Related
84 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1666 July the twentieth and twenty fourth
116 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1686 a third, on the way to Konigsberg
1667] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 97 storme, wee could not gett over to Embden
1686] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 131 Htle way, and being four, wee hired a coach
42 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1661 misfortune
126 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1686 religion* At night wee cast anchor
110 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1686 I gave up my petition
146 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [168G Haveing dyned, and hearing my trunks were come from Edinburgh
168 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1690 The twenty-eiglith of January
86 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1667 burgh, the fourth of December
Summary
Passages from the diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries : A.D. 1635-A.D. 1699"
86 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1667
burgh, the fourth of December, hi answer to myne of the twenty fourth
past ; as also from PItfoddels and my father.
Collonell Patrick Gordon departed with litle satisfaction, haveing- gott
but fifty pund sterling, and that from the Earle of Middleton, but by His
Majesties order. He haveing left his skatole with his passes in pledge, of
twenty pounds sterling, by ]\lr. Golt, he desired me to buy it out, giveing
me but fyve pounds sterling, so I payed the other fyfteeu.
Writt to my wyfe and ffriends in Russia.
Received letters from Mr. Skein and my unkle.
Writt to Generall Dalyell,* to my father, Pitfoddels, unkle, cousin, and
to Mr. Skein.
Received letters from my wyfe, mother in law, in a coverto from Mr.
Bryan, dated the seventh of November. Dined in London with Sir John
Hebden and his sons, and visited, in the afternoone, Mr. Towrs.
On St. Johns day, dined in Peckam with choyce company, and were
merry.
Dined with the Earle of Middleton.
Visited the Earle of Carlisle at his lodgings.
Dined with Sir William Davidsonf and Sir William Thomson,J where
was also Doktor Morison,|| and were merry.
At dinner with great company, which cost ...
[A.D. 1667.]
Being invited, I rode to Lower Tewtin, where choice company were
conveened, and were merry two dayes together.
Came to London with all the company who supped at the signe of the
Cock, and stayed in my lodging all night at my charge.
Dined in the Rhenish wyne house, at the charges of Sir John Hebden.
Dined by Sir Georg Ent, § the phisitian.
Dined by the Knights Errant.
* [It seems remarkable that Gordon should || [Robert Morison, M.D., bom at Aberdeen
make no allusion to Dalyell's defeat of the in 1620, died at London in 1683. He was ap-
Westland Covenanters at llullion Green, on pointed physician to King Charles 11. in 1660,
the 28th of November, 1666.] and Protessor of Botany at Oxford in 1669.
t [Conservator of the Privileges of the There is a memoir of him in Dr. Irvings Lives
Scottish nation in the Netherlands. He died of Scottish Writers, vol. ii., pp. 177-188.]
in 1689.] g [President of the College of Physicians.]
t [Probably one of the members for the city
of London.]
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.