Clue 3 - Daach
Gordons o' Girnoc
The Girnoc Farms
Past Research
Location Map
Gordon Tombstones
Sources
If the reader has followed this far then well done: for one is sure to agree, 'Inextricably Camlet' is apt indeed! Of the 'Apparently Solid Clues' items 1) and 2) have been well rehearsed: time then to explore item 3) which is the oldest known written record said by Dr Bulloch to pertain to 'The Camlet.' It appeared Indexed as follows:
"Decreet after Letters of Suspension, William Erskine of Pittodrie, against John Gordon in Camelet and James Gordon of Daach as assignee" (Mackenzie Decreets, vol. 131.)
This writer like all before him had given this but cursory consideration. Such a passing glance was deflected onwards because of the unfamiliarity of the name 'Daach.' Simply it was not a familiar Deeside name.
Edward of Cairnfield referred to this Decreet raising the possibility that 'Camlet John's' father was "a son or grandson of John Gordon in 'Camelet' against whom and James Gordon of Daach, William Erskine of Pittodrie obtained a decreet after letters of suspension on the 25th January 1700."
Daach (or Daugh as it is now known) was in fact a small estate in Morayshire lying some ten miles north-west of Huntly and proximal to the village of Ruthven. A castellated Gordon park of old with an ancient though sadly forgotten history.
The starting point was an old Inventory of James Gordon of Daach dated October 1697 in which he gave over his whole estate to his eldest son James. It was this 'James Gordon Junior of Daach' who acted as an assignee for John Gordon of Camelet (the observant will note the different spelling here.) At the very least this appeared to suggest a family tie between James Gordon Junior of Daach and John Gordon of Camelet.
1) Mr John Innes minister at Gemrie
2) Thomas Gordon in Hallgreen
3) Duke of Gordon Chamberland for plough of Little Daugh
4) (blank) Gordon of Cairnburrow for Grassroom at Blackhill
�and others.
It was at this stage that a fellow researcher unearthed a paper that was to prove a revelation: a revelation perhaps for Camlet, but more-so for the good majority of the 'unlinked' yeoman Deeside Gordon families. This writer has read through this manuscript several times and is mesmerized by its strikingly simple union: a union between Moray and Deeside. Perhaps naivety has entered, yet again, this writer's simpleton-being, but he cannot believe that the publisher of the manuscript, the redoubtable Dr Bulloch (himself) did not make such an obvious link.
Dr Bulloch's paper was entitled "The Gordons of Daach, Muiraik and Kethocksmill" and was completed in March 1902. A worthy centenarian it is deserving of far greater accolade than its hundred years of existence has so far served.
It is warming to note that this was a manuscript that had revived itself several times like a phoenix from the ashes. The story of how it came into the hands of Dr Bulloch is indeed remarkable. It was a certain Mr Littlejohn who stumbled across the old copper-plate manuscript lodged and forgotten within the depths of one of his office safes. It transpired that one of Mr Littlejohn's office juniors had been a kind of 'Doer for Gordon of Craig' the 'ardent geneaologist.' Yet even then (the turn of the century) this manuscript was already a redraft, for Mr Littlejohn made the comment that: "The ms. seems to have been a copy of an older document to which the copyist added notes at the bottom of the Page." Dr Bulloch was later to speculate that the original manuscript may have dated as far back as the mid-to-late 1700's.
The manuscript was to begin:
Thomas Gordon of Daach, "third son to Sir John Gordon, and uncle (cousin) to ye heiress Elizabeth Gordon of Huntly," married three times.
The Balbithan Manuscript apparently describes 16 sons of this Thomas 'Tam' Gordon, but the Craig Manuscript names only 10.
Thomas Gordon of Daach FIRST married the daughter of Thomas Hay of Enzie: Four sons are produced including the first born: Patrick Gordon, Laird of Sauchin (son 1)
Thomas Gordon of Daach SECOND married the daughter of Walter Innes. It is this group of sons that for this account should utterly capture our interest.
Son 5: William Gordon of Balveny:
"who married ye Laird of Grant, his daughter; from whom are descended ye house of Muiraik; ye Gordons of Kethocksmill and George Gordon of Noth, Chamberlayne of Strathbogy, and their descendants and familys. The last purchased ye lands of Glenbuchat from Gordon of Glenbuchat
Son 6: Mr. Adam Gordon, Chancellor of Moray and Parson of Kinkell:
This Adam Gordon appears in the Balbithan manuscript as the 2nd son of the second marriage. The Craig manuscript however, omits him.
Son 7: Thomas Gordon of Kenartie or Brackley:
He married Sir Duncan Grant's daughter with whom he begat Sir Alexander (Gordon) of Brackley and James (Gordon) of Knock, of whom are descended the Gordons of Cults, Toldow, Lawase, and ye Gordons of ���(left blank)"
Son 8: George Gordon of Hallhead:
Married ye Laird of Craigyvar's daughter, Mortimer, with whom he begat John (Gordon) of Hallhead, of whom is descended John (Gordon) of Tillyangus, and that family."
Thomas Gordon of Daach THIRDLY married, Jean Chisholm, "daughter to ye Laird of Strathglass." With whom he begot two sons :-
Son 9: James Gordon of Daach:
He married the Laird of Ardneil's daughter, "of which marriage was John Gordon of Hoggiestoun of whom are descended ye Gordons of Milltown, of Gawel and ye Gordon of Daach in Ruthven and their familys."
Son 10: Mr. John Gordon, Burgess of Aberdeen.
- - 0 - -
This then is an important manuscript - indeed (in the opinion of this writer) it may have an unrivalled place in the understanding of the origins of the yeoman Gordon families of Deeside.
Son 7: Thomas Gordon of Kenartie or Brackley - surely this Thomas is the likeliest progenitor of Crathienaird.
Son 8: George Gordon of Hallhead - the progenitor of the Bovaglie Gordons
Son 9: James Gordon of Daach - the forebear of the James Gordon of Daach who it was said 'acted as assignee for 'John Gordon of Camelet' in January 1700.'
Thus we have three brothers, consecutive in age, all linked in with Deeside, and ALL sons of Daach. Yes truly a simple linkage putting Daach well and truly on the Camlet map.
This writer has found that such optimism has never been wise with The Camlet - never! As such, you would not be surprised to learn, the biggest disappointment was yet to unfold in our saga of Camlet, one that would sadly prove the 'false-dawn' of the risen glory of Daach's Morayshire sunbeam.
Yet again, it was to be the strength of primary source material that truly was to call the day, and to sort black from white. In this respect the writer's father, Stuart Gordon, was to become the Daach detective reincarnate. It was he who unearthed the original Mackenzie Decreets from West Register House in Edinburgh:
"October 17th 2003: �.. my Dad has done some sterling work - went off to West Register House and opened up the papers of 'Suspension' wax-sealed and unseen perhaps since the time of their execution!"
What a feast of documents resulted: eight thin parchments of intrigue that set the collected minds of the writer, his father and the writer's collaborator-in-chief, Bettina, whizzing. In essence the documents appeared to state that John Gordon was in debt to considerable sums to Erskine of Pitoddrie. Repayment was expected through his right as heir to the Leith estate of Harthill. Multiple references were made to John Gordon's mother 'Janet Leith' and grandfather 'George Leith.' James Gordon of Daach was brought in to help save John from his debts - hence the Letter of Suspension. That was the way this writer interpreted the complex legal and often indiscernible copper-plate.
This was indeed exciting with a link into Camlet's ancient past at last. Yet those nagging doubts resurfaced within the writer's mind (they are damnable are they not) for there was not one reference to Deeside anywhere within the extensive writings of the Decreet. As such there was no reference to Abergeldie.
Furthermore, and certainly even more significantly, every reference within the Decreet to John Gordon was qualified as "John Gordon in Carmollet" or sometimes "Carmellet." This being very different to the way the Decreet was originally referenced: "John Gordon in Camelet."
What did this mean? Well that at least was simple. Daach had absolutely NO association with Camlet. Any association made was erroneous. This passage has served to highlight the dangerous blind-alleys of historical research.