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| Information for individual 1295 |
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| Adam GORDON (M) | Parents/Siblings
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1800 |
Aberdour, Fife, Scotland |
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| Information for individual 1296 |
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| William GORDON (M) | Parents/Siblings
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1802 |
Aberdour, Fifeshire, Scotland |
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| Information for individual 1297 |
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| Helen GORDON (F) | Parents/Siblings
| | Others called Gordon |
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1805 |
Aberdour, Fifeshire, Scotland |
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| Information for individual 1298 |
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| Robert GORDON (M) | Parents/Siblings
| | Others called Gordon |
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1807 |
Aberdour, Fifeshire, Scotland |
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| Information for individual 1284 |
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| >John GORDON (M) | Parents/Siblings
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5/9/1808 |
Burnt Island, , Fifeshire, Scotland |
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29/12/1850 |
Fort Cox, , Cape Province, South Africa |
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| !Killed in action between Fort Cox and Fort Hare, Cape of Good Hope. Served
with the 91st Regt. of Infantry.
Private 16 Dec 1825. Corporal 29th June 1827. Sergant 25 March 1828. Colour
Sergant 1 April 1831. Sgt. Major 7 Nov 1835. Act. Q Mr 26 Jan 1841. Q Mr 26 Jan 1841. Ens.& Adjutant Reserve Bn.22 Jan 1847.Commissioned 26 Jan 1847. Lieut. 28 Dec 1849.Without purchase.
Served in the Kaffir War of 1846 & 1847 under Lieut. Gen. G. Sir P Maitland &
Lieut Gen. Berkley as Garrison Quartermaster at Grahams Town from June to Dec. '46 and as Field Adjutant to a Column under Lt. Col. Campbell from 18th Sept to 24th Oct 1847 Also served 30th Dec 1829 to 9th June 1831-Jamaica. 26 Feb 1836 to 3 Jul 1839 St Helena. 4 July 1839 to 29Dec 1850 Cape of Good Hope. Service 16 Yrs 104 days abroard. Home 4 Yrs 261 days (Ref PRO W 076/453 ?) Douglas Sutherland's Regimental History describes how battalions were formed ".At this time after 1842 the demands made on the army in S. Africa and India were so great that additional forces had to be raised in the form of Reserve battalions,one of which was the 91st." Jamaica was not a popular station. Few amusements- sea -bathing was dangerous due to sharks--living was expensive. Rations were poor, consisting largely of ,salt beef,and the only drink available was the rawest of rums,which undermined the constitution.Only for hardened drinkers. Worst was the Yellow fever, the 91st regiment's casualties on the island were 20 officers,30 sergeants, 10 drummers and 576 rank and file during 9 years service. When the strength of the regiment dropped below 300, reinforcements had to be sent from England.The regiment were doubtless glad when they sailed for England in 1831 A year was spent in England, then , travelling by train for the first time it
returned to Ireland via Liverpool.When the regiment was sent to St. Helena
,headquarters were in Jamestown, situated at the bottom of a deep ravine, while 2 companies occupied the Ladder Hill Battery above the town, reached by
climbing 699 steps. The only recreations were horse-riding and
cock-fighting, but still considered a better station than Jamaica. In
July they went to the Cape where they were engaged in the Kaffir warsIt was an uncomfortable campaign. The british, encumbered with clumsy shakos and red
frock-coats with high stiff collars fought against the Kaffirs who specialised in guerilla tactics and laying ambushes where their assegais and knobkerries could be used with great effect at close quarters.Most disliked part of the campaigns were long periods of inactivity while on outpost duty. See D. Sutherland's account.The most importaqnt chief was named Sandilla the Kaffir. . Married in Manchester Cathedral
The Historical Records of the 91st Argyllshire Highlanders reads on Page 176:-
"Lieutenant Gordon, who left a widow and five children, met his death in the
following manner. It appears that when Lieutenant Borthwick was wounded in the cheek, and began to feel faint from loss of blood, so that he was unable to keep up with his men, the adjutant (Gordon) dismounted and put the wounded
officer on his horse, and afterwards he himself from fatigue fell too much to
the rear and was assegaied, several of the men who attempted to recover his
body being killed. Six months afterwards a detachment of the 74th Highlanders
passed the spot, and an officer of that regiment, in describing the place
says, " The ground, a thorny valley, still bore marks of the struggle of the
29th of December-rags of uniform and old forage caps, with bones of Kaffirs
scattered about, while from the graves of the soldiers bones were protruding,
scratched up by jackals and hyenas, which we carefully buried again in the best way we could"
On the 5th of January the following order was issued from head-quarters, King
Williams's Town:- "The Commander -in-Chief desires to express his admiration of the gallant conduct of the detachment of 150 men of the 91st Regiment, und er Lieutenant-Colonel Yarborough, on the 29th ultimo, led by the gallant
veteran Major General Somerset, in action with a very superior force of the
enemy. The steadiness of the troops under the disadvantages of the ground, the heat of the weather, and the vast numerical superiority of the enemy, shows well the effect of discipline combined with bravery; and his excellancy assures Lieutenant Colonel Yarborough and the officers and soldiers respectively, that he will not fail to submit to his Grace the Duke of Wellington, to be laid before her majesty, the gallant and meritorious conduct displayed by them on the 29th................."
The casualty list showed that 2 Officers and 20 men were killed and 18 Other
Ranks wounded; 2 of whom died later.The Action where Gordon was killed took place at Yellow Woods |
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| Information for individual 1300 |
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| Barbara GORDON (F) | Parents/Siblings
| | Others called Gordon |
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1813 |
Aberdour, Fifeshire, Scotland |
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| Information for individual 1301 |
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| Margaret GORDON (F) | Parents/Siblings
| | Others called Gordon |
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1815 |
Aberdour, Fife, Scotland |
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