Gordon was the son of the distinguished diplomat Sir Archibald Gordon, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Dorothy, the daughter of Charles Silvester Horne, Member of Parliament: his great-grandfather, the Lord Cozens Hardy, was Master of the Rolls from 1907 until 1918.
He was educated at Rugby School and Balliol College, Oxford (Organ Scholar) Bachelor 1950, Master of Arts 1952 before studying for ordination at Cuddesdon College.
He was Bishop of Portsmouth from 1975 to 1984. He was Bishop at Lambeth from 1984 and additionally Bishop to the Forces from 1985. He ended his career as Sub-Dean at Christ Church, Oxford from 1991 to 1996.
After a curacy in the East End of London Gordon returned to Ripon College Cuddesdon as chaplain in 1955.
After four years he moved to Birmingham, firstly as a parish priest and then as a canon residentiary at the cathedral. After 12 years in Birmingham he returned to Oxford as vicar of the University Church of Street Mary the Virgin.
He was consecrated a bishop on 23 September 1975. In 1975 he was appointed to be Bishop of Portsmouth, a role he was to hold for nine years with appointment to the House of Lords coming in 1981.
He resigned on 31 May 1984.
He was head of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s staff as Bishop at Lambeth from 1984 until 1991 and additionally, Bishop to the Forces from 1985 to 1990. From 1991 until 1996 he was Sub-Dean of Christ Church, Oxford. He died on 8 August 2015.
He was also formerly a member of the Court of Ecclesiastical Causes Reserved.
