Jane Gordon

LADY JANE GORDON

Lady Jane Gordon is the daughter of Alexander Gordon, Earl of Sutherland, and his second wife, Lady Jane Gordon. She married, when she was only fifteen years of age, Hugh Mackay of Farr. The Scots Peerage VIII: 346

Genealogy

1. The Saint-Clairs of the Isles; being a history of the sea-kings of Orkney and their Scottish successors of the sirname of Sinclair. Arranged and Annotated by Roland William Saint-Clair. (h. Brett, Auckland, New Zealand, 1898), 558 pp.
2. Stirnet: Sinclair 14
3. History of the House and Clan of Mackay, containing, for connection and elucidation, besides accounts of many other Scottish families, a variety of historical notices, more particularly of those relating to the Northern division of Scotland during the most critical and interesting periods, with a genealogical table of the clan. By Robert Mackay, writer Thurso. (Andrew Jack & Co., Edinburgh, MDCCCXXIX), 588 pp. including index

Biographical Summary

Lord Sutherland's eldest daughter, Lady Jane, was beautiful and handsome, and was then in her fifteenth year, and Hugh Mackay was only twenty-eight . . . . . "They passed a contract between them." But it would be rather too condescending, and much below his dignity, or less suitable to his general design, for Sir Robert to say, that, on his father's part, his eldest sister, Lady Jane, formed the prime article in that contract. He merely mentions their marriage as a matter by the bye, five pages forward. He had said, page 195, that the contract was entered into in November 1589, but says nothing of its contents : and page 200, he writes, " Hugh Mackay, in December 1589, married Lady Jane Gordon, the daughter of Alexander Earl of Sutherland, she being then fifteen years of age, a lady of excellent beauty and comeliness, witty., indued with sundry good qualities both of body and mind." She was born the 1st of November 1574 ; and Sir Robert in 1580. Clan MacKay: 157

The 20th day of February 1615 years, Lady Jane Gordon," why not Lady Jane Mackay ? "Hugh Mackay his wife, and Earl John his sister, died at Cracock in Sutherland, and was buried in Dornoch, in the sepulcher of her fathers, having not fully attained the age of one-and-forty years. She lived not six months after the death of her husband, Hugh Mackay ; and as they were happy in their mutual loves during their lives, so they were not less happy, that their deaths were so near one another. The lady was exceedingly regretted by all that knew her. She was one of the comeliest and most beautiful women of her time in the kingdom. These external gifts were accompanied with many rare virtues : she was no less modest and religious, than fair and beautiful ; a great ornament of the family and house of Sutherland." Yes, and the preserver of that house, by her marrying Mackay ; which house should, as a part of their debt of gratitude, haughtiness aside, have laid her remains beside those of her husband; but that debt is still wholly due. Clan Mackay: 187

SmartCopy References

• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Apr 15 2017, 0:56:32 UTC
• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Apr 15 2017, 1:09:03 UTC