Claud Hamilton, 1st Lord Paisley (3 June 1546 – 3 May 1621) was a
Scottish nobleman who fought at the
Battle of Langside
The Battle of Langside was fought on 13 May 1568 between forces loyal to Mary, Queen of Scots, and forces acting in the name of her infant son James VI. Mary’s short period of personal rule ended in 1567 in recrimination, intrigue, and disast ...
in 1568 for
Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567.
The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...
. He is the ancestor of the earls, marquesses and dukes of
Abercorn
Abercorn (Gaelic: ''Obar Chùirnidh'', Old English: ''Æbbercurnig'') is a village and civil parish in West Lothian, Scotland. Close to the south coast of the Firth of Forth, the village is around west of South Queensferry. The parish had a p ...
.
Birth and origins
Claud was born in 1546 (baptised 9 June), probably at
Paisley, Scotland. He was the youngest son of
James Hamilton and his wife Margaret Douglas. His father was the 2nd Earl of Arran in Scotland and 1st
Duke of Châtellerault
Duke of Châtellerault (french: duc de Châtellerault) is a French noble title that has been created several times, originally in the Peerage of France in 1515. It takes its name from Châtellerault, in the Vienne region.
The first title was cr ...
in France. His father's family descended from
Walter FitzGilbert, the founder of the
House of Hamilton
Duke of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in April 1643. It is the senior dukedom in that peerage (except for the Dukedom of Rothesay held by the Sovereign's eldest son), and as such its holder is the premier peer of Sco ...
, who had received the barony of
Cadzow
Hamilton ( sco, Hamiltoun; gd, Baile Hamaltan ) is a large town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It sits south-east of Glasgow, south-west of Edinburgh and nor ...
from
Robert the Bruce
Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventual ...
in the 14th century. Claud's mother was a daughter of James Douglas, 3rd
Earl of Morton
The title Earl of Morton was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1458 for James Douglas of Dalkeith. Along with it, the title Lord Aberdour was granted. This latter title is the courtesy title for the eldest son and heir to the Earl of Morto ...
. Both parents were Scottish. They had married in September 1532. Claud had four brothers and four sisters,
who are listed in his father's article.
Commendator of Paisley
His uncle
John Hamilton, an illegitimate son of his grandfather, the 1st Earl of Arran, was
commendatory abbot of
Paisley Abbey
Paisley Abbey is a parish church of the Church of Scotland on the east bank of the White Cart Water in the centre of the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, about west of Glasgow, in Scotland. Its origins date from the 12th century, based on a for ...
around the time of his birth. In 1553 this uncle succeeded
David Beaton
David Beaton (also Beton or Bethune; 29 May 1546) was Archbishop of St Andrews and the last Scotland, Scottish Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal prior to the Scottish Reformation, Reformation.
Career
Cardinal Beaton was the sixth and youngest ...
as Archbishop of St Andrews and agreed to pass the position as commendator to his nephew Claud, who was then about seven years old.
Scottish politics and the Battle of Langside
In March 1560, when he was 14, Hamilton was sent as a hostage to England to guarantee the
Treaty of Berwick.
He and his family were Catholics and supporters of
Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567.
The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...
. On 2 May 1568, he helped her escape from
Loch Leven Castle
Lochleven Castle is a ruined castle on an island in Loch Leven, in the Perth and Kinross local authority area of Scotland. Possibly built around 1300, the castle was the site of military action during the Wars of Scottish Independence (1296†...
and on 13 May fought for her at
Langside
Langside is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated south of the River Clyde, and lies east of Shawlands, south of Queens Park, west of Cathcart and north of Newlands. The district is residential and primarily middle-class, ...
where the Queen's men were defeated by
Moray
Moray () gd, Moireibh or ') is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.
Between 1975 ...
, the
regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
. He had commanded the vanguard of her army during the battle. His estates having been forfeited because of condemnation, Hamilton was concerned in the murder of the Regent Moray in 1570, and also in that of the next Regent,
Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox
Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox (21 September 1516 – 4 September 1571) was a leader of the Catholic nobility in Scotland. He was the paternal grandfather of King James VI of Scotland and I of England. He owned Temple Newsam in Yorkshire, ...
, in the following year; but in 1573 he recovered his estates.
Marriage and children
On 1 August 1574 at
Niddry Castle
Niddry Castle is a sixteenth-century tower house near Winchburgh, West Lothian, Scotland. It is situated near the Union Canal, and between two large oil shale bings, or waste heaps. Historically it was known as Niddry Seton or West Niddry to di ...
, Hamilton married
Margaret Seton
Margaret Seton, Lady Paisley (died 1616) was a Scottish aristocrat, courtier and a favourite of Anne of Denmark.
Family background
She was a daughter of George Seton, 7th Lord Seton and Isobel Hamilton, a daughter of Sir William Hamilton of San ...
, the daughter of
George Seton, 7th Lord Seton
George Seton V, 7th Lord Seton (1531–1586), was a Lord of the Parliament of Scotland, Master of the Household of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Provost of Edinburgh. He was the eldest son of George Seton, 6th Lord Seton, and Elizabeth Hay, a daughter ...
and his wife, Isabel Hamilton. Among her siblings were
Robert Seton, 1st Earl of Winton
Robert Seton, 1st Earl of Winton (1553 – 22 March 1603) was one of the Scottish peers who supported Mary, Queen of Scots.
Early years
The son of George Seton, 7th Lord Seton, Robert Seton grew up active in the affairs of his father and of th ...
;
Sir John Seton of
Barnes
Barnes may refer to:
People
* Barnes (name), a family name and a given name (includes lists of people with that name)
Places
United Kingdom
*Barnes, London, England
**Barnes railway station
** Barnes Bridge railway station
** Barnes Railway Bri ...
, attendant to the
Earl of Leicester
Earl of Leicester is a title that has been created seven times. The first title was granted during the 12th century in the Peerage of England. The current title is in the Peerage of the United Kingdom and was created in 1837.
Early creatio ...
in 1575, Master Carver to
Philip II of Spain
Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from ...
and Master of Horse to James VI;
Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline
Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline (1555–1622) was a Scottish lawyer, judge and politician. He served as Lord President of the Court of Session from 1598 to 1604, Lord Chancellor of Scotland from 1604 to 1622 and as a Lord High Commiss ...
, Lord Urquhart,
Lord Fyvie
Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage ...
, and
Prior of Pluscarden
The Prior of Pluscarden (later Commendator of Pluscarden) was the head of the monastic community and lands of Pluscarden Priory, Moray, Scotland. The Priory was founded in 1230 by King Alexander II of Scotland for the Valliscaulian Order. In March ...
; and Sir William Seton, who married Janet Dunbar.
Claud and Margaret had five sons:
#
James
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguati ...
(1575–1618), was created the 1st Earl of Abercorn in 1603
# John, married Johanna Everard, daughter of Levimus Everard
#
Claud (died 1614), of Shawfield, was appointed to the Privy Council of Ireland, and whose daughter Margaret married Sir
John Stewart of Methven
Sir John Stewart of Methven (died 1628) was governor of Dumbarton Castle and Admiral of the Western Seas Family and marriage
Sir John Stewart of Methven was an illegitimate son of Ludovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of Lennox.
Stewart married Margaret Hamil ...
#
George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...
(died before 1657) of Greenlaw and Roscrea, married twice and lived at Derrywoon
#
Frederick Frederick may refer to:
People
* Frederick (given name), the name
Nobility
Anhalt-Harzgerode
*Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670)
Austria
* Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198
* Frederick ...
(1590–1647), served Sweden in the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history
The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...
and built the castle of
Manorhamilton
Manorhamilton () is the second-largest town in County Leitrim, Ireland. It is located on the N16 from Sligo and from Enniskillen.
History
Before the Plantations of Ireland, the settlement was known, and continues to be known in the Ir ...
, County Leitrim, Ireland
—and at least one daughter:
#Margaret (died 1623), married
William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas
William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas and 11th Earl of Angus (1589–1660) was a Scottish nobleman.
Life
Master of Angus
William Douglas was the eldest son of William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus and his Countess, Elizabeth Oliphant, elde ...
Later years
In 1562 his eldest brother, James, was declared insane. His father died at Hamilton on 22 January 1575. His brother James as the eldest inherited the title and estate but because of his insanity, John, the second brother, had to stand in for him.
Then in 1579, the
privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...
decided to arrest both him and his brother,
Lord John Hamilton (afterwards 1st
Marquess of Hamilton), to punish them for their past misdeeds. They were besieged at Hamilton. The brothers escaped to the
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England (, ) was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from 12 July 927, when it emerged from various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain.
On 1 ...
, where
Queen Elizabeth used them as pawns in the diplomatic game, and later Claud lived for a short time in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
.
In 1580 he is received into the Catholic church by Frater
James Tyrie.
In April 1583 Claud was in exile in England at
Widdrington Castle in Northumberland. He wrote to
Queen Elizabeth and
Frances Walsingham
Frances Burke, Countess of Clanricarde, Dowager Countess of Essex ( Walsingham, formerly Devereux and Sidney; 1567 – 17 February 1633) was an English noblewoman. The daughter of Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth I's Secretary of State, ...
for aid for his expenses living in this "sober house" especially as his wife was soon to visit.
[William Boyd, ''Calendar State Papers Scotland: 1581-1583'', vol. 6 (Edinburgh, 1914), pp. 401-402.]
Returning to Scotland in 1586 and meddling again in politics, he sought to reconcile
James VI of Scotland with his mother; he was in communication with
Philip II of Spain
Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from ...
in the interests of Mary and the
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
religion, and neither the failure of
Anthony Babington
Anthony Babington (24 October 156120 September 1586) was an English gentleman convicted of plotting the assassination of Elizabeth I of England and conspiring with the imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots, for which he was hanged, drawn and quartere ...
's plot nor even the defeat of the
Spanish Armada
The Spanish Armada (a.k.a. the Enterprise of England, es, Grande y FelicÃsima Armada, links=no, lit=Great and Most Fortunate Navy) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aris ...
put an end to these intrigues.
In 1587 he was created a Scottish
Lord of Parliament
A Lord of Parliament ( sco, Laird o Pairlament) was the holder of the lowest form of peerage, entitled as of right to take part in sessions of the pre- Union Parliament of Scotland. Since that Union in 1707, it has been the lowest rank of the ...
as Lord Paisley, when the abbey was erected as a barony. With this the Hamilton family gained a second seat in Parliament, the first being held by his elder brother John for his eldest brother James, during his insanity. This seat in the Scottish Parliament was occupied after his death by his grandson
James, the 2nd Earl of Abercorn and Lord Paysley became a subsidiary title of the earls, later marquesses and dukes of Abercorn, which was held by the heir apparent.
Illness, death, and timeline
In 1589 some of his letters were seized and Lord Paisley, as he was now, suffered a short imprisonment, after which he practically disappeared from public life. He suffered from mental illness in his later years. In November 1590 he broke down in tears after reading the Bible and it was thought he would not recover 'in regard of the infirmity haunting and falling on many descended of that house'. His eldest brother
James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran
James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran (1537–1609) was a Scottish nobleman and soldier who opposed the French-dominated regency during the Scottish Reformation. He was the eldest son of James Hamilton, Duke of Châtellerault, sometime regent of S ...
, had been suffering from a mental illness since 1562. In 1598 he allowed James, his eldest son, styled the Master of Paisley, to act on his behalf with regard to all the affairs concerning the town. His wife died in March 1616. His son predeceased him in 1618. He died in 1621 and was buried in Paisley Abbey. He was succeeded by his grandson,
James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Abercorn
James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Abercorn ( – c. 1670) was a Catholic Scottish nobleman. He, his wife, his mother, and most of his family were persecuted by the kirk as recusants. Implementing his father's will, he gave his Irish title of Baron H ...
.
Notes and references
Notes
Citations
Sources
* – 1547 to 1563
* – 1574 to 1581
* – 1589 to 1593
* (for details on his siblings and children)
*
*
* – Ab-Adam to Basing
*
* – (for timeline)
*
*
* – Viscounts
*
* – Abercorn to Balmerino (for Lord Paisley)
* – Fife to Hyndford (for Hamilton)
* – Sumerville to Winton (for Seton, earl of Winton)
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Claud, 1st Lord Paisley
Hamilton, Claud, 1st Lord Paisley
Hamilton, Claud, 1st Lord Paisley
16th-century Scottish people
17th-century Scottish people
Court of Mary, Queen of Scots
Claud
Paisley, Claud Hamilton, 1st Lord
Paisley, Claud Hamilton, 1st Lord
Paisley
People associated with Renfrewshire
Younger sons of earls