Elizabeth 'Lizy' GORDON

1791 - 1883  (92 years)

• Name	Elizabeth 'Lizy' GORDON
  	Names : Elizabeth is called Lizzy on Alexander jnr's birth registration and Lesy on xxxx?s birth certificate. Her surname,GORDON was her name before marriage - ie GORDON, nee GORDON. There may have been many other Gordon families in the area but we do not know whether or not she was closely related to John's family - perhaps cousin??. So it is not clear whether or not it was in-breeding. Interesting her own daughter, also called Elizabeth also married someone with the same Gordon surname. That is, two generations of Elizabeth Gordon marrying a Mr Gordon. Birth : No birth records have been located. The date is not certain - it might have been 1791 or 1794 or 1795. The possibility of 1791 arises because she was recorded in the 1881 census as aged 90 years, and recorded as aged 92 on her death certificate in 1883. Or it could have been 1794 because she was recorded as aged 77 on the 1871 census). Or it could have been about 1795 because the she was recorded as aged 56 on the 1851 census. Or 1814 (ref : Colin Semmler) The place is not certain. Dores or Dries (on the 1851 and 1861 censuses), or Strathese??? (on the 1871 census) or Fodderty (on the 1881 census). Or Killearnan, Ross & Cromarty (ref : Colin Semmler) [Question : Do these different dates and places mean that any of these sources are referring to a different Elizabeth?]
  Nickname	Lizzy or Lesy
  Born	1791
  Gender	Female
  General event	Death : The informant on the death certificate was Hugh Gordon, grandson of Conon Bridge). [research: Who was this Hugh? It would have been the son of either Hugh, David, James or John.]  [1]
  General event	Health : She must have been in good health in her later years. There was no medical attendant at the time of her death at the age of 92 years and the cause of death was just "old age for 3 weeks". So it sounds as though she was in comparatively good health until shortly before she died.
  General event	Parents : Elizabeth's parents were recorded on her death certificate as Hugh GORDON, master gardener and Ann Gordon, nee MacTAVISH.
  Died	8th July 1883	Brahan Mains, Urray, Scotland, UK
  Person ID	I330	Alexander & Jessie
  Last Modified	26 Nov 2025

  
  

  Father	Hugh GORDON
  Mother	Ann MACTAVISH
  Family ID	F113	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	John GORDON,   b. 27 Feb 1795, Belmaduthy, Knockbain, Scotland ,   d. 16 Sep 1869, Brahan's Ferry, Urray, Scotland, UK  (Age 74 years)
  Married	Y  [2]
  Children	* There are records of John and Elizabeth having 9 children - but there might have been others. * The births were over a period of 20 years - from 1814 to 1834. * There is a gap of 6 years between the first 2 (Hugh then Ann) so maybe there was there was another child or two, or miscarriages. * Then there were 8 children born in 14 years - notably 3 (David, Margaret & the first James) in just 31 months. * There were early deaths, including the first James. * David and Alexander were the only ones to migrate. * Locations: The first child was born in Killreanon, the next 5 were in Kiltearn and the last 3 were in Contin. (These notes by Don Gordon in May 2025)
  Children	1. Hugh GORDON,   b. 9 Nov 1814, Tore, Killearnan, Scotland, UK   2. Ann GORDON,   b. 24 May 1820, Kiltearn, Scotland ,   d. 8 Nov 1888  (Age 68 years) + 3. Alexander GORDON,   b. 19 Feb 1822,   d. 5 Sep 1895, 'Beaufort', Belvidere, SA, Australia  (Age 73 years) + 4. David GORDON,   b. 24 Apr 1824, Kiltearn, Scotland ,   d. 26 Mar 1891  (Age 66 years)   5. Margaret GORDON,   b. 1825, Kiltearn, Ross Shire, Scotland, UK   6. James Murray GORDON,   b. 18 Nov 1826, Kiltearn, Scotland ,   d. 1827  (Age 0 years)   7. James Murray GORDON,   b. 22 May 1828, Contin, Scotland, UK ,   d. 1873  (Age 44 years)   8. John GORDON,   b. 22 Jan 1831, Contin, Scotland, UK + 9. Elizabeth ('Eliza') GORDON,   b. 11 Jul 1834, Contin, Scotland, UK
  Last Modified	30 May 2025
  Family ID	F111	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Headstones

  John Gordon - died 1869 - burial stone in Suddie Inscription: "Sacred to the memory of John Gordon, born 1796, died 1869. This stone is placed here in affectionate remembrance of a faithful, honest and attached servant by Seaforth. Also Elizabeth Gordon his wife, aged 91 years and his son James Murray Gordon, born 1828, died 1873."

  
  

  Documents » Slide Show		Census 1851 - Gordon household in Brahan Ferry * John Gordon, head, 52 yrs [c1799], labourer, born Knockbain * Elizabeth Gordon, wife, 56 yrs [c1795], born Dores * Clariah?? McKenzie, niece, 9 yrs [c1842], born Urray
  		Census 1881 - Gordon household - 29 Mill St Dingwall.jpg * Elizabeth Gordon, head, widow, 90 yrs [c1791], annuantant, born Fodderty * Margaret Gordon, daughter, unmarried, 57 yrs [c1824], annuantant, born Kiltearn. (Also living in the same house were Margaret McLeod who was blind, 49 years [c1832], unmarried, born in Dingwall - with her niece, Mary McGregor, 18 yrs [c1863], scholar, unmarried.)
  		Census 1861 - Gordon household - Brahan Ferry in parish of Urray * John Gordon, head, 65 yrs [c1796], gardener, born in Knockbain * Elizabeth Gordon, wife, 67 yrs [c1794], born in Dries?? * Donald Gordon, son-in-law, 29 yrs [c1832], labour agriculture, born Killatlity * Elizabeth Gordon, daughter, 26 yrs [c1835], wife of lab ag, born Contin.
  		Census 1871 - Gordon household - Brahan Mains * Elizabeth Gordon, head, 77 yrs [c1794], widow, gardener's wife, born Strathesie * Elizabeth Gordon, daughter, 37 yrs [c1834], widow, ag lab wife, born Contin * Flora Gordon, grand-daughter, 9 yrs [c1862], scholar, born Inverness, Pelty?? or Pilly?? * Anne Gordon, grand-daughter, 5 yrs [c1866], born Nairn
  		Elizabeth GORDON - death 8th July 1883 at Brahan Mains, Urray.jpg Elizabeth Gordon, at 7:45 am on 8th July 1883 at Brahan Mains, district of Urray in County of Ross. Aged 92 years. Widow of John Gordon (horticultural labourer), daughter of Hugh Gordon (master gardener) & Ann Gordon (nee MacTavish). Cause of death - old age for 3 weeks. There was no medical attendant. Informant was Hugh Gordon, grandson of Conon Bridge.

  
  

  Stories

  1.10 - John GORDON & Elizabeth, nee GORDON John & Lizy were born in the 1790s and lived in various locations a little north-west of Inverness. They had nine children, including Alexander who was born in 1822 - he married Jessie Matheson. (A biography by Don Gordon, updated in June 2019)

  
  

• Sources

  [S15] Death certificate. [S16] Colin Semmler - these notes can be seen with Documents on the left of the home page, Page 1.