214 APPENDIX. Seasine, Generall Patrick Gordone, and James Gordone
Summary
Passages from the diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries : A.D. 1635-A.D. 1699"
214 APPENDIX.
Seasine, Generall Patrick Gordone, and James Gordone, his second sone, of ttie lands of Wester-
toun of Auclileuchries, presented by Thomas Forbes, advocat in Aberdein, on the 28th of
February, 1696. — (From the Particular Register of Seisins for Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire,
vol. XV., foil. 238-240.)
54 By a disposition, dated at Westertoune on the eighth day of September, 1682 (in presence of
John Gordone and James Gordone in Westertoune, brothers german to Generall Patrick
Gordone, John Gordone, sone to the said John Gordone, and James Cuming, notary public),
James Gordone of Westertoun sold to Generall Patrick Gordone, second lawful sone to the
deceast John Gordone of Auchleuchries, in lyferent, and to James Gordone, second lawful sone
of the said Generall Patrick Gordone, in fee, the eastsyde of the toun and lands of Westertoun of
Auchleuchries, reederoably by the heirs of the said deceast John Gordone of Auchleuchries, by
payment of thrie thousand and sex hundreth merks Scots, and reserving to the said James
Gordone his lyfrent of the said lands. Sasine was given upon the fifteenth of February, 1696,
by George Godsman in Westertoun of Auchleuchries, bailie of the disponer, to Alexander
Godsman, servitor to George Gordone in Westertoune, attorney for the disponees, in presence
of James Middletoun, notary public, John Gordone at Bridge of Gourdoun, Alexander Paull in
Auchmad, George Robertson, his servitor, and John Middletoun, younger, in Leask.
Sasina, Joannis Goi-done de Auchleuchrie, annul redditus levandi e terris de Creichie, presentata
per Alexandruni Hay, scribam in Aberden, 24 Januarij 1706.— (From the Particular Register of
Seisins for Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire, vol. xviii., foil. 195, 196.)
55 By heritable bond, dated at Rothiemay on the nynth day of November, 1696 (in presence of
John George, sone to William George, boatman of Rothiemay, and Adam Watt, servitor, and
James Grant, sone to the granter), William Grant of Creichie granted to John Gordon of Auch-
leuchrie, an annual rent of three hundi'eth merks Scots out of the lauds and barony of Creichie,
mains, tower, fortalice, and manor place of the same, the toun and lands of Andrewsfoord, lium-
gaimie, Bowrehillock, Easter Creichie, Machieshillock, Midsummer Cairnes, Cromlet, Lawliill,
Starbridg, Creichmeleids, and Milne of Creichie, in the barony of Creichie, parish of Fyvie, and
shire of Aberdeen, redeemably by payment of five thousand merk Scots. Sasine was given
on the 19th of December, 1705.
Sasina Jacobi Gordon de Ellon in terris de Muirtack cum pertincntiis, presentata 1 Septembris
1712.— (.From the Particular Register of Seisins for Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire, vol. xix.,
foil. 592-595.)
56 By charter, dated at Edinburgh on the 6th of June. 1712, Charles, earl of Erroll, Lord Hay and
Slaines, Great Constable of Scotland, grants to James Gordone of Ellon the toun and lands of
Muirtak (being a pendicle of the lands of Wester Auchleuchries), as they were possessed by the
deceased Sir John Forbes of Watertoun, and I homas Forbes of Watertoun, his son ; which
toun and lands of Muirtak formerly belonged to the deceased John Gordone of Auchleuchries,
holden by him of the aforesaid Charles, earl of Erroll, and were by the said deceased John
Gordone, with consent of Elizabeth Grant, his wife, on the loth May, 1711, resigned into the
hands of the said Charles, earl of Erroll, as immediate superior of the same, in fiivour of the
said James Gordone of Ellone : To be holden of the said Earl of Erroll in feuferme, fee, and
Gordon was brought up and remained a lifelong Roman Catholic, at a time when the Church was being persecuted in Scotland. At age of fifteen, he entered the Jesuit college at Braunsberg, East Prussia, then part of Poland. In 1661, after many years experiences as a soldier of fortune, he joined the Russian army under Tsar Aleksei I, and in 1665 was sent on a special mission to England. After his return, he distinguished himself in several wars against the Turks and Tatars in southern Russia. In recognition of his service he was promoted to major-general in 1678, was appointed to the high command at Kiev in 1679, and in 1683 was made lieutenant-general. In 1687 and 1689 he took part in expeditions against the Tatars in the Crimea, being made a full general. Later in 1689, a revolution broke out in Moscow, and with the troops under his command, Gordon virtually decided events in favor of Peter the Great against the Regent, Tsarevna Sophia Alekseyevna. Consequently, he was for the remainder of his life in high favor with the Tsar, who confided to him the command of his capital during his absence from Russia. In 1696, Gordon's design of a "moveable rampart" played a key role in helping the Russians take Azov. One of Gordon's convinced the Tsars to establish the first Roman Catholic church and school in Muscovy, of which he remained the main benefactor and headed the Catholic community in Russia until his death. For his services his second son James, brigadier of the Russian army, was created Count of the Holy Roman Empire in 1701. At the end of his life the Tsar, who had visited Gordon frequently during his illness, was with him when he died, and with his own hands closed his eyes. General Gordon left behind him a uniquely detailed diary of his life and times, written in English. This is preserved in manuscript in the Russian State Military Archive in Moscow. Passages from the Diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries (1635–1699) was printed, under the editorship of Joseph Robertson, for the Spalding Club, at Aberdeen, Scotland, 1859.