A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Gordon, Robert
GORDON. (Captain, 1837. f-p., 12; h-p., 25.)
Robert Gordon, born 7 Sept. 1796, is third son of the late David Gordon, Esq., of Abergeldie, co. Aberdeen (a direct descendant of Alexander Lord Gordon, who was created Earl of Huntly in 1449), by Anne, third daughter of Michael Biddulph, Esq., of Ledbury, co. Hereford; and next brother of Michael Fras. Gordon, Esq., now of Abergeldie, a Magistrate and Deputy-Lieutenant for Aberdeenshire.
This officer entered the Navy, 24 May, 1810, as Sec.-cl. Vol., on board the Phoebe of 44 guns and 271 men, Capt. Jas. Hillyar; in which frigate, subsequently to the reduction of the Isle of France, he contributed, 20 May, 1811 (while cruizing off Madagascar in company with the Astrea and Galatea, frigates nearly equal in force to the Phoebe, and 18-gun brig Racehorse), to the capture – after a long and trying action with the French 40-gun frigates Rénommée, Clorinde and Néréide, and a loss to the Phoebe of 7 men killed and 24 wounded – of the Rénommée. On 25 of the same month he was further present at the surrender of the Néréide, and of the settlement of Tamatave; and in the following summer he co-operated in the conquest of the island of Java. Removing, as Midshipman, in Jan. 1813, to the Centaur 74, Capt. John Chambers White, Mr. Gordon cruized in that ship on the North Sea and Channel stations, until again transferred, in Jan. 1814, to the Tonnant 80, bearing the successive flags, on the North American and Cork stations, of Sir Alex. Cochrane and Sir Benj. Hallowell, under the former of whom he took part in many operations against the American enemy, and was present in the attack upon New Orleans. He left the Tonnant in July, 1816, for the purpose of joining the Queen Charlotte 100, flag-ship of Lord Exmouth, who, investing him soon with the rank of Acting-Lieutenant, enabled him to share in that capacity in the ensuing bombardment of Algiers. He was accordingly awarded an Admiralty commission dated 16 of the following Sept.; but he did not again go afloat until 6 Sept. 1819. He then obtained an appointment to the Iphigenia frigate, Capt. Hyde Parker, on the Jamaica station, where he next joined, 3 June, 1820, the Ontario 18, Capt. Whitworth Lloyd, and where, on 13 of the following month, he assumed the acting-command of the Confiance 18. The latter sloop, to which he appears to have been confirmed 3 Oct. 1820, Capt. Gordon paid off 28 Sept. 1821. His subsequent appointments were – 20 Nov. 1830, for a period of two months, to the Herald yacht, lying at Portsmouth – and, 22 Nov. 1831, to the Pearl 20, on the West India station, which vessel was put out of commission 20 Dec. 1834. Capt. Gordon, who has not since been employed, attained Post-rank 10 Jan. 1837. He is one of the Elder Brethren of the Trinity House.