Thomas Gordon

1652 - 1722  (70 years)

• Name	Thomas Gordon
  Birth	1652	New Machar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	15 Jul 1677	Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland   [1, 2]
  	Merchant. Date of indenture between Alexander Andersone, merchant, burgess of Edinburgh, and Thomas Gordone, son of Robert Gordone of Pitlurge
  	There is an earlier record in the Rait of Hallgreen papers, where Alexander Anderson "Sends Thomas Gordon, his apprentice, with the bond", dated 31 Jan 1676, (NRS RH15/37/244)
  Occupation	Abt 1682	Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
  	Macer in the Court of Session, appointed by George Gordon, Lord Haddo, Earl of Aberdeen
  	In the Scots legal system, a macer was an official who keeps order in a court of law, serving as an usher in the Court of Session
  Legal	4 Aug 1683	Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland   [3]
  	Thomas was prosecuted, with other merchants including Robert Blackwood, for contravention of trade regulations
  Role	Abt Mar 1683/84	Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland   [4]
  	Emigration agent
  Property	22 Apr 1684	East Jersey, New Jersey, USA   [5]
  	Confirmation of patent to Thomas Gordon by Robert Barclay for 1/10 of 1/48 of East New Jersey
  Legal	19 May 1684	Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland   [6, 7]
  	Acted as cautioner with James Glen, stationer for a bond by George Lockhart for the transportation of several prisoners. Penalty of 10,000 merks per prisoner should Lockhart not obtain a certificate of landing from 'the Governour' in the 'Plantations in America\' (colony not stated
  Departure	11 Jul 1684	Leith, Midlothian, Scotland
  	Aboard the Shield of Stockton
  Arrival	29 Sep 1684	Patuxent River, Maryland, USA
  Role	1685	East Jersey, New Jersey, USA
  	Fractioner
  Property	Abt 1685	Plainfield, Union, New Jersey, USA
  	Purchased several hundred acres bounded by Cedar Brook. Later sold the estate to John Webster
  Property	12 Jan 1684/85	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [8]
  	Sale of town lots in Perth Amboy by George and Charles Gordon to Thomas Gordon
  Occupation	9 Apr 1685	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [9]
  	Member of the Board of Proprietors. Post held until 27 Oct 1705
  Legal	17 Oct 1691	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA
  	Appointed as agent by his brother Dr John in Montrose
  Property	13 Apr 1692	Monmouth, New Jersey, USA   [10]
  	Survey of 1,070 acres in right of his propriety and headland bought from 19 people (date entered; warrants of 9 Dec 1686 and 19 Mar 1689)
  Legal	11 Nov 1695	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA
  	Instructed by the East Jersey Proprietors to return to England to represent their views on the disputed patents of Elizabethtown
  Occupation	1699	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [11]
  	Agent serving Archibald Campbell, son of Lord Neil Campbell
  Legal	6 Jun 1701	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA
  	Appointed attorney for Archibald Campbell, son and heir of Lord Neill Campbell
  Legal	15 Apr 1702  [12]
  	One of the East Jersey Proprietors who signed the Surrender of Government of East and West Jersey to the Crown
  	Witnessed by Gilbert Falconer and Daniel Wild
  Title Suffix	of Perth Amboy
  Occupation	28 Apr 1709	New Jersey, USA
  	Chief Justice of New Jersey
  Occupation	Aug 1709
  	Receiver-General of New Jersey, to 1719
  Occupation	22 Jan 1714	New Jersey, USA
  	Attorney-General of New Jersey
  	Appointed by Governor Hunter
  Property	14 Sep 1714	East Jersey, New Jersey, USA   [13]
  	On list of debtors to John Bowne of Matawan, listed in the inventory of his estate
  Will	21 Jul 1721	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [14]
  	'near Perth Amboy'. Wife Jannet sole executrix. Children: Andrew, Thomas, John, margarett, Mary, Euphaine. Witnesses: Eliza Parks, Thomas Gordon jr, John Gordon, Margarett Gordon, Mary Gordon
  Death	20 Apr 1722	Monmouth, New Jersey, USA
  Probate	11 May 1722	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA
  Burial	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [15]
  	St Peter's churchyarrd
  Person ID	I38041	East Jersey Genealogies
  Last Modified	16 Apr 2026

  
  

  Father	Robert Gordon,   b. 1609, Keith, Banffshire, Scotland d. 18 Apr 1681, Huntly, Aberdeenshire, Scotland (Age 72 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Katherine Burnett,   b. Abt 1618, Banchory-Ternan, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
  Relationship	natural
  Marriage	8 Apr 1638	Fetteresso, Kincardineshire, Scotland
  	Date of contract?
  Family ID	F23571	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Janet Mudie,   b. 1672, Montrose, Angus, Scotland d. 1744, Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA (Age 72 years)
  Marriage	1695	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [16]
  Children	1. Thomas Gordon, Jr,   b. 1696, Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA d. 1784, Amwell Township, Hunterdon, New Jersey, USA (Age 88 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   2. Andrew Gordon   d. Abt 1774  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   3. Mary Gordon  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   4. Margaret Gordon  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   5. Euphemia Gordon  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   6. John Gordon  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F23575	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	16 Apr 2026

  
  

  Family 2	Helen Riddell,   b. 1661, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland d. 1687, East Jersey, New Jersey, USA (Age 26 years)
  Marriage	15 Nov 1677	Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland   [1]
  Children	1. George Gordon,   b. Mar 1683/84, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland d. Aft 16 Feb 1684/85, East Jersey, New Jersey, USA (Age > 1 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   2. Robert Gordon,   b. Feb 1680/81, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland d. Aft 16 Feb 1684/85, East Jersey, New Jersey, USA (Age > 4 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   3. Thomas Gordon,   b. Jan 1682/83, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland d. Aft 16 Feb 1684/85, East Jersey, New Jersey, USA (Age > 2 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   4. Helene Gordon,   b. Aug 1679, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland d. Aft 16 Feb 1684/85, East Jersey, New Jersey, USA (Age > 6 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F23576	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	16 Apr 2026

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 1652 - New Machar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland Occupation - Merchant. Date of indenture between Alexander Andersone, merchant, burgess of Edinburgh, and Thomas Gordone, son of Robert Gordone of Pitlurge - 15 Jul 1677 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Marriage - 15 Nov 1677 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Occupation - Macer in the Court of Session, appointed by George Gordon, Lord Haddo, Earl of Aberdeen - Abt 1682 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Legal - Thomas was prosecuted, with other merchants including Robert Blackwood, for contravention of trade regulations - 4 Aug 1683 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Role - Emigration agent - Abt Mar 1683/84 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Legal - Acted as cautioner with James Glen, stationer for a bond by George Lockhart for the transportation of several prisoners. Penalty of 10,000 merks per prisoner should Lockhart not obtain a certificate of landing from 'the Governour' in the 'Plantations in America\' (colony not stated - 19 May 1684 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Departure - Aboard the Shield of Stockton - 11 Jul 1684 - Leith, Midlothian, Scotland Arrival - 29 Sep 1684 - Patuxent River, Maryland, USA Property - Purchased several hundred acres bounded by Cedar Brook. Later sold the estate to John Webster - Abt 1685 - Plainfield, Union, New Jersey, USA Property - Sale of town lots in Perth Amboy by George and Charles Gordon to Thomas Gordon - 12 Jan 1684/85 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Occupation - Member of the Board of Proprietors. Post held until 27 Oct 1705 - 9 Apr 1685 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Legal - Appointed as agent by his brother Dr John in Montrose - 17 Oct 1691 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Property - Survey of 1,070 acres in right of his propriety and headland bought from 19 people (date entered; warrants of 9 Dec 1686 and 19 Mar 1689) - 13 Apr 1692 - Monmouth, New Jersey, USA Marriage - 1695 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Legal - Instructed by the East Jersey Proprietors to return to England to represent their views on the disputed patents of Elizabethtown - 11 Nov 1695 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Occupation - Agent serving Archibald Campbell, son of Lord Neil Campbell - 1699 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Legal - Appointed attorney for Archibald Campbell, son and heir of Lord Neill Campbell - 6 Jun 1701 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Occupation - Chief Justice of New Jersey - 28 Apr 1709 - New Jersey, USA Occupation - Attorney-General of New Jersey - 22 Jan 1714 - New Jersey, USA Will - 'near Perth Amboy'. Wife Jannet sole executrix. Children: Andrew, Thomas, John, margarett, Mary, Euphaine. Witnesses: Eliza Parks, Thomas Gordon jr, John Gordon, Margarett Gordon, Mary Gordon - 21 Jul 1721 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Death - 20 Apr 1722 - Monmouth, New Jersey, USA Probate - 11 May 1722 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Burial - - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Sources

  [S3614] Births (OPR) Scotland, Edinburgh 685/1 440 182. [S3526] National Records of Scotland, (Location: Edinburgh;), RH15/47/10. [S3611] Privy Council of Scotland, The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 3rd Series, VIII, p619. [S3659] Scots Proprietors, The, Advertisement to All Trades-Men, Husbandmen, Servants and Others Who Are Willing to Transport Themselves unto the Province of New-East-Jersy in America, a Great Part of Which Belongs to Scots-Men, Proprietors Thereof, p2. [S3652] "Early Land Records, 1650-1900s", State of New Jersey, Department of State, Early Land Records, 1650-1900s, A(EJ): Folio 327 (SSTSE023). [S3611] Privy Council of Scotland, The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 3rd Series, VIII, pp709-710. [S3526] National Records of Scotland, (Location: Edinburgh;), PC12/8. [S3652] "Early Land Records, 1650-1900s", State of New Jersey, Department of State, Early Land Records, 1650-1900s, A (EJ): Folio 248 (SSTSE023). [S3720] Miller, George J., The Minutes of the Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey from 1685 to 1705, p2. [S3652] "Early Land Records, 1650-1900s", State of New Jersey, Department of State, Early Land Records, 1650-1900s, O (EJ): Folio 90-92 (PEASJ003). [S3526] National Records of Scotland, (Location: Edinburgh;), GD112/6/37. [S3591] Whitehead, William A., Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey, pp452-461. [S3607] Nelson, William, Calendar of Records in the Office of the Secretary of State, 1664-1703, p53. [S3542] Nelson, William, Calendar of New Jersey Wills, Volume 1, 1670-1730, p191. [S76] Ancestry.com, U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;). [S3591] Whitehead, William A., Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey, p107.