George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly
| George Gordon | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1562 |
| Died | 13 June 1636 (aged 73–74) Dundee |
| Title | 1st Marquess of Huntly |
| Tenure | 1599–1636 |
| Other titles | Earl of Huntly |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Successor | George Gordon, 2nd Marquess of Huntly |
| Spouse(s) | Lady Henrietta Stewart Lady Mary Gordon |
| Parents |
George Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly Anne Hamilton |
George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly (1562 – 13 June 1636) was a Scottish nobleman who took a leading role in the political and military life of Scotland in the late 16th century and around the time of the Union of the Crowns.
The son of George Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly, and of Anne, daughter of James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran and Duke of Châtellerault, he was educated in France as a Roman Catholic. He took part in the plot which led to the execution of James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton in 1581 and in the conspiracy which saved King James VI from the Ruthven raiders in 1583. In 1588 he signed the Presbyterian confession of faith, but continued to engage in plots for the Spanish invasion of Scotland. On 28 November he was appointed captain of the guard, and while carrying out his duties at Holyrood his treasonable correspondence was discovered. King James, however, finding the Roman Catholic lords useful as a foil to the tyranny of the Kirk, was at this time seeking Spanish aid in case Queen Elizabeth I tried to challenge his right to the English throne; Huntly, always one of his favourites, was pardoned.
Subsequently in April 1589, Huntly raised a rebellion in the north, but was obliged to surrender, and after a short imprisonment in Borthwick Castle was again freed. He then involved himself in a private war with the Grants and the Mackintoshes, who were assisted by the Earls of Atholl and Moray; and on 8 February 1592 he set fire to Moray's castle of Donibristle in Fife, and stabbed the earl to death with his own hand. This outrage, which inspired the ballad The Bonnie Earl o' Moray, brought retribution on Huntly when his enemies ravaged his lands.
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