ceremony in

Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; ; ; ) is a city and a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital city, capital and largest city of the province of Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg. Maastricht is loca ...

in the Netherlands. Gordon died in Würzburg in 1902, at the age of 90.

Notes

1812 births 1902 deaths Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Switzerland Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Sweden Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Paraguay Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Uruguay Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Germany George John Robert {{UK-diplomat-stub