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Gordon, Lord George
Gordon, Lord George (1751–93). Soon after his election to Parliament in 1774 Lord George, third son of the 3rd duke of Gordon, began to exhibit signs of mental derangement and religious mania. His frequent lectures to the House of Commons were not much appreciated: ‘the noble lord has got a twist in his head,’ remarked one sympathetic member, ‘a certain whirligig which runs away with him if anything relative to religion is mentioned’. Gordon's reply was that he and his supporters ‘had not yet determined to murder the king and put him to death, they only considered that they were absolved from their allegiance’. On 2 June 1780, as president of the Protestant Association, he presented a monster petition denouncing concessions to the catholics. Six days of rioting and looting followed and Gordon was tried for treason. It was argued on his behalf that he had not intended violence and had tried to discourage it, and he was acquitted. He subsequently converted to Judaism and, convicted of libel, spent the last five years of his life in comfortable confinement in Newgate prison. See also Gordon riots.
J. A. Cannon |
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Cite this article
JOHN CANNON. "Gordon, Lord George." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "Gordon, Lord George." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-GordonLordGeorge.html JOHN CANNON. "Gordon, Lord George." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-GordonLordGeorge.html |
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Gordon, Lord George
Gordon, Lord George (1751–93). Soon after his election to Parliament in 1774 Lord George, third son of the 3rd duke of Gordon, began to exhibit signs of religious mania. On 2 June 1780, as president of the Protestant Association, he presented a monster petition denouncing concessions to the catholics. Six days of rioting and looting followed and Gordon was tried for treason. It was argued on his behalf that he had not intended violence and he was acquitted. He subsequently converted to Judaism and, convicted of libel, spent the last five years of his life in comfortable confinement in Newgate prison. See also gordon riots.
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Cite this article
JOHN CANNON. "Gordon, Lord George." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "Gordon, Lord George." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-GordonLordGeorge.html JOHN CANNON. "Gordon, Lord George." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-GordonLordGeorge.html |
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