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Lot Essay
GEORGE, MARQUESS OF HUNTLY, LATER 5TH DUKE OF GORDON (1770-1836)
George Gordon was a Scottish army officer and politician. Born in Edinburgh on the 2nd February 1770, he was styled Marquess of Huntly until succeeding to his father’s titles in 1827. Huntly was educated at Eton and Cambridge and, at the age of twenty, enlisted in the 25th foot regiment as an ensign. From there he enjoyed an illustrious military career, raising his own regiment of foot, the 100th Gordon Highlanders (later the 92nd), on his father’s estate in 1794, and attaining the rank of lieutenant-general in 1808, in which capacity he commanded a division of Lord Chatham’s army in the Walcheren expedition of 1809. On 11th December 1813 he married Elizabeth Brodie (1794-1864), only child of wealthy India merchant Alexander Brodie. The couple had no children together and upon Gordon’s death the dukedom became extinct – though the subsidiary Marquessate of Huntly descended to Gordon’s kinsman George Gordon, 9th Marquess.
A committed officer, Huntly first saw combat as lieutenant-colonel of the 3rd foot guards in the Duke of York’s expedition to Flanders, participating in skirmishes at St. Armand, Famars, Launoi, Dunkirk, and the ill-fated siege of Valenciennes during the War of the First Coalition. Upon Huntly’s return to Scotland, his mother and father helped to personally recruit for the newly established 100th Highlanders. The duchess is said to have aided in this endeavor by placing the King’s shilling between her lips, rewarding each recruit with a kiss. Thereafter Huntly took his regiment to Gibraltar, though on his return journey in September 1795 their vessel was seized by a French privateer and robbed of anything valuable. Huntly was returned to England on a Swedish ship and allowed to rejoin his regiment, later commanding with noted discipline and forbearance in the 1798 Irish rising. In 1799 Huntly accompanied the expedition to the Netherlands and was badly wounded by a musket-ball to the shoulder during the fight in the sandhills between Egmont and Bergen, an ordeal which afforded the praise of General John Moore.
In 1806 Huntly sat as MP for the Cornwallis family pocket borough of Eye, Suffolk; until the death of Pitt and the subsequent Grenville ministry called the staunchly conservative Huntly to the Lords. Huntly succeeded to the dukedom upon the death of his father in 1827, as well as taking over his father’s responsibilities as Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland. As duke he was known for his hospitality and generous charitable donations, particularly to the Scottish Hospital, of which he was president. After his death in London, Gordon’s remains were escorted for burial in Scotland by his regiment of guards, while his estate of Gordon Castle passed to the Duke of Richmond.
HISTORY OF THE CANDELABRUM
Deeply in debt, the forty-three year old Marquess of Huntly had married Elizabeth Brodie, the young daughter of wealthy nabob Alexander Brodie, himself the younger brother of the 21st laird of Brodie Castle. The candelabrum was given to Huntly as a wedding present from the Deputy Lieutenants of Aberdeenshire, where Huntly was the Lord Lieutenant. The gift serves as a testimony to Huntly’s esteemed military career, with the stem supported by three figures in Highland dress in allusion to Huntly’s own regiment. Following Elizabeth’s death in 1813, the candelabrum passed to her first cousin’s son, William Brodie, 22nd Brodie of Brodie (1799-1873). Thereafter Brodie Castle was filled with treasures from the Duke and Duchess’s estate, including portraits of the couple and the coronation robe of Queen Adelaide, given to Elizabeth for her service as Mistress of the Robes. The candelabrum continued to be passed down the Brodie family, first to Ian, 24th Brodie of Brodie (1868-1943), and then to his widow, Violet (1879-1958). In June 1951 Mrs Brodie sold the candelabrum at Christie’s, London.
George Gordon was a Scottish army officer and politician. Born in Edinburgh on the 2nd February 1770, he was styled Marquess of Huntly until succeeding to his father’s titles in 1827. Huntly was educated at Eton and Cambridge and, at the age of twenty, enlisted in the 25th foot regiment as an ensign. From there he enjoyed an illustrious military career, raising his own regiment of foot, the 100th Gordon Highlanders (later the 92nd), on his father’s estate in 1794, and attaining the rank of lieutenant-general in 1808, in which capacity he commanded a division of Lord Chatham’s army in the Walcheren expedition of 1809. On 11th December 1813 he married Elizabeth Brodie (1794-1864), only child of wealthy India merchant Alexander Brodie. The couple had no children together and upon Gordon’s death the dukedom became extinct – though the subsidiary Marquessate of Huntly descended to Gordon’s kinsman George Gordon, 9th Marquess.
A committed officer, Huntly first saw combat as lieutenant-colonel of the 3rd foot guards in the Duke of York’s expedition to Flanders, participating in skirmishes at St. Armand, Famars, Launoi, Dunkirk, and the ill-fated siege of Valenciennes during the War of the First Coalition. Upon Huntly’s return to Scotland, his mother and father helped to personally recruit for the newly established 100th Highlanders. The duchess is said to have aided in this endeavor by placing the King’s shilling between her lips, rewarding each recruit with a kiss. Thereafter Huntly took his regiment to Gibraltar, though on his return journey in September 1795 their vessel was seized by a French privateer and robbed of anything valuable. Huntly was returned to England on a Swedish ship and allowed to rejoin his regiment, later commanding with noted discipline and forbearance in the 1798 Irish rising. In 1799 Huntly accompanied the expedition to the Netherlands and was badly wounded by a musket-ball to the shoulder during the fight in the sandhills between Egmont and Bergen, an ordeal which afforded the praise of General John Moore.
In 1806 Huntly sat as MP for the Cornwallis family pocket borough of Eye, Suffolk; until the death of Pitt and the subsequent Grenville ministry called the staunchly conservative Huntly to the Lords. Huntly succeeded to the dukedom upon the death of his father in 1827, as well as taking over his father’s responsibilities as Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland. As duke he was known for his hospitality and generous charitable donations, particularly to the Scottish Hospital, of which he was president. After his death in London, Gordon’s remains were escorted for burial in Scotland by his regiment of guards, while his estate of Gordon Castle passed to the Duke of Richmond.
HISTORY OF THE CANDELABRUM
Deeply in debt, the forty-three year old Marquess of Huntly had married Elizabeth Brodie, the young daughter of wealthy nabob Alexander Brodie, himself the younger brother of the 21st laird of Brodie Castle. The candelabrum was given to Huntly as a wedding present from the Deputy Lieutenants of Aberdeenshire, where Huntly was the Lord Lieutenant. The gift serves as a testimony to Huntly’s esteemed military career, with the stem supported by three figures in Highland dress in allusion to Huntly’s own regiment. Following Elizabeth’s death in 1813, the candelabrum passed to her first cousin’s son, William Brodie, 22nd Brodie of Brodie (1799-1873). Thereafter Brodie Castle was filled with treasures from the Duke and Duchess’s estate, including portraits of the couple and the coronation robe of Queen Adelaide, given to Elizabeth for her service as Mistress of the Robes. The candelabrum continued to be passed down the Brodie family, first to Ian, 24th Brodie of Brodie (1868-1943), and then to his widow, Violet (1879-1958). In June 1951 Mrs Brodie sold the candelabrum at Christie’s, London.