GORDON, PATRICK 'STEELHAND' [SSNE 4946]

Surname

GORDON

First name

PATRICK 'STEELHAND'

Title/rank

COLONEL

Nationality

SCOT

Region

NORTHEAST SCOTLAND

Religion

PRESBYTERIAN

Text source

Patrick "Steelhand" Gordon joined the Gordons under Huntly in 1647, which led to his excommunication by the Kirk. He subsequently headed to the Low Countries and eventually came back to Scotland in 1651. 

The following year, 1652, Patrick Gordon led a force of mosstroopers alongside Captain Augustine Hoffman. In 1653 Patrick Gordon joined Glencairn in his campaign. 

Patrick Gordon, as "Arlengie Steelhand", is mentioned in a letter by Kinnoull in November 1654 as having served alongside him but then having sought terms with Monck. 

After this Patrick Gordon once again headed to the Continent, where he joined the Polish army.

The eponymous Patrick Gordon, of Auchleuchries, mentions this Patrick Gordon several times in his diaries. The first mention dates from 1657, during Auchleuchries' spell in a Danzig prison. At one point Auchleuchries and his fellow prisoners were route marched out of the town to a spot where Patrick Gordon "commonly called Steellhand" was in command, at the rank of ruitmaster (captain of horse). Steelhand apparently recognised Auchleuchries, asking whether he was not the son of Gordon of Auchleuchries and suggesting he join his horsemen. However, Auchleuchries opted to continue onto a point of exchange to re-enter Swedish service.

In early 1659 (no specified date) Auchleuchries notes that while he was in Lublin he learned that two fellow Scots Lt. Col. Henry Gordon and Major Patrick Gordon "alias Steele Hand" were in the same place, but he notes " I did not, however, show or reveale my self, being loth they should know my condition...".

Patrick Gordon became involved in seeking to obtain the goods and money belonging to Lt. Adam Gordon, recently deceased and presumably a relative, from the late lieutenant's superior, Lt. Colonel Rahtman. In autumn 1659 Auchleuchries was persuaded to, in the company of one ruitmaster (captain of horse) Oliphant, approach Rahtman directly, and this moment proved to be volatile, with Auchleuchries fleeing on horseback at one point. In the end the pair came away with a bond for 1,200 riksdollars addressed to William Gordon, a merchant based in Konigsberg. Patrick Gordon then persuaded Auchleuchries to go to Konigsberg with the bond in the hopes of getting it cashed, all the while taking a 50 rixdollar loan off of Auchleuchries. Patrick Gordon then hosted Auchleuchries at his home in Niewteich as the latter began his travel to Konigsberg.

Upon reaching Königsberg, Auchleuchries could not find William Gordon, but met his brother in law, who refused to give him any money for the bond. Eventually Auchleuchries returned the bond to Patrick Gordon, minus the 50 riksdollars he was owed.

In October 1660 Lt. Colonel Patrick Gordon was wounded whilst fighting Cossacks.

The next reference to Patrick Gordon dates from 1661 when the Imperial ambassador, Baron d'Isola, engaged Lt. Colonel Patrick Gordon to levy a regiment of horse for Imperial service. Gordon also persuaded Auchleuchries, thanks to "honourable service, the good pay, with the advantage and easines of the levyes", to join Imperial service, only for it all to be rescinded on 10 July 1661, when all officers and levies raised were told to disband.

Patrick Gordon was in London in November 1666, along with an unnamed Bohemian colonel. Gordon left London on 10 December "with little satisfaction, haveing gott but 50 lib. st. and that from the Earle of Middleton" on the order of the king. Patrick Gordon had left a personal casket with his travel passes with a Mr Golt and he asked Auchleuchries to buy it out, supplying Auchleuchries with only 5 pounds of the total 20 pound fee, once again leaving Auchleuchries short-changed.

In March 1667 Patrick Gordon intentionally came to visit Auchleuchries when the latter was in Hamburg, and the next day they enjoyed dinner together, reflecting the personal connection between them. Despite this, when Auchleuchries visited Patrick Gordon for a final time on 15 March 1667 Gordon still could not repay the 15 pound-loan that he owed. The two of them made a formal visit to Queen Christina who was also in Hamburg at the time, presumably en route to Rome. 

Seemingly Patrick Gordon asked Auchleuchries if he could come into Russian service, with his officers. However, in late June 1667 Auchleuchries wrote to Gordon and another officer informing them that there were no vacancies for them.

 

Sources:

For Gordon's Scottish service see: 'His Majesty's Loyal Subjects' The Scottish Royalist Armies of the British Civil Wars, 1639-1655, Edward M. Furgol and Andrew Lind (Brill, Leiden, 2026), pp 339-340; NRS, RH4/127/2, xxii (1 January 1652); Passages from the Diary of General patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries, ed. Joseph Robertson (Aberdeen, 1859), pp.24-5; Thurloe, State Papers, ii, pp. 725-6; WCL, Wor. MS. XX, ff.66v, 70.

For Gordon's Polish service see: Diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries 1635-1699, ed. Dmitry Fedosov, vol. 1 (AHRC Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies University of Aberdeen, 2009), pp 189, 278 and vol. 2 (AHRC Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies University of Aberdeen, 2010), pp.16-18, 21, 86, 122, 125, 126, 253, 256, 273-275, 277, 279, 281. 

Service record

SCOTLAND, STUART KINGDOMS, SCOTLAND

Arrived 1647-01-01

Departed 1654-01-01, as OFFICER

Capacity MILITARY, purpose MILITARY

POLAND-LITHUANIA, DANZIG, DANZIG

Arrived 1657-01-01, as CAPTAIN

Departed 0000-01-01

Capacity CAVALRY OFFICER, purpose MILITARY

POLAND,

Arrived 1659-01-01, as MAJOR

Departed 0000-01-01

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY