Early Years
Gordon Drummond was born at Quebec City in 1772. He was the son of The Hon. Colin Drummond (1722-1776), of Megginch Castle, Perthshire, and his wife Catherine Oliphant of Rossie. His sister married Lord Hervey and his brother married a daughter of John Fane, 9th Earl of Westmorland.
Gordon's father came to Lower Canada as the Quebec agent to the London firm of Sir Samuel Fludyer, Adam Drummond (his brother) & Franks, contractors for victualling the troops in North America. At Quebec, Colin Drummond became a business partner of Jacob Jordan and served as Commissary General, deputy Paymaster General to the Forces in the Province of Quebec and Legislative Councillor. Four years after Colin Drummond's death, in 1780 the family left Quebec and Gordon received his education at Westminster School in England before entering the British army as an ensign with the 1st Foot in 1789.
In 1794, he served as a junior lieutenant-colonel in the Netherlands, commanded by the Duke of York. He also saw service in the Mediterranean and the West Indies. In 1805, 33 years old, Drummond had attained the rank of major-general. In 1807, he married Margaret Russell, daughter of William Russell (1734-1817) of Brancepeth Castle.
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