William Gordon, Lord Strathnaver

[1] Strathnaver was returned in a contest at the 1708 British general election as the first Member of Parliament for Tain Burghs.

The question arose whether the eldest sons of Scottish peers could be elected to the Parliament of Great Britain, after the Union.

After the House called in counsel, the election petitions and representations in writing were read out and the lawyers put forward arguments for their clients.

Lord Strathnaver was declared ineligible to be elected an MP for Tain Burghs and vacated the seat.

General Wade's report on the Highlands in 1724, estimated the number of men to bear arms by "Lord Sutherland and Strathnaver" to be 1000.

[2] For his efforts, his father obtained for Strathnaver a pension of £500 a year, but it was not approved until 1717, when he received a grant of £1,250 from royal bounty to make up the arrears.