Early Life and Education
Gordon was born at Aberdeen, Scotland, not later than 1692. After earning an M.A. at the university of Aberdeen, where he distinguished himself by his classical attainments, he resided for a time in the city, eking out a living as a teacher of languages and music. He also painted portraits in oil. He afterwards visited the continent, at first probably as a tutor, and returned home an excellent French and Italian scholar, and with a good knowledge of art and antiquities. He told Stukeley that when at Capua with Sir George Byng (afterwards Viscount Torrington) "they sav'd the fine amphitheatre there, the 3rd in the world, which the Germans were going to pull down to repair the fortifications, by speaking to the governor & viceroy at Naples." He studied music in Italy, and when in London he occasionally sang in opera, and among his countrymen was known as "Singing Sandie." At one time he appears to have been an itinerant teacher of music, more especially while collecting the materials for his Itinerarium, some time before 1720.
Read more about this topic: Alexander Gordon (antiquary)
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