Robert (1786-1853), an eminent Scottish preacher and theologian, was a native of Glencairn in Dumfriesshire. At the early age of sixteen he succeeded his father as schoolmaster of the parish, and held this office till he removed to Edinburgh, to carry out his plan of studying for the church. Difficulties and hardships almost incredible impeded and embittered the years of his student life; but he overcame them all, and after being ordained was appointed one of the masters in the Perth Academy. He now devoted peculiar attention to the exact sciences, and contributed largely to many of the scientific periodicals of the day. In 1816 he became minister of Kinfauns in Perthshire, whence he removed in 1820 to Edinburgh, in which city he held some minor charges, till he was translated in 1830 to the High Church. He joined the Free Church at the time of the Disruption, and, indeed, contributed not a little to accelerate that movement. He died in 1853. As a preacher Dr Gordon was surpassed by few pulpits orators of his day in Scotland. His chief contribution to theology is a posthumous collection of discourses, entitled, Christ as made known to the Ancient Church.

Thomas, a political and miscellaneous writer of democratic principles, was born in 1684, at Kirkcudbright in Galloway. At an early age he removed to London, where he maintained himself by teaching languages. Some of his political writings attracted the notice of the Earl of Oxford, who is said to have employed his pen. His death took place in 1750. It was almost simultaneous with that of Conyers Middleton; and when both were announced together to Lord Bolingbroke, he is said to have observed, "Well, then, we have lost the best and the worst writers in England." Gordon's political writings, it is true, were often coarse and needlessly violent; but his name bids fair to be kept alive by his translation of Tacitus in two vols., fol., 1728-31.