George Hamilton-Gordon, 5th Earl of Aberdeen
George John James Hamilton-Gordon, 5th Earl of Aberdeen (28 September 1816 – 22 March 1864), styled Lord Haddo before 1860, was a British peer and Liberal Party politician.
The Earl of Aberdeen | |
|---|---|
 George Hamilton-Gordon, 5th Earl of Aberdeen | |
| Member of Parliament for Aberdeenshire | |
| In office 1854–1860 | |
| Preceded by | William Gordon |
| Succeeded by | William Leslie |
| Personal details | |
| Born | George John James Hamilton-Gordon 28 September 1816 Bentley Priory, Hertfordshire, England |
| Died | 22 March 1864 (aged 47) Haddo House, Aberdeenshire, Scotland |
| Resting place | Methlick, Aberdeenshire, Scotland |
| Political party | Liberal Party |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Baillie |
| Children | George Hamilton-Gordon, 6th Earl of Aberdeen James Hamilton-Gordon John Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair Mary Hepburne-Scott, Lady Polwarth Harriet Lindsay Katherine Bruce, Lady Balfour of Burleigh |
| Parents | George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen Harriet Hamilton, Dowager Viscountess Hamilton |
| Alma mater | Harrow School Trinity College, Cambridge |
Early life
Lord Haddo was born at Bentley Priory in Hertfordshire, the eldest son of the 4th Earl of Aberdeen and Harriet Hamilton, Dowager Viscountess Hamilton (née Harriet Douglas), widow of James Hamilton, Viscount Hamilton and granddaughter of James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton. He was educated at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge.[1]
Marriage
On 5 November 1840, he married Mary Baillie (a sister of the future 10th Earl of Haddington) at Taymouth Castle. They had six children:
- George Hamilton-Gordon, 6th Earl of Aberdeen (1841–1870); died unmarried.
- Mary Hamilton-Gordon (1844–1914); married Walter Hepburne-Scott, 8th Lord Polwarth.
- James Henry Hamilton-Gordon (1845–1868); committed suicide, which was passed off as a rifle accident, in his rooms in Cambridge.[2]
- John Campbell Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair (1847–1934)
- Harriet Hamilton-Gordon (1849–1942); married William Lindsay.
- Katherine Eliza Hamilton-Gordon (1852–1931); married Alexander Bruce, 6th Lord Balfour of Burleigh.
Career
His uncle, William Gordon, had retired as Member of Parliament for Aberdeenshire in 1854 and Haddo put himself forward as his successor. However, Haddo had contracted what was probably tuberculosis, and he went to Egypt to spend a few months in a warm climate. Despite being absent from Scotland and not having canvassed the constituency, Haddo won the election and returned to take his seat in the House of Commons, in good health, a year later. He left the Commons after inheriting his father's title in 1860 and made a second trip to Egypt. Aberdeen had previously converted to Evangelicalism and it was in Egypt that he campaigned for the Coptics to convert to his own faith.
Aberdeen later returned to Scotland and died at his home, Haddo House, in 1864. He was buried at Methlick and was succeeded by his eldest son, George. His last words were (when asked how he felt) "Perfectly comfortable". Hamilton-Gordon donated a large collection of antiquities that his father had collected to the British Museum in 1861.[3]
References
- "Gordon, George John James (Lord Haddo) (GRDN834GJ)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
- John Doran "Haddo: The House with Outstretched Arms" Archived 15 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Leopard magazine, July 2002
- British Museum Collection
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by George Hamilton-Gordon, 5th Earl of Aberdeen
- Portraits of Mary (Baillie), Countess of Aberdeen at the National Portrait Gallery, London
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William Gordon |
Member of Parliament for Aberdeenshire 1854–1860 |
Succeeded by William Leslie |
| Peerage of Scotland | ||
| Preceded by George Hamilton-Gordon |
Earl of Aberdeen 1860–1864 |
Succeeded by George Hamilton-Gordon |