William Gordon (1785-1858)
Encyclopedia
Vice-Admiral
William Gordon (1785 – 3 February 1858) was a Scottish naval commander and Tory politician.
, son of George Gordon, 3rd Earl of Aberdeen
. His mother was Charlotte, daughter of William Baird, while Prime Minister George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen
, and Sir Robert Gordon
were his brothers. He joined the Royal Navy
in 1797 and went on to be Fourth Naval Lord
from 1841 to 1846 and Commander-in-Chief, The Nore from 1854 to 1857. He was elected at a by-election in September 1820 as the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Aberdeenshire
,
and held the seat until August 1854, when he resigned
by taking the Chiltern Hundreds
.
Gordon died in February 1858 and Cape Gordon on Vega Island
in the Antarctic
is now called after him.
Vice Admiral (Royal Navy)
Vice admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It equates to the NATO rank code OF-8 and is immediately superior to rear admiral and is subordinate to the full admiral rank.The Royal Navy has had vice admirals since at least the 16th century...
William Gordon (1785 – 3 February 1858) was a Scottish naval commander and Tory politician.
Naval career
Gordon was the second son of George Gordon, Lord HaddoGeorge Gordon, Lord Haddo
George Gordon, Lord Haddo was a Scottish Freemason and the eldest son of George Gordon, 3rd Earl of Aberdeen.On 18 June 1782, Haddo married Charlotte Baird, a sister of Sir David Baird, Bt. and they had seven children:...
, son of George Gordon, 3rd Earl of Aberdeen
George Gordon, 3rd Earl of Aberdeen
George Gordon, 3rd Earl of Aberdeen , styled Lord Haddo until 1745, was a Scottish peer. He sat in the House of Lords as a Scottish Representative Peer from 1747 to 1761, and from 1774 to 1790...
. His mother was Charlotte, daughter of William Baird, while Prime Minister George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen
George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen
George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen KG, KT, FRS, PC , styled Lord Haddo from 1791 to 1801, was a Scottish politician, successively a Tory, Conservative and Peelite, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1852 until 1855.-Early life:Born in Edinburgh on 28 January 1784, he...
, and Sir Robert Gordon
Robert Gordon (diplomat)
Sir Robert Gordon GCB GCH PC was a British diplomat.Gordon was a younger son of George Gordon, Lord Haddo and a brother of the 4th Earl of Aberdeen...
were his brothers. He joined the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1797 and went on to be Fourth Naval Lord
Fourth Sea Lord
The Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Supplies was formerly one of the Naval Lords and members of the Board of Admiralty which controlled the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom.-History:...
from 1841 to 1846 and Commander-in-Chief, The Nore from 1854 to 1857. He was elected at a by-election in September 1820 as the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Aberdeenshire was a Scottish county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until 1868...
,
and held the seat until August 1854, when he resigned
Resignation from the British House of Commons
Members of Parliament sitting in the House of Commons in the United Kingdom are technically forbidden to resign. To circumvent this prohibition, a legal fiction is used...
by taking the Chiltern Hundreds
Chiltern Hundreds
Appointment to the office of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the three Chiltern Hundreds of Stoke, Desborough and Burnham is a sinecure appointment which is used as a device allowing a Member of the United Kingdom Parliament to resign his or her seat...
.
Gordon died in February 1858 and Cape Gordon on Vega Island
Vega Island
Vega Island is a small island to the northwest of James Ross Island, on the Antarctic Peninsula.- See also :* Composite Antarctic Gazetteer* List of Antarctic islands south of 60° S* SCAR* Territorial claims in Antarctica- References :...
in the Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
is now called after him.