Hi there,
The John Gordon who died in Leven, Fife in 1812 with the NAS archive precognition is mine, and not the Leith fellow, so there could have been at least three John Gordons in the excise department.
Mine seems to be from Aberdeenshire, in 1785 married Christian Barron in Mortlach, and is described as of Huntly. In 1878 he had a son Patrick in Ittingston, Huntly, then a big gap until he and Christian had Christian Jean in 1803 in Carnwath, Lanarkshire. By 1805 Christian has died, and he remarried Elizabeth Henderson of Leven.
In 1812 he got drunk while on duty serving summonses on illicit whisky makers in Fife, and seems to have been trying to extort free drinks from some of them! It appears from the precognition that he died due to bleeding in his brain, and had external injuries to his head and loin area, it was not determined who had assaulted him, so there was no trial or charges laid.
Regards, Stephanie
