Fortune's Many Houses: A Victorian Visionary, a Noble Scottish Family, and a Lost Inheritance

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. Illustrations.
"As the Marquess and Marchioness of Aberdeen, John and Ishbel Hamilton-Gordon enjoyed wealth and privilege that many in Victorian times could only imagine. Unlike other aristocrats of the time, however, the couple spent most of their money helping others. Ishbel--social reformer, political activist, health campaigner, and advocate of women's rights--personally transformed lives not only in her native Scotland, but in Canada and Ireland where her husband was appointed Viceroy by Queen Victoria. The coupleran their charitable campaigns from the homes they bought on their travels in Britain and North America, including a mansion in the Scottish Highlands, grand townhouses in London's most fashionable square, a fishing lodge in Quebec, and ranches in British Columbia and Texas. Yet Ishbel's passion for reform was a double-edged sword, doing as much good for others as it did reckless harm to her family's fortune and John had to sell almost all of his vast estates. When he died in 1934, their coffers were allbut empty and Ishbel faced eviction from her home in the Scottish hills. A moving and colorful exploration of Victorian society through the eyes of an inspirational couple who did their best to change the world for the better, often at great personal cost, Fortune's Many Houses is a feast for history lovers"--
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.