Annie Hadden

I must confess to having a certain fascination with my great-great grandaunt Ann Mathieson 'Annie' Hadden (pictured to the right in a photo provided by and used with the permission of Hadden family co-researcher Alan Cope).

I suspect the source of my fascination comes from both the name Ann itself (my mother's married name was Anne Hadden) but predominantly, I think it's because Annie Hadden represents for me as close a tie to my great great grandfather, and Annie's brother, John, as I have found to date.

John and Ann's parents, Alexander Bean Hadden and Jane Mathieson, had ten children between 1857 and 1873. John and Ann were children number 6 and 7, born in 1866 and 1867, respectively. When Ann was 21 years old, she married William Gordon, a dignified looking man, in Botriphnie, Banffshire, Scotland. Between 1890 and 1908, Ann and William welcomed thirteen children into their family.

Two of their children, Mary Jane Mathieson 'Jeanie' Gordon and Donald Gordon, would eventually immigrated to the United States. Their eldest son, Alexander Garrow Duncan Gordon, married, fathered two children, but tragically died in World War 1. (For more on Alexander G. D. Gordon, click here). Annie was 68 years old when she passed away in 1936.

When I view her photo and see the strength and character in her features, I wonder how far different would my great great grandfather John look? Perhaps one day, a family member will share a surviving photo of him with me. Until then, Annie is as close as I can come.