Duchess of Gordon
(1794-1864)
6 September 1861

Volume 2, page 5, sitting number 1317.

Born in 1794, Elizabeth Brodie was the daughter of Alexander Brodie and Elizabeth Margaret Wemyss. On 11 December 1813 she married George Gordon, son of Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon. Her husband succeeded to the dukedom on 17 June 1827, becoming the 5th Duke of Gordon. He died on 28 May 1836, without legitimate issue, and his titles became extinct.

Always an earnest believer, following her husband's death Lady Gordon's devotion became increasingly more intense. After a long mental conflict, she left the Church of England in 1846 and joined the recently formed Free Church of Scotland. In time, she came to occupy a prominent position among evangelical Christians in Scotland.

The Dowager Duchess of Gordon died on 31 January 1864 at Huntly Lodge, Strathbogie. She left an estate valued at £60,000. 

A short obituary appeared in The Scotsman (2 February 1864). 'The Duchess of Gordon died at Huntly Lodge, Aberdeenshire, on Sunday evening - the immediate cause of death being gout in the stomach. The deceased was in her seventieth year. She was the daughter of Mr Brodie of the Barn, Kincardineshire, and was married to the fifth Duke of Gordon in 1813. The Duke died in 1836, and as he left no issue, the title became extinct. The Duke of Richmond now succeeds to the Aberdeenshire estates. The Duchess of Gordon has for some years past lived in a very retired manner at Huntly Lodge, doing a great deal of good among the poor, promoting education, and otherwise working for the good of the district. She was the main founder and a great supporter of the out-door religious meetings that have taken place during the last few years in Huntly.'