Basic Biographical Details Name: | George Gordon | Designation: | | Born: | 1832 | Died: | 5 August 1906 | Bio Notes: | George Gordon was born at Tullochallum, near Dufftown in 1832, the son of Alexander Gordon, farmer. He trained for three years with an uncle by marriage, David Gordon, in Beauly, who was a surveyor employed on the Lovat and nearby estates. George Gordon then moved to Glasgow to continue his training, after which he returned to Tullochallum. He combined surveying with estate management and farming. His earliest estate plans are for farms in Inveravon and Mortlach on the Gordon Castle estate in Upper Banffshire and date from 1857 and 1858. Further work for the Gordon estates followed in the 1860s. He also made survey plans of the churches of Glenlivet and Glenrinnes and in 1860 made a plan of Cullen. In 1866 he was appointed road surveyor of the Upper District of Banffshire, the first of a number of public offices he held.
After Peter MacBey’s death on 18 March 1877, Gordon entered into partnership with MacBey’s eldest son, William Munro MacBey, and extended his business into Morayshire. MacBey & Gordon continued the surveying of the Earl of Fife’s estates.
Gordon was appointed to serve on the ‘Deer Forest Commission', the Irish Land Commission in the 1890s.
The practice was involved in surveying work for the proposed Inverness & Lochend Light Railway which was never built and a number of water schemes – Wick, Forres and Banff.
The practice title changed from MacBey & Gordon to Gordon & MacBey c.1888, but it is not yet clear why this change was made. The practice subsequently moved to Inverness with the office run by Alexander Grant who had been an apprentice in Elgin. George Gordon retired to Edinburgh where he died in 1906. The name changed again in the later 1890s to George Gordon & Co, presumably after the death or retirement of the second MacBey. Gordon's firm continued (run by Gordon’s son Alexander William Robert Gordon) in partnership with Grant. It continued at least until the late 1950s when Gordon Gunn was senior partner.
Gordon had retired to Edinburgh and was living in Merchiston Park in 1903. He died on 5 August 1906 at 13 Chalmers Street, Edinburgh and his funeral mass was held at the Sacred Heart Church, Lauriston Street. His younger son, Henry Reid Gordon, had predeceased him. He died in February 1906 in Kingwilliamstown, Cape Colony. It is not yet clear if his wife Louisa survived him. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | Tullochallum, Banffshire, Scotland | Private/business | 1860s | 1870s | | | 7, North Street, Elgin, Morayshire, Scotland | Private | Late 1870s | | | | Elgin, Morayshire, Scotland | Business | c. 1885 | Before 1894(?) | | | Southside Road, Inverness, Inverness-shire, Scotland | Private | Before 1894(?) | | | | Merchiston Park, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | Before 1903 | c. 1906 | |
Employment and TrainingEmployersThe following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | | MacBey & Gordon | After 1874 | c. 1888 | Partner | | | Gordon & MacBey | c. 1888 | c. 1898 | Partner | | | George Gordon & Co | c. 1898 | | Partner | |
Buildings and DesignsThis was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details): | | Date started | Building name | Town, district or village | Island | City or county | Country | Notes | | | Castle Stuart | | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | Undated surveys from W Schomberg-Scott, photocopy in NMRS | | 1885 | Thurso Bridge | Thurso | | Caithness | Scotland | | | 1889 | Dores Free Church | Dores | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | Additions and alterations | | 1889 | Dores Free Manse | Dores | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | Alterations and additions | | 1889 | Mains of Findon, farm offices and farmhouse | Findon | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Stables, cattle courts etc | | 1889 | Woodlands farmhouse and steading | Dingwall | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Cattle courts and additions to farmhouse | | 1890 | Culbokie Inn | Culbokie | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Additions | | 1890 | Glenisla-Glenlivet Distillery | Keith | | Banffshire | Scotland | | | 1891 | Lower Gledfield, farm offices | Ardross | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Additions and aterations to farm buildings | | 1891 | Mains of Findon, farm offices and farmhouse | Findon | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Servants' cottages and farmhouse | | 1891 | Overskibo, farmsteading | Skibo Estate | | Sutherland | Scotland | Cattle courts and additions to steading | | 1891 | Pulrossie (Skibo Estate), steading | Skibo | | Sutherland | Scotland | Cattle courts | | 1891 | Upper Gledfield, farm buildings | Ardross | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Additions and alterations to farm buildings | | 1892 | Lee Bridge | Forres | | Morayshire | Scotland | | | 1892 | Parkmore Distillery | Dufftown | | Banffshire | Scotland | | | 1892 | Villa for Provost Sutherland | Dornoch | | Sutherland | Scotland | | | 1893 | Aerated water factory | Inverness | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1893 | Aldourie Post Office | Aldourie | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1893 | Bunchrew, Forester's cottage | Bunchrew | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1893 | Kilmuir Steading (Drynie Estate) | Kilmuir Wester | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | | | 1893 | Knock Station, Distillery | Grange | | Banffshire | Scotland | | | 1893 | Knockdhu Distillery | Knock | | Banffshire | Scotland | | | 1893 | Mains of Drynie, farmhouse and farmstead and cottages | Kilmuir Wester | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Workmen's cottages | | 1894 | Invergordon harbour with storehouse | Invergordon | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Reconstruction | | 1894 | Ladystone (Bunchrew Estate) Steading and manager's house | Bunchrew | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1894 | Mains of Bunchrew, steading and servants' cottages | Bunchrew | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | Steading | | 1898 | Block of shops and houses, Denny Street and Argyle Street | Inverness | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1898 | Easter Lochend (Kilravock estate), house and steading | | | Nairnshire | Scotland | | | 1898 | Wester Lochend (Kilravock), steading | | | Nairnshire | Scotland | | | 1899 | Auchnacloich, Grieve's house, farmhouse, steading and servants' cottages | Nairn | | Nairnshire | Scotland | Grieve's house and servant's cottages, and additions to farmhouse and steading | | 1899 | Balnabeen, farmhouse and steading | Conon Bridge | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Additions to steading | | 1899 | Clune (Aldourie Estate), steading | Aldourie | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | Covered courts | | 1899 | House, Union Road | Inverness | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | Additions | | 1899 | Mulchaich, steading | Conon Bridge | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | | | 1900 | Balloch (Culloden Estate), farmhouse and steading | Culloden | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1900 | Balnabeen, farmhouse and steading | Conon Bridge | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Farmhouse | | 1900 | Drummondreoch, farmhouse and steading | Conon Bridge | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Additions to farm | | 1901 | Alcaig, Farm buildings | Conon Bridge | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | | | 1901 | Bobbin Mills, Muirtown | Inverness | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1901 | Candacraig House | Strathdon | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Additions (west wing) | | 1902 | Croygorston (Culloden Estate), Farmhouse, steading and servants' cottages | Culloden | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | Farmhouse, servants' cottages, and additions to steading | | 1902 | Croygorston (Culloden Estate), Timber bridge over the River Nairn | Culloden | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1903 | Dalreigh Bridge | Alness | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Reconstructive repair | | 1903 | Invergordon harbour with storehouse | Invergordon | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Stores | | 1903 | Lebishie Lodge | Glenmoriston | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1903 | Woodside (Culloden Estate), farm buildings | Culloden | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | M001046 | | 1904 | Cantray-Bruaich (Culloden Estate) Farm cottages | Culloden | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1904 | Culchuraig (Culloden Estate), steading | Culloden | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | Additions | | 1904 | Invergordon harbour with storehouse | Invergordon | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Extension of East Jetty and straightening of East Quay | | 1904 | Kinkell Castle, Steading | Conon Bridge (near) | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Additions and repairs to farm buildings | | 1904 | Villa | Aviemore | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1906 | Ferintosh Parish Church, manse and offices | Conon Bridge | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Improvements to church manse and offices | | 1906 | Footbridge over the Lossie | Lossiemouth | | Morayshire | Scotland | | | 1912 | Coulmore House | Redcastle, North Kessock | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Additions - bows added | | 1913 | Invermoriston Church | Invermoriston | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | HS List | | 1925 | 20 Houses for Town Council | Inverness | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1925 | Amat Lodge | Amatnatua | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Proposed alterations | | 1926 | Boleskine House | | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | Alterations and additions | | 1930 | Housing | Mallaig | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1936 | Aberchalder Lodge | | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | Alterations |
ReferencesPeriodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Aberdeen Journal | 4 July 1903 | | | p6 | | Scotsman | 13 April 1906 | | | p10 | | Scotsman | 6 August 1906 | | | p12 | | Scottish Local History | 2015 | 91 | | Spring/Summer issue |
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