A study of the background to the career of Cosmo George, third Duke of Gordon, 1720-52, whose short life illustrates a period of change in the life of Scottish nobility, and a shift in emphasis from Edinburgh to London. The first chapters give a short sketch of the history of the Gordon family, and a description of the estate at the beginning of the 18th century. The duke's residence, Gordon Castle, is described, the building and alterations, along with the contents - furniture, silver, pictures and books, horses and stables, gardens and park. Details are given of the household, its size, organisation, discipline, duties and wages, and the supply and consumption of food and drink. The duke's occupations in the country are discussed, along with female pursuits, the making of clothes, illness and medicine, and visiting neighbours. The next section deals with the duke's visits to Edinburgh, the journey from Gordon Castle, purchases, occupations, food and drink. Much of the duke's adult life was spent in England, and the accounts afford a comparison with life at Gordon Castle. This section begins with an account of the journey from Edinburgh to London, details of the household, what was eaten and drunk, both at home and in taverns, the London house, the purchase of furniture for it, and life at Enfield, the duke's country house. His occupations in London are detailed, attendance in the House of Lords, and entertainments, along with purchases, both for immediate use and to be sent home to Scotland, medicines and visits to spas. Finally the duke's foreign tours are discussed, in Holland, the Low Countries and France. Comparisons are used to show up similarities or differences, from the lives of other Scottish peers, mainly the Breadalbanes, Hopetouns, Seafields and Marchmonts.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:652589 |
| Date | January 1977 |
| Creators | Horn, B. L. H. |
| Publisher | University of Edinburgh |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://hdl.handle.net/1842/17533 |
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