Alexander Gordon (politician)
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Alexander Robert Gisborne Gordon GBE
DSO
PC (NI) (28 July 1882-23 April 1967) was a Unionist
Member and Senator in the Parliament of Northern Ireland.
. Florida Manor, a late 17th-century estate, described by Sir Charles Brett
as a "rather mysterious house", came to the Gordons by the marriage, in 1755, of Robert Gordon to Alice Arbuckle, heiress to the Crawfords of Crawfordsburn
. The Gordons were hitherto wine and spirit merchants but the progeny of this marriage, David, established Gordon and Company bankers, later to become Belfast Banking Company
. David Gordon went on to marry a cousin of his mother's - Mary Crawford, of Crawfordsburn.
Florida Manor was sold in 1910. Sir Alexander inherited Delamont from his father. During his residence there his main legacy to the house was to demolish the redundant servants' wing.
and the RMA Sandhurst. He was seriously wounded whilst serving with the Royal Irish Regiment
during the First World War, but continued as a soldier until 1942.
From 1929-1949, he was Unionist MP for East Down
at Stormont
. During this period he served as government Chief Whip. He was also Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Ministry of Finance
from 1937. On 13 June 1940, however, he resigned this position as a result of, as he put it, the Northern Irish government being "quite unfitted to sustain the people in the ordeal [the Belfast Blitz
] we have to face." In 1950, Sir Alexander entered the upper House as a Senator, from 1951-1961 he was Leader of the Senate
and from 1961-1964 he was Speaker
of that house. He resigned this seat in 1964.
He was invested as a Knight Grand Cross
, the most senior grade in the Order of the British Empire
, ranking below a baronet
in the order of precedence.
in December 2010.
GBE
GBE or Gbe may refer to:* Gbe languages, a group of languages in West Africa* Gigabit ethernet, a term for transmitting Ethernet frames at a rate of a gigabit per second* Government business enterprise...
DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
PC (NI) (28 July 1882-23 April 1967) was a Unionist
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
Member and Senator in the Parliament of Northern Ireland.
Family background
Sir Alexander was born in County Down, the son of A. H. Gordon, DL of Florida Manor, Killinchy and Delamont, KillyleaghKillyleagh
Killyleagh is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the A22 road from Downpatrick, on the western side of Strangford Lough. It had a population of 2,483 people in the 2001 Census. It is best known for its 12th century Killyleagh Castle...
. Florida Manor, a late 17th-century estate, described by Sir Charles Brett
Charles Brett
Sir Charles Edward Bainbridge Brett CBE . Born in Holywood, County Down, was a Northern Irish solicitor, journalist, author and founding member, and first chairman, of the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society...
as a "rather mysterious house", came to the Gordons by the marriage, in 1755, of Robert Gordon to Alice Arbuckle, heiress to the Crawfords of Crawfordsburn
Crawfordsburn
Crawfordsburn is a small picturesque village in County Down, Northern Ireland. The village, which is now effectively a commuter suburb, lies between Holywood and Bangor to the north of the A2 road, about 4 km west of Bangor town centre. Bounded to the north and north east by Crawfordsburn...
. The Gordons were hitherto wine and spirit merchants but the progeny of this marriage, David, established Gordon and Company bankers, later to become Belfast Banking Company
Northern Bank
Northern Bank , is a commercial bank in Northern Ireland. It is one of the oldest banks in Ireland having been formed in 1809. Northern Bank is considered one of the leading retail banks in Northern Ireland with 82 branches and four finance centres...
. David Gordon went on to marry a cousin of his mother's - Mary Crawford, of Crawfordsburn.
Florida Manor was sold in 1910. Sir Alexander inherited Delamont from his father. During his residence there his main legacy to the house was to demolish the redundant servants' wing.
Career
Sir Alexander was educated at Rugby SchoolRugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
and the RMA Sandhurst. He was seriously wounded whilst serving with the Royal Irish Regiment
Royal Irish Regiment
The Royal Irish Regiment is an infantry unit of the British Army.-1992 creation:With an antecedence reaching back to 1689, the regiment was formed in 1992...
during the First World War, but continued as a soldier until 1942.
From 1929-1949, he was Unionist MP for East Down
East Down (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)
East Down was a constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.-Boundaries:East Down was a county constituency comprising the towns of Ardglass, Ballynahinch, Crossgar, Downpatrick, Dunmore, Killinchy, Killyleagh, Kilmore, Saintfield and Strangford, all in the current Down District Council...
at Stormont
Parliament of Northern Ireland
The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended...
. During this period he served as government Chief Whip. He was also Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Ministry of Finance
Minister of Finance (Northern Ireland)
The Minister of Finance was a member of the Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland in the Parliament of Northern Ireland which governed Northern Ireland from 1921 to 1972...
from 1937. On 13 June 1940, however, he resigned this position as a result of, as he put it, the Northern Irish government being "quite unfitted to sustain the people in the ordeal [the Belfast Blitz
Belfast Blitz
The Belfast Blitz was an event that occurred on the night of Easter Tuesday, 15 April 1941 during World War II. Two hundred bombers of the German Air Force attacked the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. Nearly one thousand people died as a result of the bombing and 1,500 were injured. In terms...
] we have to face." In 1950, Sir Alexander entered the upper House as a Senator, from 1951-1961 he was Leader of the Senate
Leader of the Senate of Northern Ireland
The Leader of the Senate of Northern Ireland was the Leader of the House in the Senate of Northern Ireland. The post was a cabinet position that was nevertheless politically unimportant...
and from 1961-1964 he was Speaker
Speaker of the Senate of Northern Ireland
The Speaker of the Senate of Northern Ireland was the Speaker in the Senate of Northern Ireland.-List of Speakers:*1921-1930: Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 3rd Marquess of Dufferin and Ava*1930-1950: Maxwell Ward, 6th Viscount Bangor...
of that house. He resigned this seat in 1964.
He was invested as a Knight Grand Cross
Knight Grand Cross
Knight Grand Cross is the most senior grade of seven British orders of chivalry, three of which are obsolete. The rank entails admission into knighthood, allowing the recipient to use the title 'Sir' or 'Dame' before his or her name...
, the most senior grade in the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, ranking below a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
in the order of precedence.
Legacy
Gordon and his wife had no children. On his death, in 1967, the estate of Delamont was held on trust by Gordon's great-nephew Archibald Arundel Pugh (changed to Gordon-Pugh by deed poll in 1968). He sold the estate in 1985 to Belfast Education and Library Board. Archibald Gordon-Pugh died in 1995; his son, Archie Gordon-Pugh, died at SaintfieldSaintfield
Saintfield is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland, situated roughly halfway between Belfast and Downpatrick on the A7 road. It had a population of 2,959 people in the 2001 Census. The village proper is considered predominantly a middle or upper-middle class town and of both Catholic and...
in December 2010.