Thomas Gordon (Royal Scots Navy officer)
| Thomas Gordon | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 1658 Aberdeen, Scotland |
| Died | 18 March 1741 (aged 83) Kronstadt, Russian Empire |
| Allegiance |
 Kingdom of Scotland Kingdom of Great Britain Russian Empire
|
| Service/branch |
 Royal Scots Navy Royal Navy Imperial Russian Navy
|
| Years of service | 1703 - 1714 1717 - 1741 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Battles/wars | |
War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Polish Succession
Admiral Thomas Gordon (c. 1658–1741) was a commodore of the Royal Scots Navy and Admiral of the Imperial Russian Navy.
Gordon is believed to have been the son of Doctor Thomas Gordon and Jean Hay of Aberdeen, but his origins are uncertain. His date of birth may have been 1658, and he is believed to have owned property in Aberdeen of which town he was made an honorary burgess on 30 June 1736.
The official announcement was recorded as follows:
"Considering that the most illustrious gentleman, Thomas Gordon, Knight, Admiral in the Fleet of the Most Serene Empress of Russia, is a man of noble birth in this our kingdom of Scotland, being honourably descended from the ancient race of Gordons whose present chief is the most powerful Duke of Gordon; that he was from his early years a most worthy citizen of this city of Aberdeen; that this same brave man, when in the British navy, strenuously defended the commerce and ships of this city from pirates and enemies of every kind; and that he, being an account of his great valour deservedly promoted to the highest honours by the Empress of Russia, still befriends this city; we, in token of our gratitude and esteem, do approve and confirm the aforesaid most illustrious gentleman, Thomas Gordon, as a burgess of this burgh, with all the rights and privileges of a guild brother. Given under the private seal of this our city and signed in our name and by our appointment by Walter Cochran."
He was captain of the merchant ship Margaret of Aberdeen in 1693 when he obtained an essential Mediterranean pass of safe conduct to go abroad to the Barbary States of Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli. The Article of Peace between England and the Barbary States required the pass but it was in reality a Letter of Marque or reprisal. The account books of the Shipmaster's Society of Aberdeen show him operating from that port between 1688 and 1693 during which time he voyaged to Shetland, Sweden, Norway, and Holland.
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