George Hamilton-Gordon, 6th Earl of Aberdeen
Encyclopedia
George Hamilton-Gordon, 6th Earl of Aberdeen (10 December 1841 – 27 January 1870), styled Lord Haddo from 1860 to 1864, was a Scottish peer
and sailor.
Hamilton-Gordon was born at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the eldest son of the 5th Earl of Aberdeen
. In 1863, he went to Canada
to visit his uncle, Arthur Hamilton-Gordon, who was then Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick, aboard the ship, Pomona, but returned home a year later, after hearing his father had become seriously ill. He then inherited his father's title and travelled back to North America
in the winter of 1866/67, under the assumed name of George Osborne. He entered a naval college in Boston, Massachusetts and soon became a Captain
in the United States Merchant Marine
.
Hamilton-Gordon settled for a time in Richmond, Maine
, where he took jobs cutting ice and clerking at a store (where it is reported he lost his temper at being fired and told his employer that he "could buy and sell him many times over" before storming out). As a sailor, he often shipped out of Richmond, and at one time captained a small ship called the Walton (or Waltham). His profession was not entirely a mystery to his family at home, as he wrote letters to his mother and brother on occasion. Travelling from Boston to Melbourne
on the Hera in 1870, Lord Aberdeen was washed overboard during a violent storm and drowned. It was reported he was swept away when attempting to take down the boom sail, which he could have ordered another man to do. His younger brother had been killed in a rifle
accident two years earlier, so Aberdeen was succeeded by his next younger brother, John
.
Peerage of Scotland
The Peerage of Scotland is the division of the British Peerage for those peers created in the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707. With that year's Act of Union, the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England were combined into the Kingdom of Great Britain, and a new Peerage of Great Britain was...
and sailor.
Hamilton-Gordon was born at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the eldest son of the 5th Earl of Aberdeen
George Hamilton-Gordon, 5th Earl of Aberdeen
George John James Hamilton-Gordon, 5th Earl of Aberdeen , styled Lord Haddo before 1860, was a British peer and Liberal Party politician....
. In 1863, he went to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to visit his uncle, Arthur Hamilton-Gordon, who was then Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick, aboard the ship, Pomona, but returned home a year later, after hearing his father had become seriously ill. He then inherited his father's title and travelled back to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in the winter of 1866/67, under the assumed name of George Osborne. He entered a naval college in Boston, Massachusetts and soon became a Captain
Captain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
in the United States Merchant Marine
United States Merchant Marine
The United States Merchant Marine refers to the fleet of U.S. civilian-owned merchant vessels, operated by either the government or the private sector, that engage in commerce or transportation of goods and services in and out of the navigable waters of the United States. The Merchant Marine is...
.
Hamilton-Gordon settled for a time in Richmond, Maine
Richmond, Maine
Richmond is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,298 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area....
, where he took jobs cutting ice and clerking at a store (where it is reported he lost his temper at being fired and told his employer that he "could buy and sell him many times over" before storming out). As a sailor, he often shipped out of Richmond, and at one time captained a small ship called the Walton (or Waltham). His profession was not entirely a mystery to his family at home, as he wrote letters to his mother and brother on occasion. Travelling from Boston to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
on the Hera in 1870, Lord Aberdeen was washed overboard during a violent storm and drowned. It was reported he was swept away when attempting to take down the boom sail, which he could have ordered another man to do. His younger brother had been killed in a rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
accident two years earlier, so Aberdeen was succeeded by his next younger brother, John
John Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair
John Campbell Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair, KT, GCMG, GCVO, PC , known as The Earl of Aberdeen from 1870 to 1916, was a Scottish politician...
.