Alexander Gordon (pioneer)

Alexander Gordon (1635 in Aberdeen Scotland - 1697), fought as a Royalist and was captured by Oliver Cromwell's army at the Battle of Worcester on 3 September 1651 at the end of the English Civil War. He was imprisoned at Tothill Field outside London over the winter of 1651–1652. He was transported to the New World in 1652 and entered into indentured servitude. His later victory over servitude became the legal precedent in Massachusetts.

The Alexander Gordon line is the earliest Gordon family in the New World according to the Gordon Genealogy DNA Project, and descends from Adam de Gordoun through Sir William Gordon 1265 Laird of Strathbogie (now Huntly).

Along with many other Scotch prisoners, he sailed on the ship "Liberty", commanded by Capt. James Allen to Boston and was confined at Watertown as a prisoner of war.

For a year or more Alexander remained with John Cloyes, a boatswain, or mate, of the vessel living in Cambridge on the road to Watertown—near the site of Cambridge Hospital today.

While there he formed an acquaintance with Samuel Stratton of Watertown, with whom he made a six year contract on 25 April 1653, as an apprentice, to learn the art of husbandry. This contract should have ended in 1659, but after a years work without pay, Cloyes sold Alexander, like chattel, to Samuel Stratton in Watertown, as a "husbandry apprentice."

The term apprentice was used in name only. Later, other consignments of this virtually free workforce was shipped to America and was used in the towns of Massachusetts and the adjacent provinces. As the story of the first consignment had whetted the envy of those who had failed to procure cheap labor from this new kind of auction block of slave laborers. They were sold to planters and mill owners, the usual terms was a service of six years.

Those who engaged in this traffic, euphemistically hid with the label "apprenticeships." The idea was that this label would encourage the masters not to drive their helpless servants to the point of ill treatment, although it is not believed that this was the situation.

On 23 May 1655, a number of them, including Alexander, complained of this inevitable outgrowth of bondage and petitioned the General Court of Massachusetts for freedom, but their request was refused.

Samuel Stratton of Watertown had bought one of these Scotsmen; one Alexander Gordon. It is, of course, an open question whether these men/boys, unable to sign their names, or read, could read the indentures by which they were bound and in this particular case it is clear that Alexander Gordon was a victim of ill treatment.

On 3 November 1663, through the kindness of a resident of Cambridge, Alexander appealed again to the court in Massachusetts and was released from his contract. His six year contract with Samuel Stratton ended on paper in 1659. But Alexander was forced to continue working until November 1663 when he won his freedom in a landmark court case in Massachusetts.

Alexander made his way to New Hampshire, where in the company of other Scots ex-prisoners, he helped found the town of Exeter. He found employment at the sawmill of Nicholas Lisson.

At 28, Alexander Gordon married the owner's daughter, Mary Lisson(19) and became the forefather of the extensive Gordon family in New England.

Notable New Hampshire Gordons descending from Alexander include Senator William Gordon Rhode Island State Representative Daniel P. Gordon Jr., and philanthropist Nathaniel Gordon.

Alexander Gordon died in 1697.