The Gordon name is one of the most ancient and notable in Scottish history. The family, originally from Normandy, dates back to the time of the Conquest. A laird, a landed proprietor, of Gordon is said to have fallen in the battle of the Standard in 1138. In 1150, Richard de Gordon, Knight banneret, granted, to the Monks of Kelso, land at Gordon near Huntly Strather. From the descendants of two sons of this Richard de Gordon, i.e., Richard Gordon of Gordon and Adam Gordon of Huntley, descend the noble Gordons of Scotland. Our documented Gordon lineage of Exeter, New Hampshire commences with Alexander Gordon who was born in 1635 at Aberdeen, Scotland. and died , will proved 15 August 1697 at Exeter, NH. He was the son of a long established family which espoused the cause of the Stuarts against the Commonwealth. Alexander married, on 14 February 1660?/1663? at Exeter, NH, Mary Lissen who was born ca 1642+/- and died 1697+, both at Exeter, NH. She was the daughter of Nicholas and Alice (–) Lissen of Exeter.

Alexander Gordon was a young soldier in General Monk’s army in 1651 which went forth with the design to place Charles II as king on the throne which was vacant by the execution of his father King Charles I. General Monk was defeated at the Battle of Worcester on 03 September 1651 and his army was captured. Alexander was taken prisoner and, with several thousand of his country men, was held at a prison camp at Tuthill Fields, Westminister, London. located near St. Margaret’s church. Alexander was in this prison thru the winter of 1651/52. He was redeemed by one Daniel Stone of Cambridge and was sent to New England in the spring of 1652 under verbal apprenticeship agreement with John Cloyes. Alexander worked his passage with John Allen, master of the ship Liberty which landed at Boston, Ma. He was initially in Charleston, Ma. John Cloyes sold his apprenticeship to John Stratton on 17 October 1652. After a year’s work for Samuel Stratton without any compensation, Alexander appealed to the court. He was released from his apprenticeship in 1654 at which time he removed, per family tradition in an open boat up the coast and then up the river Swampscott, to Exeter, NH. He remained in Exeter for the rest of his life. He became engaged in lumbering and eventually, with the help of his father-in-law, Nicholas Lissen, he had his own sawmill located, about a mile west of Exeter, on Little River, a tributary to the Swampscott river, He received a grant of land of twenty acres from Exeter on 10 October 1664 which was adjacent to the land given to him by Nicholas Lissen. So now, our Alexander has his sawmill plus land which he farmed for crop plus pasture for his livestock. His name is noted on 20 April 1680 NH tax list and on the Exeter tax list for 1684; his name is on the General Petition of Inhabitants to Massachusetts on 20 February 1690 and on the list of Military Service for 1695/96. Alexander Gordon was considered “a successful and exemplary citizen”.

Alexander and Mary Lissen Gordon had eight children, i.e., two daughters and six sons, all born in Exeter, NH. The first child was daughter Elizabeth who was born on 23 February 1664 and died 15 March 1697; she died along with her husband and two youngest of five children being slain by Indians. She marred, on 16 May 1686, Thomas Emerson of Haverhill, Ma. Son Nicholas was born 23 March 1666 and died in 1748. He married Sarah Hale and had an inventory of 3600 L, tidy amount for that period. Daughter Mary, born 22 May 1668, to come. Son John was born 26 October 1670 and married Sarah Allen 23 December 1697; he was administrator of his father’s estate. Son James was born 22 July 1673 with his will being proved 02 December 1714. James married Abiel Redman on 07 August 1700; they had five sons. Son Alexander was born 01 December 1675 and died in 1730; he married, on 14 September 1699, Sarah Sewall and had seven or more children. Son Thomas was born in 1678 and died in 1762; he married, on 22 November 1699, Elizabeth Harriman and had seven children. Thomas married, as a second wife after 10 April 1709, Rebecca Heard. Thomas participated in Queen Anne’s War in 1710. Son Daniel was born in 1682 and died prior to 1736. He married, 05 September 1708, Margaret Harriman, and had five children. Daniel was a blacksmith by trade.
References: PH7:313; PH13:273,436,646; PH86:83; PH101:Gordon:1-2; PH216:206; FH87:1711-1712; FH128:26-27; FH144:1-2; FH145:1-6.

Mary Gordon, the third child and second daughter of Alexander and Mary Lissen Gordon, was born 22 May 1668 and died in 1737, both at Exeter, NH. She married, in 1668 at Exeter, Nicholas(2) Smith who was born 03 September 1661 in 1661with his will being proved 06 June, 1716.He was the son of Nicholas(1) and (–) Smith of Exeter.
References: PH7:687; PH13:273,436; PH101:Gordon:2; PH216:206; FH87:350-351,1712; FH128;1-3, 27,107; FH144:2; FH145:6.