John Gordon

Who was John Gordon?

The Hon. John Edward Gordon was a British Conservative Party politician.

The eldest son of Edward Gordon, Baron Gordon of Drumearn, a senior Scottish judge and Conservative politician, he was educated at Edinburgh Academy and the University of Edinburgh. In 1879 he married the daughter of John Snowdon Henry, former member of parliament for South East Lancashire. They had five children.

He was elected at the 1895 general election as the Member of Parliament for Elginshire and Nairnshire, unseating the Liberal MP John Keay. He was re-elected in 1900, but did not defend the seat at the 1906 general election, By this time he had moved to the resort town of Hove on the south coast of England, and he stood instead in the local two-seat Brighton constituency. In 1907 his wife moved to Japan and she is buried on Mount Koya.

He came fourth, albeit in a close contest, and did not stand again until a by-election in June 1911. He was returned unopposed to fill the vacancy caused when sitting MP Walter Rice was elevated to the peerage on inheriting the title of Baron Dynevor. However, he resigned the seat three years later due to ill health, on 23 June 1914, by accepting the post of Steward of the Manor of Northstead.