Patrick Wolrige Gordon was born in 1935 the son of Captain Robert Wolrige Gordon MC and Joan (née Walter). He was the younger by 40 minutes of identical twin brothers, the other being John MacLeod of MacLeod who inherited the Dunvegan Castle Estate from their grandmother Dame Flora Macleod of MacLeod. He was educated at Eton and New College Oxford. In 1958 he was elected as Conservative and Unionist MP for East Aberdeenshire in a by-election and became the youngest MP in the House of Commons at the age of 23.
He was Parliamentary private secretary to the Financial Secretary to the Treasury from 1959-1964. He served on committees for fisheries, prison reform and was a long-standing member of the Anglo-German Parliamentary Group. He played cricket for the Lords and Commons X1 for 16 years and maintained the highest bowling average of any member of the side.
He made many visits on behalf of MRA to among other countries Cyprus, India, Japan, Pakistan, South Africa, the USA, Canada, France, Austria, and Germany.
He lost his seat to the Scottish National Party in 1974. He farmed Aberdeen Angus cattle in Aberdeenshire, served as Session Clerk in his local church for 16 years, and represented the Gordon Presbytery at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. He captained the Newburgh on Ythan Golf Club in its centenary year and was dedicated to serving Aberdeenshire which he loved and where he died at home on 22 May 2002.
He married Anne Howard daughter of Doe and Peter Howard in 1962. They have a son and two daughters and eight grandchildren.
