Fortune's Many Houses: A Victorian Visionary, a Noble Scottish Family, and a Lost Inheritance
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- Create Date：2021-02-17 04:23:03
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Simon Welfare
- ISBN：9781982128623
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Summary
A unique and fascinating look at Victorian society through the remarkable lives of an enlightened and philanthropic aristocratic couple， the Marquess and Marchioness of Aberdeen， who tried to change the world for the better but paid a heavy price。 This is a true tale of love and loss， fortune and misfortune。
In the late 19th century， John and Ishbel Gordon， the Marquess and Marchioness of Aberdeen， were the couple who seemed to have it all: a fortune that ran into the tens of millions， a magnificent stately home in Scotland surrounded by one of Europe’s largest estates， a townhouse in London’s most fashionable square， cattle ranches in Texas and British Columbia， and the governorships of Ireland and Canada where they lived like royalty。
Together they won praise for their work as social reformers and pioneers of women’s rights， and enjoyed friendships with many of the most prominent figures of the age， from Britain’s Prime Ministers to Oliver Wendell-Holmes and P。T。 Barnum and Queen Victoria herself。 Yet by the time they died in the 1930s， this gilded couple’s luck had long since run out: they had faced family tragedies， scandal through their unwitting involvement in one of the “crimes of the century” and， most catastrophically of all， they had lost both their fortune and their lands。
This fascinating family quest for the reason for their dramatic downfall is also a moving and colorful exploration of society in Victorian Britain and North America and an inspirational feast for history lovers。
In the late 19th century， John and Ishbel Gordon， the Marquess and Marchioness of Aberdeen， were the couple who seemed to have it all: a fortune that ran into the tens of millions， a magnificent stately home in Scotland surrounded by one of Europe’s largest estates， a townhouse in London’s most fashionable square， cattle ranches in Texas and British Columbia， and the governorships of Ireland and Canada where they lived like royalty。
Together they won praise for their work as social reformers and pioneers of women’s rights， and enjoyed friendships with many of the most prominent figures of the age， from Britain’s Prime Ministers to Oliver Wendell-Holmes and P。T。 Barnum and Queen Victoria herself。 Yet by the time they died in the 1930s， this gilded couple’s luck had long since run out: they had faced family tragedies， scandal through their unwitting involvement in one of the “crimes of the century” and， most catastrophically of all， they had lost both their fortune and their lands。
This fascinating family quest for the reason for their dramatic downfall is also a moving and colorful exploration of society in Victorian Britain and North America and an inspirational feast for history lovers。
Editor Reviews
12/14/2020
Television producer Welfare explores in this colorful debut biography the glamorous， philanthropic lives of Scottish aristocrats John and Ishbel Gordon， who bankrolled numerous social causes in Britain and North America even as they bankrupted themselves through bad investments and extravagant building projects。 Married in 1877， the Gordons’ honeymoon was a portent of things to come。 Before the couple set out for Egypt， burglars stole Ishbel’s extensive jewelry collection; weeks later， she and John were setting up impromptu health clinics during a trip down the Nile River （they also took on the living and educational expenses of four former slave boys）。 During John’s tenure as the governor general of Canada from 1893 to 1898， Ishbel formed the Victorian Order of Nurses in Ottawa and initiated book drives to benefit rural areas。 Both abroad and in Scotland， where they were the Marquess and Marchioness of Aberdeen， John and Ishbel designed， renovated， and built numerous stately homes; meanwhile， dodgy investments， including a series of North American ranches poorly managed by Ishbel’s brothers， further drained the couple’s resources。 Welfare， who is married to the Gordons’ great-granddaughter， draws on an extensive collection of family papers to provide intriguing details about the couple’s social life and political causes。 These imperfect do-gooders make for entertaining company。 （Feb。）
Reviews
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Debra Pawlak
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I was given an advance reading copy of this book directly from the publisher as well as NetGalley。com in exchange for a fair review。 The story of the Marquess and Marchioness of Aberdeen， Johnny and Ishbel Gordon， took many unusual twists and turns。 They started out as a very wealthy couple who lived on an elaborate estate in Scotland。 Their story could have begun and ended there， but these two had other plans。 Ishbel was not only a philanthopist， but she worked hard to improve the lives of wome I was given an advance reading copy of this book directly from the publisher as well as NetGalley。com in exchange for a fair review。 The story of the Marquess and Marchioness of Aberdeen， Johnny and Ishbel Gordon， took many unusual twists and turns。 They started out as a very wealthy couple who lived on an elaborate estate in Scotland。 Their story could have begun and ended there， but these two had other plans。 Ishbel was not only a philanthopist， but she worked hard to improve the lives of women and children by opening schools and advocating for women's rights。 When Queen Victoria appointed Johnny Viceroy to Ireland， their tireless efforts endeared them to the suffering Irish。 Likewise， when Johnny was appointed Governor of Canada， they worked hard to ensure that the lives of those hardworking people were made better。 The Gordons's biggest problem was that they spent more money than they brought in and when they died in the 1930s， they were flat broke， but the good works they left behind became their legacy。 Author Simon Welfare did a great job researching and bringing to life the Gordon family （of which his wife is a descendent）。 He had access to many papers， letters， and various documents that detailed the activities of the Marquess and Marchioness。 My only complaint was that the wealth of information was a bit scattered at times， but interesting nonetheless。 I think Ishbell summed it up nicely when she said that she might have made many mistakes， but hoped she did more good than harm。 We all should be as selfless as Johnny and Ishbel。 Nicely done， Mr。 Welfare。 We could all learn something from this magnanimous couple who rarely thought of themselves。 。。。more
Valerie
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review！Fortune’s Many Houses is an engaging look at the lives of Johnny and Ishbel Gordon， Lord and Lady Aberdeen， through the various houses they lived in， built， and expanded during their marriage。 I enjoy reading social histories and was hooked on this story after a few chapters。 The Aberdeens led fascinating lives and the author walks us through the ups and downs of their journey， Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review！Fortune’s Many Houses is an engaging look at the lives of Johnny and Ishbel Gordon， Lord and Lady Aberdeen， through the various houses they lived in， built， and expanded during their marriage。 I enjoy reading social histories and was hooked on this story after a few chapters。 The Aberdeens led fascinating lives and the author walks us through the ups and downs of their journey， as well as the political and societal changes of the time， in a well-researched and smooth narrative。 There were some moments when the timeline seemed to jump forward or backward and got a bit confusing， but the main thread of the story was consistent and kept me on track。 Extensive footnotes expanded on many topics to add effective context to the book。This is a great read for anyone interested in the dramatic political， economic， and societal changes that occurred in the United Kingdom and Ireland at the end of the 19th century and the early 20th century。 。。。more
Brenda
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This is the compelling riches to rags story of Marquess and Marchioness of Aberdeen who lived the majority of their years during the Victorian era。 Their land and estates were worth millions upon millions in today's currency but due to their lavish spending habits （balls and festivals rivaled those of royalty， not to mention their huge staff of 70 at times and many vast home refurbishments and builds）， generosity （they not only gave of their time but finances to a large number of causes， many of This is the compelling riches to rags story of Marquess and Marchioness of Aberdeen who lived the majority of their years during the Victorian era。 Their land and estates were worth millions upon millions in today's currency but due to their lavish spending habits （balls and festivals rivaled those of royalty， not to mention their huge staff of 70 at times and many vast home refurbishments and builds）， generosity （they not only gave of their time but finances to a large number of causes， many of which Ishbel herself implemented and patronized） and naivette （they bought land in Canada and America sight unseen at times， or very infrequently visited） nearly every penny was spent at the time of John's death。 It is unfathomable for us to imagine。 But Johnny and Ishbel were accustomed to pure luxury and thought their land and ranches would be much more productive and profitable than they were （climate and poor management were huge factors）。 They were also taken advantage of by many。Simon Welfare has clearly researched this subject thoroughly from letters and other documentation to provide his readers with more than just a glimpse into these fascinating lives which were spent living in Scotland， England， Ireland， Canada and America。 Though this level of lifestyle may seem enviable， in my opinion it wouldn't be。 There were endless parties， events， meetings， teas and balls to attend， often several a day as well as many high-ranking people to impress （Ishbel's jewels and clothing were worth a fortune） and many organizations to keep afloat。 Wherever they went Ishbel gave， including talks in Manitoba about beautification， art shows in the UK and the Victoria Union of Nurses in Canada （this story was one of my favourites as I know all about the brutal weather on the Canadian prairies and north）。 To facilitate greeting many people and dignitaries it was necessary in their view to build and rebuild homes， adding spectacular rooms。 Knowing the value of some of of the old masters' artworks which they owned alone is mind blowing， let alone everything else。 This extreme privilege does not make one happy， as they discovered。 Their lives were affected by deaths and other tragedies， too。 Hard work and insane hours took their toll as well。 Their children were cherished but how much time did they have to spend with them？ Amongst their close friends were the Gladstones。 Authors including Anthony Trollope and J。 M。 Barrie wrote about them。 Not everyone loved this couple。I was unaware of the origin of Golden Retrievers！ What I liked best about Johnny and Ishbel was their drive for social awareness and change， regardless of what others thought。 They plowed ahead， doing what they felt was right and just which at times took them into dubious neighbourhoods。 So many moves would not be easy， either。 Yes， their homes were extraordinary but they usually spent a few months here before moving on to the next one due to Johnny's many official duties including being the Governor General of Canada。 There is so much more， including their last days and final financial worth after having to sell everything they possibly could， even furniture！This entrancing book was remarkably interesting to read and I recommend it to anyone interested in this era， especially Nonfiction readers。 You will undoubtedly learn a great deal。My sincere thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this fabulous book in exchange for an honest review。 Much appreciated。 。。。more
Cosima demaglie
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This is the 1st book I've read written by Simon Welfore ; great job at writing a good book; The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book。I loved the characters。I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and I’m voluntarily leaving a review。 This is the 1st book I've read written by Simon Welfore ; great job at writing a good book; The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book。I loved the characters。I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and I’m voluntarily leaving a review。 。。。more
Janilyn Kocher
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Welfare provides an in-depth look at one family of privilege and their efforts to give back to society。 Most Victorian era rich gave to charitable donations， but this family outshone them。 I found the reading informative while being educational。 One aspect that I really liked was the conversion of British pounds to American dollars in the foot notes。 I always wonder about the conversion so I was pleased to see that provided。 Stories of the peerage has always fascinated me and I liked this one。 T Welfare provides an in-depth look at one family of privilege and their efforts to give back to society。 Most Victorian era rich gave to charitable donations， but this family outshone them。 I found the reading informative while being educational。 One aspect that I really liked was the conversion of British pounds to American dollars in the foot notes。 I always wonder about the conversion so I was pleased to see that provided。 Stories of the peerage has always fascinated me and I liked this one。 The author went into great detail about the scandals and eventual downfall of the family。 。。。more
Gareth Russell
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