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Jane Gordon, Duchess of Gordon
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Jane Gordon, Duchess of Gordon
Jane Gordon, Duchess of Gordon (née Maxwell; 1748 or 1749 – 14 April 1812) was a Scottish Tory political hostess. Together with her husband Alexander, 4th Duke of Gordon, and son George, Marquess of Huntly (the future 5th Duke of Gordon), she founded the Gordon Highlanders, a British Army infantry regiment which existed until 1994.
Jane was the fourth child of Sir William Maxwell, 3rd Baronet of Monreith, and his wife, Magdalene Blair. She was born at Myrton Castle, the now ruined castle a short distance from Monreith House, the present seat of the family, which was not built until 50 years later. The Monreith Maxwells were closely related to the Maxwells at Caerlaverock, Earls of Nithsdale, who in the 17th century had been considered one of the most powerful families in Scotland. Additionally, their grandmother was the daughter of the 9th Earl of Eglinton, head of the great Ayrshire landowning family and distinguished Member of Parliament.
In 1760, Sir William sold much of his 30,000-acre (12,000 ha) estate in order to pay debts. In Edinburgh, Jane lived together with her mother and her two sisters in Sir William's Edinburgh house: Shrub Hill on Leith Walk. They may have also rented a second-floor flat in Hyndford's Close near Royal Mile for events in town.
Titled Scottish landowning families often rented apartments in Edinburgh so their girls could receive further education, be launched on Edinburgh Society, and attend balls. Lady Maxwell moved there, separate from her husband's household, in 1760 with her three daughters: Catherine, 13; Jane, 11; and Eglantine, 9, the future Lady Wallace of Craigie. Sir William continued to live with his sons at Monreith.
Jane's family lived in humble circumstances in Edinburgh, where the children played in the streets. This was where Jane had an accident as a 14-year-old. She somehow got a finger of her right hand jammed in the wheel of a cart which moved away and tore off the finger. There is at Monreith House a letter written by her after the accident, left-handed, explaining how it happened. After this she wore gloves whenever possible, in which a wooden finger replaced the one missing. One of these wooden fingers is still at Monreith House. In later life she used to explain the loss of the finger by saying it was a coaching accident.
When Jane reached 16, it was said she was so strikingly beautiful that a song was written about her: "Bonnie Jennie of Monreith, the Flower of Galloway". That was also when she fell in love for the first and probably only time. The object of her affections was a young officer who was probably a Fraser, a relative of Lord Lovat. Soon after they met, he left with his regiment, probably to go to America, and word later reached her that he had died.
On 18 October 1767, Jane married the 24-year-old Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon. The young Duke lived in the Gordon townhouse almost opposite the Maxwells, and he had inherited a considerable fortune and the title at the age of nine.
It was while they were on honeymoon at the Fordyce’s country seat, Ayton in Berwickshire, that she received a note from her former love, the young Fraser, very much alive, asking her to marry him. She is said to have read the note and fainted. However, she kept in touch with the young Fraser.
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Jane Gordon, Duchess of Gordon
Jane Gordon, Duchess of Gordon (née Maxwell; 1748 or 1749 – 14 April 1812) was a Scottish Tory political hostess. Together with her husband Alexander, 4th Duke of Gordon, and son George, Marquess of Huntly (the future 5th Duke of Gordon), she founded the Gordon Highlanders, a British Army infantry regiment which existed until 1994.
Jane was the fourth child of Sir William Maxwell, 3rd Baronet of Monreith, and his wife, Magdalene Blair. She was born at Myrton Castle, the now ruined castle a short distance from Monreith House, the present seat of the family, which was not built until 50 years later. The Monreith Maxwells were closely related to the Maxwells at Caerlaverock, Earls of Nithsdale, who in the 17th century had been considered one of the most powerful families in Scotland. Additionally, their grandmother was the daughter of the 9th Earl of Eglinton, head of the great Ayrshire landowning family and distinguished Member of Parliament.
In 1760, Sir William sold much of his 30,000-acre (12,000 ha) estate in order to pay debts. In Edinburgh, Jane lived together with her mother and her two sisters in Sir William's Edinburgh house: Shrub Hill on Leith Walk. They may have also rented a second-floor flat in Hyndford's Close near Royal Mile for events in town.
Titled Scottish landowning families often rented apartments in Edinburgh so their girls could receive further education, be launched on Edinburgh Society, and attend balls. Lady Maxwell moved there, separate from her husband's household, in 1760 with her three daughters: Catherine, 13; Jane, 11; and Eglantine, 9, the future Lady Wallace of Craigie. Sir William continued to live with his sons at Monreith.
Jane's family lived in humble circumstances in Edinburgh, where the children played in the streets. This was where Jane had an accident as a 14-year-old. She somehow got a finger of her right hand jammed in the wheel of a cart which moved away and tore off the finger. There is at Monreith House a letter written by her after the accident, left-handed, explaining how it happened. After this she wore gloves whenever possible, in which a wooden finger replaced the one missing. One of these wooden fingers is still at Monreith House. In later life she used to explain the loss of the finger by saying it was a coaching accident.
When Jane reached 16, it was said she was so strikingly beautiful that a song was written about her: "Bonnie Jennie of Monreith, the Flower of Galloway". That was also when she fell in love for the first and probably only time. The object of her affections was a young officer who was probably a Fraser, a relative of Lord Lovat. Soon after they met, he left with his regiment, probably to go to America, and word later reached her that he had died.
On 18 October 1767, Jane married the 24-year-old Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon. The young Duke lived in the Gordon townhouse almost opposite the Maxwells, and he had inherited a considerable fortune and the title at the age of nine.
It was while they were on honeymoon at the Fordyce’s country seat, Ayton in Berwickshire, that she received a note from her former love, the young Fraser, very much alive, asking her to marry him. She is said to have read the note and fainted. However, she kept in touch with the young Fraser.
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