Rt. Excellent George William Gordon Cherry Garden Great House
George William Gordon (1820–1865) is perhaps the most significant figure in the long history of Cherry Garden. Born on the estate to an enslaved woman, he rose to become a wealthy merchant, a magistrate, and a member of the House of Assembly. His purchase of the property in 1845 represented a triumphant return to the place of his birth, transforming it from a site of his mother's bondage into the home of a National Hero.
The Return to Cherry Garden (1845)
Gordon’s connection to Cherry Garden was deeply personal. He was born on the estate in 1820 to Joseph Gordon, a Scottish planter-attorney, and Ann Rattray, an enslaved woman. Although his father freed him, George was largely self-made, teaching himself to read and building a successful mercantile business in Kingston.
In the 1840s, the sugar economy collapsed, and Joseph Gordon—once a powerful "plantocrat"—faced financial ruin. In a dramatic reversal of fortune, it was his son George who intervened. In 1845, George William Gordon purchased the Cherry Garden estate, paying off his father's debts and saving the property from foreclosure.
Life at the Great House
Gordon lived at Cherry Garden with his wife, Mary Jane Shannon. During his tenure, the estate was not just a residence but a base of operations for his religious and political activities. He was known to use the grounds for Baptist meetings, earning him the nickname "The People's Preacher."
Contemporaries described the house during this period as a sanctuary where Gordon, often weary from his battles in the House of Assembly against Governor Edward Eyre, would retreat. It was here, overlooking the Liguanea Plains, that he drafted many of his petitions on behalf of the poor of St. Thomas-in-the-East.
The Morant Bay Rebellion and Arrest
The tranquility of Cherry Garden was shattered in October 1865. Following the uprising led by Paul Bogle in Morant Bay, Governor Eyre declared Martial Law in the eastern end of the island. Although Gordon was in Kingston (which was not under Martial Law) and had not been present at the riots, Eyre viewed him as the "instigator."
Contrary to popular belief, Gordon was not dragged from the Great House in chains. When news reached Cherry Garden that a warrant had been issued for his arrest, Gordon made the decision to face his accusers.
- The Surrender: Ignoring advice to flee, Gordon left Cherry Garden for the last time and traveled to the Headquarters House in Kingston. He surrendered himself to General O'Connor, believing that a civil trial would prove his innocence.
- The Trap: Governor Eyre personally oversaw Gordon's transfer from Kingston (civil jurisdiction) onto a warship, the HMS Wolverine, which transported him to Morant Bay (military jurisdiction).
- The Execution: Denied a lawyer and tried by a hasty court-martial, Gordon was hanged on October 23, 1865. His death sparked a constitutional crisis in Britain and led to the recall of Governor Eyre.
Legacy
Following his execution, Gordon's widow sold Cherry Garden to the banker Oscar Marescaux in the late 1860s. However, the memory of Gordon remained the estate's defining legacy.
In 1969, the Jamaican government proclaimed George William Gordon a National Hero. Today, the house stands not only as a monument to colonial architecture but as the site where a son of the soil rose to become a martyr for Jamaican liberty.