GORDON, PATRICK LEOPOLD [SSNE 3903]
- Surname
- GORDON
- First name
- PATRICK LEOPOLD
- Title/rank
- GENERAL, REAR-ADMIRAL
- Nationality
- SCOT
- Region
- AUCHLEUCHRIES, ABERDEENSHIRE
- Social status
- OFFICER
- Religion
- CATHOLIC
Text source
Patrick Gordon is probably amongst the most important Scotsmen to have served in Russia. Throughout his career he undertook the role of general, rear-admiral, tutor and chief advisor to Peter the Great. He was undoubtedly the most high-ranking and influential foreigner in Russia of his day. He was born in 1635, the son of the laird of Auchleuchries, Aberdeenshire and his wife Mary Ogilvy. He was educated in Aberdeenshire until 1651, and was a Catholic. He travelled to Danzig and studied at Braunsberg. He then moven into Poland proper where he met up with several Scotsmen, and was eventually recruited into Swedish service during their campaigns in Poland. In 1656 he was captured by the Poles and briefly served the Polish crown until he was recaptured by the Swedes. In 1657 he was again captured by the Poles. He became a quartermaster in 1659 In 1658 he and some other Scots attempted the assassination of one Richard Bradshaw, mistaking him for the regicide who acted as president at the trial of Charles I in England. Gordon entered the Tsar's service in 1661 as a major along with his countrymen David Crawford and Paul Menzies. Almost immediately on his arrival to Russia, he helped to suppress a revolt. In addition to his military duties, Gordon began to undertake diplomatic missions. His first was to the Court of Charles II in 1664 where he travelled again in 1665, and 1666-7. On his return to Russia from his first mission, Gordon was made Colonel of a regiment, but returned to diplomacy quite quickly. He returned to his native Scotland several times, but importantly in 1669-70 during which visit he was made a Freeman of Aberdeen and in 1686-7. Although Gordon always held a diplomatic role, his primary function in Russia was as a soldier. Throughout 1677-8 he was prominent in the Chigirin campaigns and was made a major-general and commander of the Kiev garrison. In 1687-9 he took part in the Crimean campaigns during which conflict he was promoted to full general. The turning point in his career came in 1689 when he supported Tsar Peter in his coup against the Regent Sophia. This action earned him a special place in the affections of the young Tsar, and elevated the status of Scots beyond that of any other foreign nation in Muscovy. His military prowess was again proven in 1695-6 when he became active in the siege and capture of Azov from the Turks. Two years later suppressed another Strelsy rebellion, saving the throne for Peter once more. In this same year he founded the first Russian navy, albeit a small inshore fleet. Yet the influence can be seen to this day through the Russian naval flag, a reversed Saltire. Through his loyal service, Patrick Gordon secured permission to build the first Roman Catholic church in Russia along with Paul Menzies. Gordon was a staunch Jacobite and prevented recognition of William of Orange by the Tsar. He was the Russian correspondent for the London Gazette, and the author of a famous diary which provides much valuable insight into the role of the foreigner in Russian society. He died in 1699 and was buried in Moscow on 29 November.S. Konovalov, 'Patrick Gordon's Dispatches from Russia, 1667' in Oxford Slavonic Papers, XI, 1964; S. Konovalov, 'Sixteen Further letters of General Patrick Gordon' in Oxford Slavonic Papers, XIII, 1967; P. Dukes, 'Patrick Gordon and his Family Circle, some unpublished Letters' in Scottish Slavonic Review, X, 1988; G. P. Herd, General Patrick Gordon of Auchlichries - A Scot in seventeenth century Russian service. (unpublished Ph.D, University of Aberdeen, 1994); DNB; W. Barnhill and P. Dukes, 'North-east Scots in Muscovy in the seventeenth century' in Northern Scotland, vol. 1, no. 1, 1972, pp.49-63; L. Bittner and L. Gross, Reportorium der diplomatischen vertreter aller lander, vol. 1, 1648-1715 (Oldenburg and Berlin, 1936), pp.196-197; D. Fedosov, The Caledonian Connection (Aberdeen, 1996); A.F. Steuart, Papers Relating to the Scots in Poland 1576-1793 (Edinburgh, 1915), pp.xxiii-xxvii; A. Bieganska, "In Search of Tolerance, Scottish Catholics and Presbyterians in Poland", Scottish Slavonic Review, 17 (1991), p.47; Steve Murdoch, Network North: Scottish Kin, Commercial and Covert Associations in Northern Europe, 1603-1746 (Brill, Leiden, 2006), pp.7, 20, 78-79, 95-96, 102-103, 120, 132, 332, 350-351.
Service record
- PRUSSIA, BRAUNSBERG, Braniewo
- Arrived 1651-01-01
- Capacity STUDENT, purpose ACADEMIC
- SWEDEN, POLAND
- Arrived 1655-01-01, as OFFICER
- Departed 1658-01-01, as OFFICER
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- POLAND, POLISH ARMY
- Arrived 1658-01-01, as OFFICER
- Departed 1660-12-31, as OFFICER
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- RUSSIA, RUSSIAN ARMY
- Arrived 1661-01-01, as MAJOR
- Departed 1666-12-31, as GENERAL
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- RUSSIA, STUART KINGDOMS
- Arrived 1664-01-01
- Departed 1664-12-31
- Capacity ENVOY, purpose DIPLOMACY
- Arrived 1667-01-01, as COLONEL
- Departed 1667-12-31, as COLONEL
- Capacity DIPLOMAT, purpose DIPLOMACY
- SCOTLAND, SCOTLAND-ABERDEEN
- Arrived 1669-01-01, as COLONEL
- Departed 1670-12-31, as COLONEL
- Capacity AGENT?, purpose DIPLOMACY
- Arrived 1686-01-01, as COLONEL
- Departed 1686-12-31, as COLONEL
- Capacity AGENT?, purpose DIPLOMACY
- RUSSIA, STUART KINGDOMS
- Arrived 1686-01-01
- Departed 1686-11-29
- Capacity AMBASSADOR, purpose DIPLOMACY
- STUART KINGDOMS, RUSSIA
- Arrived 1686-11-29
- Departed 1687-01-02
- Capacity AMBASSADOR, purpose DIPLOMACY
- RUSSIA, RUSSIAN ARMY, RUSSIAN NAVY
- Arrived 1696-01-01, as GENERAL
- Departed 1699-12-31, as GENERAL, REAR ADMIRAL
- Capacity ADMIRAL, GENERAL, purpose NAVAL, MILITARY