GORDON, ADAM [SSNE 6949]

Surname

GORDON, GORDOUN

First name

ADAM

Title/rank

CAPTAIN

Nationality

SCOT

Region

KILCOLMKILL, KILCALMKILL

Text source

Adam Gordon was the son of John Gordon of Kilcalmkill. He was a Scottish officer in Swedish service who was a captain in the army from 1636 to 1637. He apparently entered Swedish service in Sir Hector Munro of Fowlis' regiment in 1634, presumably at NCO rank. In late 1634-early 1635, Adam accompanied Sir Hector Munro of Foulis, colonel Robert Munro, and John Gordon, son of John, younger of Cyderhall, to Germany to see Captain Adam Gordon ‘out of the affection they bore him, not knowing he was killed’ at Nördlingen (5/6 September 1634). After the death of Foulis in April 1635 in Hamburg, Adam served in the Swedish army under Colonel Alexander Gordon and was promoted captain in 1635. He was transferred into Colonel Alexander Cunningham's regiment. 

Adam then came back to Scotland and ‘having levied and gathered together a companie of able and lustie men in Southerland, he shipped with them at Unes (having obteined licence to that effect from the lords of the privie-councell), and arryved safely with his men at Gottenbury’ on 6 November 1635. On 11 November 1635, still in Gothenburg, he wrote a letter to Sir Robert Gordon of Gordonstoun showing his religious fervour: ‘All my friendis in generall was [sic] very kynd to me, yit none helped me with so much as one souldyour. I thank my freinds for yr kyndnes & my moneyis for my souldyors. But God I thank for all’. 

Adam returned to Scotland and joined the Royalist army fighting on behalf of King Charles I. It is believed that he died in Germany. He is not to be confused with his namesakes [SSNE 2495] or [SSNE 435].

Sources: Krigsarkivet, Sweden: Muster Roll for Captain Adam Gordon's company: https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/A0053320_00206 

Swedish Krigsarkiv, Muster Roll, 1636/21-23; 1637/13-16; Sir William Fraser, The Sutherland Book, I, p. 207 & II, pp. 161-2, but consult the original MS in NLS, Sutherland Papers, Dep. 313/489, no. 28a. Gordon under Arms, eds. C. O. Skelton and J. M. Bulloch (Aberdeen, 1912), no. 1639; The House of Gordon, ed. J. M. Bulloch, 3 vols. (Aberdeen, 1903-12), II, 150; R. Gordon, A Genealogical History of the Earldom of Sutherland (Edinburgh, 1813), pp. 473, 477-8; J. M. Bulloch, The Families of Gordon of Invergordon, Newhall, Also Ardoch, Ross-Shire, and Carroll, Sutherland (Dingwall, 1906), pp. 5-7.

This entry was kindly updated by Dr Thomas Brochard

 

British Civil Wars

Wars of the Three Kingdoms

 

Service record

SWEDEN, SIR HECTOR MONRO OF FOWLIS

Arrived 1634-01-01, as OFFICER

Departed 1635-06-30, as OFFICER

Capacity NC OFFICER, purpose MILITARY

SWEDEN, COLONEL ALEXANDER CUNNINGHAM

Arrived 1635-11-06, as CAPTAIN

Departed 1637-12-12, as CAPTAIN

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY

STUART KINGDOMS, ENGLAND

Arrived 1642-01-01, as CAPTAIN

Departed 1642-08-01, as CAPTAIN

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY