31st of March, Easter Auchleuchries in Aberdeenshire, where his father, John Gordon (d. c.1684), was a minor laird

after attending schools in Ellon and Cruden joined the Jesuit Collegium Hosianum/Braunsberg University in Braunsberg, a Hansa port in Poland

Entered the service of Charles X of Sweden

Taken prisoner by the Poles, joined the Polish army

Rejoined the Swedish army in Warsaw

Planned at Werder the assassination of Richard Bradshaw, the English ambassador to Moscow, whom he had mistaken for the president at the trial of Charles I

Joined the Poles again

Present at the battle of Chudnovo, where the Poles defeated the Russians; decided to join Russian service, made his way to Russia by the next year

Participated in the suppression of a revolt

Married Katharine von Bockhoven

Sent by Tsar Alexis for a mission to England, met Charles II, returned to Russia

Participated in a campaign against the Turks in Ukraine

Appointed to the chief command at Kyiv

Went for a long trip to Scotland, met James VII and II, tried to leave Russian service to join James

Widowed by this point, married Elizabeth Ronaer

Refused leave from Russian service, took part in an expedition against Crimean Tatars, promoted to General

Accompanied the tsar on naval manoeuvres from Archangel, and acted as rear-admiral

Died in Moscow, buried in the Roman Catholic church in the German quarter; left his considerable library to the Church; extensively collected books throughout his lifetime