Port Gordon or Portgordon?

Since the foundation of the village in 1797 by Alexander, 4th Duke of Gordon, there seems never to have been a definitive way of spelling its name. Many of the early sources use Portgordon, others Port Gordon. (This lack of definition is a distinction that the village shares with the colour of the Scottish Flag, St Andrew's Cross or the Saltire, the blue of which has never been defined. Indeed, historically it was occasionally even green!)

The correct postal address for the village appears to be Portgordon, whereas Peter H. Reid, the author of the book published to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the village's foundation, prefers to use the two word version. Research carried out for the establishment of this website proved inconclusive. Whenever one source was found giving one spelling, an equally trustworthy reference was discovered giving the alternative . . . .

At one stage the western-most coastal village in Banffshire, Port Gordon is now in Moray.

Extract from a 1950s Railway Guide Book*  

"The line (from Portessie) continues to follow the coast until we come to still another little fishing town, Portgordon, so-called because founded by the fourth Duke of Gordon in 1797.  This long stretch of coast between Fraserburgh and Lossiemouth offers so many resources to the holiday maker who loves an amphibious life by the seashore and the wildly picturesque in nature that it is bound to grow rapidly in favour.  The long journey northwards is so comfortable and passes through such memorable scenery that it forms quite an attraction in itself.

From Portgordon the railway strikes a little inland, soon reaching Spey Bay . . . "

Businesses of the Past

Historical photographs can be found on this website.

The shop sign (as uncovered in 2003) is shown below. Click on the image to enlarge the sign.

Genealogy

The General Register Office for Scotland.

Genuki (UK & Ireland Genealogy) is also very useful.

This House of Gordon website has a links page which is invaluable for tracing Gordon ancestry.

The Family Search Internet Genealogy Service, part of which is known as the IGI,  has extensive records for the UK.  (Provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)

Family Websites

1. A list of family names from Peter Reid's website
2. Fraser

Heritage Websites

1. Port Gordon Heritage Group has an excellent site giving details of the history of the village.

2. Moray Council has a website devoted to the heritage of the area.

3. Port Gordon was once served by the Moray Coast Railway (GNSR) but the station (opened in 1886) has now been demolished.

4. Photographs of the remains of former railways can be viewed on these pages of this site.

5. Historical Maps

   1. 1845 Parishes

   2. A mid-nineteenth century Ordnance Survey map (enter Portgordon in the search box)

Important Events

In 1797, following the construction of the harbour, the first ten fishermen and their families moved into houses owned by the 4th Duke of Gordon, after whom the settlement was named.

The present village is an amalgamation of that community, plus the older ones of Gollachy and Seatown.  Details can be found in the text of Peter H. Reid's book PORT GORDON, The Life and Times of a Village which is available on-line by clicking here.

Perhaps the most infamous incident in the village's history occurred on 30 September 1940 when two German agents, Karl Drucke and Vera Eriksen, were arrested in Buckie, having first been spotted in Port Gordon. References to this event, and others of the First and Second World Wars, can be found on this page of the Edinburgh University site.

Chronology:-

1797 - Establishment of the village.

1847 - Armed soldiers had to be put onto the streets of Port Gordon to keep order after successive years of bad harvests and consequent grain shortages.  An account of this can be found in the biography of James Fraser (1803 - 69), local harbour master and grocer. Other insights into life in the village are included.

1886 - Port Gordon station and the section of the Moray Coast Railway from Tochineal to Garmouth opened.

1940 - Arrest of German spies.

1968 - The railway station closed in May and was demolished in the late 70s in order to provide a bowling green and children's play area.  The latter was officially opened in 1981.

The former station at Port Gordon
© The Moray Council

1985-88 - During 3 visits by the 69th Gurkha Independent Field Squadron, the sea defences and slip-way were changed from "an eyesore into a valuable part of Port Gordon's sea defences".  This was funded by various grants after the refusal of the Grampian Regional Council to take over responsibility for the harbour.  More details can be found here.

1997 - Celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of the village and the publishing of a book chronicling the history of Port Gordon.  A time capsule was buried in the picnic area near the harbour.

View of the village - date unknown
Click to enlarge

Note:
* Aberdeenshire Moray Firth Dee Don & Spey published by the London & North Eastern Railway