Alexander Gordon
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Alexander Gordon (1635 in Aberdeen Scotland - 1697) was captured by Oliver Cromwell's army in the English Civil War. He was transported to the New World in 1650 and sold into indentured servitude.
The Alexander Gordon line is the earliest Gordon family in the New World according to the Gordon Genealogy DNA Project.
Deported in 1652 to the colonies. He came over on the ship "Liberty", commanded by Capt. James Allen. He arrived at Boston and was confined at Watertown as a prisoner of war.
For a year or more Alexander remained with John Cloyes, a boatswain, or mate, of the vessel living in Cambridge on the road to Watertown --near the site of Cambridge Hospital today.
While there he formed an acquaintance with Samuel Stratton of Watertown, with whom he made a six year contract on April 25, 1653, as an apprentice, to learn the art of husbandry. This contract should have ended in 1659, but after a years work without pay, Cloyes sold Alexander, like chattel, to Samuel Stratton in Watertown, as a "husbandry apprentice."
The term apprentice was used in name only. These indentured servants were sold as chattel, like a cow or a horse. Later, other consignments of this virtually free workforce was shipped to America and was used in the towns of Massachusetts and the adjacent provinces. As the story of the first consignment had whetted the envy of those who had failed to procure cheap labor from this new kind of auction block of slave laborers. They were sold to planters and mill owners, the usual terms was a service of six years.
Those who engaged in this traffic, euphemistically hid with the label "apprenticeships." The idea was that this label would encourage the masters not to drive their helpless servants to the point of ill treatment, although it is not believed that this was the situation.
On May 23, 1655, a number of them, including Alexander, complained of this inevitable outgrowth of bondage and petitioned the General Court of Massachusetts for freedom, but their request was refused.
Samuel Stratton of Watertown had bought one of these Scotsmen; one Alexander Gordon. It is, of course, an open question whether these men/boys, unable to sign their names, or read, could read the indentures by which they were bound and in this particular case it is clear that Alexander Gordon was a victim of ill treatment.
On November 3, 1663, through the kindness of a resident of Cambridge, Alexander appealed again to the court in Massachusetts and was released from his contract. His six year contract with Samuel Stratton ended on paper in 1659. But Alexander was forced to continue working until November of 1663 when he won his freedom in a landmark court case in Massachusetts.
Alexander made his way to New Hampshire, where in the company of other Scots ex-prisoners, he helped found the town of Exeter. He found employment at the sawmill of Nicholas Lisson.
At 28, Alexander Gordon married the owner's daughter, Mary Lisson(19) and became the forefather of the Gordon family in New England.
Alexander Gordon died in 1697.
[edit] External links
- Alexander Gordon and his descendant's contributions are featured prominently in Bell's "History of Exeter, New Hampshire", "Alexander Gordon and His Descendants" by Marion Otis, and on the Gordons of Maine site at Gordons Of Maine .
- Those who wish to discuss Alexander Gordon and his descendants specifically can join Merle Gordon III's yahoo Alexander Gordon email group for descendants of Old Alex atThe Yahoo! Alexander Gordon email list. To join discussions about Alexander Gordon's descendants along with the many other families of the Gordon surname you may also join The Gordon Family Discussion List
- Links with information about Alexander and the court case that won his freedom:
- Alexander Gordon family tree
