.

Here, gathered in our beloved South Dakota, are a few members of our Williamson / Mattson Clan. Charles and Luella are to be blamed (be kind, they didn't know what they were doing). We're generally a happy bunch and somewhat intelligent (notwithstanding our tenuous grasp on reality). I'm also proud to say that most of us still have our teeth.

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Alexander Gordon, Our 9th Great Grandfather. Another link to Scotland (Mattson / McCrillis Line)

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
I didn't get much sleep last night due to a fierce north wind which blew in around 11:10 P.M. The cold wind blew out the high pressure system which had been parked over Utah for the last few weeks (It reached 57 degrees yesterday, an all time high). This will be the driest December in Utah's recorded history. The mountains have a dusting of snow, far below normal. This could be a problem for our water supplies if this weather pattern continues. Last year we were buried in snow. What a change one year can make.

Tonight in our digital family reunion we close this year with a posting on our 9th Great Grandfather, Alexander Gordon.

RELATIONSHIP CHART

Alexander Gordon (1635 - 1697)
is our 9th great grandfather
to
Nicholas Gordon (1666 - 1748)
Son of Alexander
to
Elizabeth Gordon (1694 - 1766)
Daughter of Nicholas
to
Betsey Dudley (1724 - 1810)
Daughter of Elizabeth
to
Betsey Hill (1762 - 1797)
Daughter of Betsey
to
Deborah Dearborn (1785 - 1874)
Daughter of Betsey
to
Elmira Swift (1809 - 1903)
Daughter of Deborah
to
Isabella Denora McCrillis (1851 - 1896)
Daughter of Elmira
to
Vesta Althea Dennis (1892 - 1978)
Daughter of Isabella Denora
to
Volet Mae Pierce (1918 - 1987) Married Walter Mattson
to
Luella, Linda, John, Marvin
to
Us

Grandfather Alexander gives our family another anchor in Scotland where Gordon is a common name.

Alexander Gordon was born in Aberdeen Scotland in 1635. At the age of sixteen he was a young soldier in General Monk’s army in 1651 which marched with the purpose to place Charles II as king on the English throne which was vacant because of the execution of his father King Charles I.

General Monk

On September 3 1651, roughly 12,000 Royalist of General Monk's army were holed up in the English town of Worcester. This became known as the "Battle of Worcester". During the 10 hour battle, 3,000 were killed and 7,000 taken prisoner.


The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 at Worcester, England and was the final battle of the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians defeated the Royalist, predominantly Scottish, forces of King Charles II. The 16,000 Royalist forces were overwhelmed by the 28,000 strong "New Model Army" of Cromwell

Grandfather Alexander was captured by English Soldiers led by Oliver Cromwell and was jailed as a prisoner of war at Tothill Fields prison near St. Margaret’s church in London, England. Alexander was held prisoner through the winter of 1651 and 1652. Daniel Stone of Cambridge, England secured his release from prison in the spring of 1652 on condition that he be deported to the colonies.

That year Alexander sailed to America aboard the ship Liberty, a ship commanded by Captain John Allen. The Liberty landed in Boston. Alexander paid for his passage with a six year bound labor contract with John Cloyes, another name for the bound labor contract was indentured servitude. As part of his contract Alexander was confined to Watertown, Massachusetts. John Cloyes sold Alexander's apprenticeship to Samuel Stratton in October of 1652 without credit to Alexander for his first year worked. Alexander appealed to the court twice. On his second appeal, Alexander was released from his contract.

Alexander then moved to Exeter, New Hampshire and found employment at a sawmill owned by Nicholas Lissen. Nicholas Lissen then is our 10th Great Grandfather. He was born in Scotland, then emigrated to Ireland and from there to the American Colonies. In October 10, 1664 he married Nicholas Lissen's daughter, Mary in Exeter, New Hampshire and was given twenty acres of land as dowry by his father-in-law. 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. Mary and Alexander had eight children, 2 daughters and 6 sons.

In 1675 Alexander enlisted the New Hampshire militia to help defend the colony against the Indian chief, King Philip. In 1695, at the age of 60, Alexander again enlisted in the militia, serving in Capt. Kingsley Hall's company in "King Williams War". Alexander eventually owned several sawmills.

Alexander died in Exeter, New Hampshire in 1697 at the age of 62.

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