James Hamilton, 2nd Earl Of Abercorn
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James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Abercorn () was a Catholic Scottish nobleman. He, his wife, his mother, and most of his family were persecuted by the kirk as
recusants Recusancy (from ) was the state of those who remained loyal to the Catholic Church and refused to attend Church of England services after the English Reformation. The 1558 Recusancy Acts passed in the reign of Elizabeth I, and temporarily repea ...
. Implementing his father's will, he gave his Irish title of
Baron Hamilton of Strabane Lord Hamilton, Baron of Strabane, in the County Tyrone, County of Tyrone, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland created on 8 May 1617, for James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Abercorn, James Hamilton, Master of Abercorn, eldest son of James Hamilton, 1st E ...
to his younger brother
Claud Claud is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Claud Allister (1888–1970), English actor *Claud Beelman (1883–1963), American architect *Claud Irvine Boswell (1742–1824), Scottish judge *Claud Thomas Bourchier (1831–1877), E ...
. His younger brothers inherited his father's Irish lands, while he received the Scottish ones, which he squandered away, being deep in debt in his later days.


Birth and origins

James was born about 1604, probably in Paisley, Scotland. He was the eldest son of
James Hamilton James Hamilton may refer to: Dukes *James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton (1606–1649), heir to the throne of Scotland *James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton (1658–1712), Scottish nobleman *James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton (1703–1743), Sco ...
and his wife Marion Boyd. His father was an undertaker in the plantation of Ulster and would be created 1st
Earl of Abercorn Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of ''earl'' never developed; instead, ''countess'' is used. The titl ...
by
James VI and I James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 M ...
in 1606. His paternal grandfather was Claud Hamilton, 1st Lord of Paisley. James's mother was the eldest daughter of Thomas Boyd, 6th Lord Boyd of
Kilmarnock Kilmarnock ( ; ; , ), meaning "the church of Mernóc", is a town and former burgh in East Ayrshire situated in southwest Scotland. The town has served as the administrative centre of East Ayrshire Council since 1996 and is the region's main ...
in Scotland. The Boyds were an old Scottish family, which would in 1661 be granted the title of
Earl of Kilmarnock Earl of Kilmarnock was a title created twice in the Peerage of Scotland for the Boyd family. It was first created in 1454 for Robert Boyd, Great Chamberlain of Scotland. It was created a second time in 1661 for William Boyd, 10th Lord Boyd. B ...
. He had four brothers and four sisters, which are listed in his father's article. His father had been a Protestant, but his mother, Marion Boyd, was a
recusant Recusancy (from ) was the state of those who remained loyal to the Catholic Church and refused to attend Church of England services after the English Reformation. The 1558 Recusancy Acts passed in the reign of Elizabeth I, and temporarily repea ...
, who brought him, like all his siblings, up as a Catholic. On 10 April 1606 his father was created
Earl of Abercorn Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of ''earl'' never developed; instead, ''countess'' is used. The titl ...
and Lord Paisley, Hamilton, Mountcastell and
Kilpatrick Kilpatrick is surname of Irish and Scottish origin, a variant of a name Kirkpatrick. It may refer to: People *Bill Kilpatrick, rugby league footballer of the 1920s and 1930s for Other Nationalities, and Oldham *Carl Kilpatrick, professional baske ...
.


Baron Hamilton of Strabane

On 8 May 1617, when he was only about 12 years old, he was created 1st Baron Hamilton of Strabane, in the peerage of Ireland, with remainder to the heirs male of the body of his father.3, line 7
/> The purpose of the creation was to give the Abercorns, who were Scottish earls but big landowners in Ireland, a seat in the
Irish House of Lords The Irish House of Lords was the upper house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from medieval times until the end of 1800. It was also the final court of appeal of the Kingdom of Ireland. It was modelled on the House of Lords of Englan ...
. The title
Baron Hamilton of Strabane Lord Hamilton, Baron of Strabane, in the County Tyrone, County of Tyrone, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland created on 8 May 1617, for James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Abercorn, James Hamilton, Master of Abercorn, eldest son of James Hamilton, 1st E ...
refers to the town of
Strabane Strabane (; ) is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Strabane had a population of 13,507 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census. This article contains quotations from this source, which is available under th Open Government Li ...
in County Tyrone, Ulster, where his father, the 1st Earl of Abercorn, had built a castle during the
Plantation of Ulster The Plantation of Ulster (; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster Scots: ) was the organised Settler colonialism, colonisation (''Plantation (settlement or colony), plantation'') of Ulstera Provinces of Ireland, province of Irelandby people from Great ...
.


Earl of Abercorn

In 1618 Lord Strabane, as he was now, succeeded his father as the 2nd Earl of Abercorn. His father had predeceased (d.v.p.) his grandfather,
Claud Hamilton, 1st Lord Paisley Claud Hamilton, 1st Lord Paisley (9 June 1546 – 3 May 1621) was a Scotland, Scottish nobleman who fought at the Battle of Langside in 1568 for Mary, Queen of Scots. He is the ancestor of the earls, marquesses and dukes of Duke of Abercorn, A ...
, and had thus never become Lord Paisley. In 1621 his grandfather, Lord Paisley, died. He succeeded therefore his grandfather as Lord Paisley and inherited the Scottish estates of the family, notably
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 ...
and Paisley, as well as
Kilpatrick Kilpatrick is surname of Irish and Scottish origin, a variant of a name Kirkpatrick. It may refer to: People *Bill Kilpatrick, rugby league footballer of the 1920s and 1930s for Other Nationalities, and Oldham *Carl Kilpatrick, professional baske ...
on the northern bank of the Clyde. Since his father had entailed his Irish lands on his younger brothers, he resigned the title of Baron Hamilton of Strabane on 11 November 1633.
Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...
, King of England and Scotland then regranted it to his brother
Claud Claud is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Claud Allister (1888–1970), English actor *Claud Beelman (1883–1963), American architect *Claud Irvine Boswell (1742–1824), Scottish judge *Claud Thomas Bourchier (1831–1877), E ...
.


Grand tour

Sometime in early 1620, Lord Abercorn, as he was now, went to the continent on "his travels" as the Grand Tour was called in his time. He spent several years travelling the continent and visited Catholic countries, France and Italy, which encouraged him in his Catholicism. He returned to Paisley in April 1627.


Marriage and children

In 1627 he married Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Lennox. He was 22, she was about 34, more than ten years older. She had been married to Lord Esmé Stewart and had had 11 children from him. Her first husband had died in 1624, being the 3rd
Duke of Lennox The title Duke of Lennox has been created several times in the peerage of Scotland, for Clan Stewart of Darnley. The dukedom, named for the district of Lennox in Dumbarton Dumbarton (; , or ; or , meaning 'fort of the Britons (histo ...
. In November 1632 she obtained a royal license permitting her to retain her precedence as a dowager duchess. James and Katherine had three sons, but the first two predeceased their father: #
James James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince Ja ...
(c. 1635 – before 1670), held the courtesy title of Lord Paisley as heir apparent but predeceased his father without producing a male heir #William (died before 1670), became a colonel but predeceased his father unmarried in the German wars #
George George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Gior ...
(c. 1636 – before 1683), succeeded his father as the 3rd Earl of Abercorn


Persecution by the Kirk

Abercorn's problems with the
Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland (CoS; ; ) is a Presbyterian denomination of Christianity that holds the status of the national church in Scotland. It is one of the country's largest, having 245,000 members in 2024 and 259,200 members in 2023. While mem ...
(the Kirk) began with the process engaged by the Paisley Presbytery against his mother and some of her servants. In June 1626 she fled to
James Law James Law (c. 1560 – 12 November 1632) was Archbishop of Glasgow. Entering the church after graduation from university, he rose to the position of Bishop of Orkney, reorganising the diocese, before rising to hold the position of Archbishop o ...
, the Archbishop of Glasgow for protection. The Bishop obtained a letter from the King, written by
William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling PC (c. 156712 February 1640) was a Scottish courtier and poet who was involved in the Scottish colonisation of Charles Fort, later Port-Royal, Nova Scotia in 1629 and Long Island, New York. His litera ...
that directed the church not to trouble her as long as she kept quiet. However, in April 1627 Abercorn returned from his travels on the continent and provoked the church by declaring himself openly a Catholic. On 20 January 1628 his mother, the Dowager Countess, was excommunicated by the Paisley Synod of the Church of Scotland. He escaped excommunication only by being absent at the royal court in London. His wife similarly was excommunicated on 3 February. On 26 August 1632 his mother died in Edinburgh. On 21 August 1637 his wife died at Paisley and was buried "without ceremony" on 17 September. Like his mother she was a
recusant Recusancy (from ) was the state of those who remained loyal to the Catholic Church and refused to attend Church of England services after the English Reformation. The 1558 Recusancy Acts passed in the reign of Elizabeth I, and temporarily repea ...
. As Catholic, she was buried without religious ceremony. Her title as Baroness Clifton passed to
James James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince Ja ...
, her eldest son from her first marriage. At that time his father was deep in debt owing more than 400,000 merks (about £20,000 Sterling) to his creditors. In 1649 Abercorn himself was excommunicated by the
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Church's governing body.''An Introduction to Practice and Procedure in the Church of Scotland'' by A. Gordon McGillivray, ...
and ordered to leave Scotland.


Heir male of Hamilton

On 11 September 1651, the male line of the
dukes 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 ...
failed when William Hamilton, the 2nd Duke died from wounds received at the
Battle of Worcester The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 in and around the city of Worcester, England and was the last major battle of the 1642 to 1651 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. A Parliamentarian army of around 28,000 under Oliver Cromwell def ...
fighting for Charles II against
Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially a ...
. As the Duke had no sons, he was succeeded by his niece Anne Hamilton according to the succession rule of his title (see family tree). It was found however that Abercorn was the heir male, which was thought of no consequence at the time. This status of the Abercorns being heir male later led to a dispute between the houses of Abercorn and Hamilton over the title of
Duke of Châtellerault Duke of 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 created for François de Bourbo ...
, when this title, which had belonged to
James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince Ja ...
, was revived by
Napoleon III of France Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led a series of m ...
in 1864 in favour of the Duke of Hamilton.


Sale of Paisley

On 22 June 1652 Abercorn sold Paisley to the Earl of Angus for £13,333 6s 8d Scots (about £1100 Sterling). Angus sold it a year later for £160,000 to Lord Cochrane, who would later become the 1st Earl of DunDonald. The 8th Earl of Abercorn would eventually buy Paisley back in 1764.


Death, succession, and timeline

Lord Abercorn died about 1670 and was succeeded by his son George as the 3rd Earl of Abercorn. George, however, died unmarried in
Padua Padua ( ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Veneto, northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Padua. The city lies on the banks of the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice and southeast of Vicenza, and has a population of 20 ...
. The earldom passed to the descendants of
Claud Hamilton, 2nd Baron Hamilton of Strabane Claud Hamilton, 2nd Baron Hamilton of Strabane ( – 1638) was the founder of the Strabane branch of the Hamiltons. He died relatively young at about 32 and his wife, Jean Gordon, married Sir Phelim O'Neill, one of the leaders of the 1641 rebe ...
.49, line 34
/>


Notes and references


Notes


Citations


Sources

* * – Ab-Adam to Basing (for Abercorn) * – (for timeline) * * – 1610 to 1613 * – (Preview) * * * – Abercorn to Balmerino (for Abercorn) * – Innermeath to Mar (for Boyd of Kilmallock) * – Panmure to Sinclair (for Sempill) * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Abercorn, James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of 1600s births 1670s deaths 17th-century Scottish nobility 02
James James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince Ja ...
Members of the Convention of the Estates of Scotland 1621 Members of the Convention of the Estates of Scotland 1630 People excommunicated by Presbyterian churches Peers of Ireland created by James I