History 2

The History - From Vikings to Scots cont.

He was granted lands in Strathbogie (aka Huntly Castle area) by King Robert the Bruce about 1300 A.D. The Clan lands extended over much of North East Scotland.

From their northern domain, the family afterwards acquire the titles of Lord, Earl, and Marquis of Huntly, and the latter is now their chief title. Sir Adam was slain, fighting bravely in the vanguard of the Scotch army at the battle of Halidonhill, July 12, 1333. By Annabella, his wife, supposed to have been a daughter of David de Strathbolgie above mentioned, he had four sons and a daughter. The eldest son, Sir Alexander, succeeded him. The second son, William, was ancestor of the Viscounts of Kenmure.

Sir John Gordon, his great-grandson, got a new charter from King Robert the Second of the lands of Strathbogie, dated 13th June 1376. He was slain at the battle of Otterbourne in 1388. His son, Sir Adam, lord of Gordon, fell at the battle of Homildon, 14th September 1402. By his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William Keith, great mareschal of Scotland, he had an only child, Elizabeth Gordon, who succeeded to the whole family estates, and having married Alexander Seton, second son of Sir William Seton of Seton, ancestor of the Earls of Winton, that gentleman was styled lord of Gordon and Huntly. He left two sons, the younger of whom became ancestor of the Setons of Meldrum.

Alexander, the elder, was, in 1449, created Earl of Huntly, with limitation to his heirs male, by Elizabeth Crichton, his third wife, they being obliged to bear the name and arms of Gordon. George, the sixth earl, was created Marquis of Huntly, by King James, in 1599. George, the fourth marquis, was made Duke of Gordon in 1684. George, fifth duke, died without issue on 28th Mary 1836. At his death the title of Duke of Gordon became extinct, as well as tha of Earl of Norwich in the British peerage, and the Marquisate of Huntly devolved on George Earl of Aboyne, descended from Charles, fourth son of George, second Marquis of Huntly, while the Duke of Richmond and Lennox, son of his eldest sister, succeeded to Gordon castle, Banffshire, and other estates in Aberdeenshire and Inverness-shire.

The clan Gordon was at one period of the most powerful and numerous in the north. Although the chiefs were not originally of Celtic origin, as already shown, they yet gave their name to the clan, the distinctive badge of which was the rock ivy. The clan feuds and battles were frequent, especially with the Mackintoshes, the Camerons, the Murrays and the Forbes.

The Duke of Gordon, who was the chief of the clan, was usually styled "The Cock of the North". His most ancient title was the "Gudeman of the Bog", from the Bog-of-Gight, a morass in the parish of Bellie, Banffshire, in the centre of which the former stronghold of this family was placed, and which forms the site of Gordon castle, considered the most magnificent edifice in the north of Scotland. The Marquis of Huntly is now the chief of the clan Gordon. Of the name Gordon, there are many ancient families belonging to Aberdeenshire, Banffshire and the north of Scotland.

Gey Gordons?

Ever wonder what "Gey" Gordon meant? Its a nickname given to the Gordons which means the gallant, spirited (perhaps slightly reckless) and gutsy Gordons. Other clans also have such historical nicknames.

In the constellation of regimental mottoes, it is not at all unusual to see Latin or English phrases, and even one Gaelic (the motto of the Queen's Own Highlanders and now of The Highlanders). "Bydand", however, is a creature that fits into none of these languages, and as such raises a great amount of discussion.

There are two primary theories of where it comes from:

Theory #1: Bydand is a corruption of a Gaelic term. Exactly what term is uncertain, and the translations vary considerably. It is usually interpreted as "steadfast," but also comes across as enduring, faithful, and abiding. We encountered one wizened Gordon Highlander in Huntly who was quite knowledgeable in Gaelic and had clearly studied it closely who denies that any of these are correct. He claims that a single word translation is impossible because the Gaelic phrase in a 'present continuous' tense of 'to stand prepared.' The implication of the conjugation is that one has been and currently is standing ready, fully prepared for whatever might come. In this sense, it corresponds very closely to the United States Marine Corps motto, Sempre Fidelis. Yours truly, being a linguist by trade, finds this explanation very appealing. Aberdeenshire is not historically Gaelic speaking, and so the Regiment's tie to this region would not support this view. However, when one considers that the vast majority of the intial recruits came from predominantly Gaelic-speaking Inverness and the Isles, this theory takes on much more possibility.

Theory #2: Bydand is a shortened version of the Scots phrase "Bide and Fecht" meaning to stand and fight. Over the years, it came to be understood that if one were to 'bide,' one was certainly going to 'fecht.' With the Regiment's 'home' being a more Scots-speaking area, this could be a real possibility.

In the final analysis, and whatever the original meaning may have been, it cannot be but that the Gordon Highlanders served Crown and Country for 200 years with unwaivering faithfulness, an amazing steadiness in action, and an eagerness to 'fecht' second to none.

In the Psalms in Scots 1871 by P Hately Waddell, the 23rd Psalm uses the word in this form “bydan”. Verse 6: “E’en sae, sal gude-guidin an’ gude-gree gang wi’ me, ilk day o’ my livin; an’ evir mair syne, I’ the Lord’s ain howff, at lang last, sal I mak bydan.”