James Gordon and George Roger, goldsmiths and jewellers

Over the past couple of months I have been cataloguing two collections the Archive purchased in 2004, with assistance from the National Fund for Acquisitions: DD748 and DD748. These two accessions are connected to each other, and to the Cochran and MacPherson solicitors collection (reference DD5), which they appear to have become separated from at some point in the past prior to DD5 being deposited in the then Grampian Regional Archives in 1982. 

DD748 had been accessioned as "Goldsmiths of Aberdeen", but when I came to look through the material in detail, this proved to be a little misleading. Yes, some of the papers related to individuals who were goldsmiths, but very few related to their work. (But never fear, we do have some records for the Gordon and Roger jewellery partnership in the Cochran and MacPherson solicitors collection, see DD5/2/A, and in DD747 - more details below).

So who were these goldsmiths? Coline Allan, goldsmith and jeweller (1740 - 1804), took on his nephew James Gordon (1740-1810) as an apprentice between 1757 - 1760. James went on to form a partnership with his former apprentice George Roger, who was married to his sister Margaret, trading as James Gordon & Co. James was admitted as a goldsmith burgess of Aberdeen in 1766, and George followed suit in 1784. 

The majority of the collection are personal papers of: James Gordon; George Roger; Francis James Cochran, an advocate and partner in Cochran & MacPherson and grandson of George Roger; and Francis' father Alexander, a shipmaster and member of the Aberdeen Shipmasters' Society. I've therefore decided to call the collection the Cochran papers, as this seems to be the best explanation for why they have been collected together - this is also how they are referred to occasionally in the sales paperwork back in 2004. 

There are also legal papers relating to the estate of Pitmuxton or Pitmuckstone, located in what is now the Broomhill/Ruthrieston area, which was inherited by Alexander Irvine, and then passed to to Alexander Irvine's daughters: Elizabeth (married to Francis Gordon, shoemaker and father of George); Jean (married to Alexander Ross, merchant); and Ann (married to Colin Allan, jeweller). 

This blog post will have a little look through the varied items in the collection, and in DD747, which mainly relates to James Gordon. 

James Gordon

The material relating to James Gordon in DD748 comprises legal papers, such as material relating to executing his will, and bundles of receipts and bills, mainly for household expenses. 

A receipt for various cakes and biscuits sent by William Shepherd to George Roger whilst acting as executor for James Gordon after his death in 1810. Presumably these were items served at the funeral tea. [DD748/1/4/51]

George Roger

The George Roger material is similar to that held for James Gordon, but with the addition of some correspondence. There is a small amount of business correspondence amongst this, but also interesting letters from his brother-in-law Adam Shand, a mason in Cronstadt, Russia. Shand's letter's include references to Napoleon:

"We are informed from the country, we have got that disturber of mankind [Napoleon] again among us but their is no fear we shall give a good account of him" [DD748/5/1/3]

Alexander Cochran

The collection includes personal and shipmaster's papers of Cochran, and papers relating to the Aberdeen Shipmaster's Society. 

Francis James Cochran

The collection includes three volumes of memoirs written by Francis Cochran, a box of artefacts and mementoes of his wedding to his wife Elizabeth; and bundles of correspondence between Francis and Elizabeth. They comprise a touching record of their relationship.

The cap Elizabeth Cochran received visitors in after her wedding in 1839 [DD748/7/2]

There are notes of the births of their children, and the use of chloroform during Elizabeth's labour for the youngest children Anne and Robert in 1848 and 1851. The use of chloroform for pain relief was a new scientific innovation at the time, first demonstrated by Scottish obstetrician James Simpson in 1847.

[Reference DD748/7/3/2]

This is also noted in her husband's diary:

"my dear wife was safely delivered of a Daughter [...] The most painful part of the Labour was borne under the influence of Chloroform." [DD748/7/1/2]

The use of chloroform in labour found widespread acceptance after its use by Queen Victoria in 1853. The very real risk posed to women in child birth is also made clear in a letter Elizabeth wrote to Francis before the birth of her final child in 1851 [reference DD748/7/3/2]: 

    

        My dearly loved Husband

        

        It has been my custom before each of my confinements to address a few lines to you as in         the event of my removal home, it might afford some solace to you, to read a few words            from her, whose lips will addess you no more. 

DD747 - Further material relating to James Gordon 

The second collection I've been working on over the past few months is DD747, which is mainly further material relating to James Gordon but also includes a couple of items relating to another businessman, James Allan, who was based in Madras, India. 

You can see (left) a letterhead from James Gordon's business from 1780. This collection includes a gold and silver weight book from the business, apprenticeship indentures between James Gordon and Colin Allan and with George Roger and James Gordon, and contracts between the partners. The collection also includes material relating to Gordon's role as Master of the Trades Hospital. 

The material relating to James Allan is also fascinating. We already had some material relating to Allan in DD5, as he left some property in trust at his death to benefit widows in Aberdeen. But the volumes in DD747 suggest Allan was at the very least dealing in jewellery,  if not making it himself (and I have been able to find a nutmeg grater of Allan's in the V&A's collections showing his hallmark, which features an elephant).

This entry in Allan's stock purchase book from 1818 lists diamond and coloured stone items purchased by him in star pagodas, a currency issued by the East India Company in Chennai. 

From DD747/JA/1

There are also entries for tooth picks in the same volume:

Also from DD747/JA/1

One entry seems to have been signed in an Indian script: 

Hopefully this has given you a flavour of the collections and some of the challenges I found trying to untangle them! I'm hoping to enlist the help of our volunteers to do more complete lists for some of the bundles than I could manage at present, so the catalogue will hopefully grow over time. 

By Katy Kavanagh, Senior Archivist