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148 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1686 gave him a warning concerning tlie wedsett of the Muirtacke
Summary
Passages from the diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries : A.D. 1635-A.D. 1699"
148 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1686
gave him a warning concerning tlie wedsett of the Muirtacke, "^ against
which he protested. After some large discourses, and received the visitts of
very many gentlemen, who were here at a meeting, and at our going from
hence, drinkmg the Kings health at the Towstone or Tollstone, and being
convoyed a part of the way by many ffriends, I came in the evening to
Aberdeen, where I received letters from the Duke of Gordon and from my
cousin, Mr. Thomas, with ane enclosed from Mr. ]\Ieverell.
Businesse being not well accorded with my brother, in reference to his
accompts, albeit I condiscended to all and more by farr as was reasonable
or exspected, I was forced to writt to my unkle, desireing him to come in
and help to conclude the businesse.
I received some visitts, and in the evening my unkle came. The
skipper told me that it would be Wednesday or Thursday next befor he
could gett out for nipping, whereat I was not well pleased, seing I could
have spent the tyme better in the countrey, makeing visitts to my ffriends,
and ordering my business in greater solitude.
After devotion, I dined with my ffriends, and, in the afternoone, made a
visitt to my Lady of Aberdeen,'}' and afterwards to the Lady Wartle4
This day, ffriends were very busy concludeing business with my brother,
and at last brought it to a period, he giveing me a bond for four hundred
merks, and ane assidation for three hundred merks a year, for the Westsyde
of Westertowne, I haveing allowed him a large sallary, all the expences he
could pretend, and my childrens maintenance to the rigour.
1 caused draw up a register or list of all the charters and papers I have
on the lands of Achluichries, beginning from A.D. 1423, to this present
year, of forty five peeces, besides small. I was at the buriall of Old Craige,§
who was burycd in the Snow Kirke, H in the Old Towne. The magistrates
and many gentlemen convoyed him. From thence, wee went to the master
of the musick schoole his house, and with excellent musick, and many
ffriends, were very merry.
* [A small outlying farm, or 'peridicle' as to the family estate on the death of his father
it was called, of the estate of Auchleuchrips.] about 1650. and married Elizabeth, a daughter
t [The Countess of Aberdeen, Anne,daugh- of Sir Gilbert JMcnzies of Pitfoddels. He was
ter of George Lockhart of Torbrecks ] of the church of Home.]
t [Either Anna Gordon, wife of Alexander II [The church of Our Lady of Snow— for a
Elphinstone of Meikle Wartle; or Elizabeth short while the parish church of St. Machar —
Gordon, daughter of Patrick Gordon of appears to have fallen into ruin at the Ee-
Badenscoth, wife of Alexander Leslie of Little formation. Its deserted area soon afterwards
Wartle.] became a frequent place of burial with Eo
§ [Francis Gordon of Craig. He succeeded man Catholics.]
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.
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