William Gordon (Royal Navy officer)

William Gordon
Born 1785
Died 3 February 1858
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Navy
Rank Vice-Admiral
Commands held Nore Command

Vice-Admiral William Gordon (1785 – 3 February 1858)[1] was a Scottish naval commander and Tory[2] politician.

Naval career

Gordon was the second son of George Gordon, Lord Haddo, son of George Gordon, 3rd Earl of Aberdeen.[3] His mother was Charlotte, daughter of William Baird,[3] 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.[3] He was elected at a by-election in September 1820 as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Aberdeenshire,[2] and held the seat until August 1854,[1] when he resigned by taking the Chiltern Hundreds.[4]

Gordon died in February 1858[3] and Cape Gordon on Vega Island in the Antarctic is now called after him.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "A" (part 1)
  2. ^ a b Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844–1850]. Craig, F. W. S.. ed. The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 616. ISBN 0-900178-13-2. 
  3. ^ a b c d The Peerage.com
  4. ^ Department of Information Services (9 June 2009). "Appointments to the Chiltern Hundreds and Manor of Northstead Stewardships since 1850". House of Commons Library. http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons/lib/research/briefings/snpc-04731.pdf. Retrieved 30 November 2009. 
  5. ^ Australian Antarctic Data Centre

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
James Ferguson		 Member of Parliament for Aberdeenshire
1820–1854		 Succeeded by
Lord Haddo
Military offices
Preceded by
Sir James Dundas		 Fourth Naval Lord
1841–1846		 Succeeded by
Henry Rous
Preceded by
Josceline Percy		 Commander-in-Chief, The Nore
1854–1857		 Succeeded by
Sir Edward Harvey