Lieutenant General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on th ...
James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton and 1st Duke of Brandon (11 April 1658 – 15 November 1712) was a Scottish nobleman, soldier and politician. Hamilton was a major investor in the failed
Darien Scheme, which cost many of Scotland's ruling class their fortunes. He led the Country Party in the
Parliament of Scotland
The Parliament of Scotland ( sco, Pairlament o Scotland; gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba) was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland from the 13th century until 1707. The parliament evolved during the early 13th century from the king's council o ...
and the opposition to the
Act of Union in 1707. He died on 15 November 1712 as the result of a
celebrated duel in
Hyde Park,
Westminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster.
The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...
, with
Charles Mohun, 4th Baron Mohun
Charles Mohun, 4th Baron Mohun (c. 1675 – 15 November 1712) was an English politician best known for his frequent participation in duels and for his reputation as a rake. He was killed in the celebrated Hamilton–Mohun Duel in Hyde Park ...
, over a disputed inheritance.
Early life
The eldest son of
William Douglas, 1st Earl of Selkirk (who was created Duke of Hamilton for his lifetime and changed his surname to Hamilton in 1660) and his wife
Anne, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton in her own right, Hamilton was born at
Hamilton Palace, in
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark ( gd, Siorrachd Lannraig; sco, Lanrikshire), is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the central Lowlands of Scotland.
Lanarkshire is the most populous county in Scotl ...
. He was a descendant through his mother of the Scottish
House of Stewart and therefore had a significant claim to the thrones of both Scotland and England. He was educated by a series of tutors, until he was of age to attend the
University of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
. Following this, he travelled to the continent on the
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the principally 17th- to early 19th-century custom of a traditional trip through Europe, with Italy as a key destination, undertaken by upper-class young European men of sufficient means and rank (typically accompanied by a tut ...
, fashionable amongst young noblemen of the time. He was styled until 1698 as the Earl of Arran.
In 1679, Arran was appointed a
Gentleman of the Bedchamber
Gentleman of the Bedchamber was a title in the royal household of the Kingdom of England from the 11th century, later used also in the Kingdom of Great Britain. A Lord of the Bedchamber was a courtier in the Royal Households of the United Kingdo ...
by
Charles II. Later in 1683, he was accredited ambassador to the Court of
Louis XIV of France
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of ...
. Arran remained in France for over a year, taking part in two campaigns in French service. On his return to Great Britain following the accession of
James VII and II, he brought letters of personal recommendation from Louis to the new King. King James reaffirmed Arran in his offices. Arran was in the first cohort of James VII's royal
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland, who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order. The O ...
in 1687, and following the deposition of James, Arran refused to join the party of the
Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title originally associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by sovereigns in the Netherlands.
The titl ...
, indeed he was imprisoned twice in the
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...
, suspected of intrigues, but was released without charge.
Duke of Hamilton
Arran's father died in 1694, and in July 1698 his mother resigned all her titles into the hand of King William, who regranted them to Arran a month later in a charter signed at
Het Loo,
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. He was confirmed in the titles of Duke of Hamilton, Marquess of Clydesdale, Earl of Arran, Lanark and Cambridge and Lord Aven, Polmont, Machansyre, and Innerdale. This regrant of title was presumably because of the loyalty of Arran's parents to the king, as his own affection to the House of Orange was questionable due to his suspected
Jacobitism
, war =
, image = Prince James Francis Edward Stuart by Louis Gabriel Blanchet.jpg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = James Francis Edward Stuart, Jacobite claimant between 1701 and 1766
, active ...
. (He was arrested more than once for pro-Stuart activities.)
The Darien scheme and the Act of Union
Hamilton formed a Political grouping in support of the
Darien Scheme, in the
Parliament of Scotland
The Parliament of Scotland ( sco, Pairlament o Scotland; gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba) was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland from the 13th century until 1707. The parliament evolved during the early 13th century from the king's council o ...
. He and his mother had heavily invested in the expedition, that ultimately failed resulting in Scotland losing 20% of its currency in circulation at the time.
Following the failure of Darien, and in light of the longer history of trade friction with England, serious machinations began proposing a union between the two realms of Scotland and England. Hamilton was assumed to be the head of the anti-union Cavalier Party, perhaps due to his serious claim to the throne of Scotland. Hamilton, being a descendant through his mother of the Scottish
House of Stewart (prior to their accession to the English throne) was the senior-most claimant to the throne of Scotland in the event that Scotland chose not to accept
Sophia of the Palatinate
Sophia of Hanover (born Princess Sophia of the Palatinate; 14 October 1630 – 8 June 1714) was the Electress of Hanover by marriage to Elector Ernest Augustus and later the heiress presumptive to the thrones of England and Scotland (later Gre ...
as the Stuart heiress (see
Act of Security 1704
The Act of Security 1704 (also referred to as the Act for the Security of the Kingdom) was a response by the Parliament of Scotland to the Parliament of England's Act of Settlement 1701. Queen Anne's last surviving child, William, Duke of Glou ...
). Sophia was the most junior descendant of the most junior branch of the English Stuarts and Scotland, also being Protestant, would only accept a Protestant heir to Scotland. This meant that Hamilton and his heirs were next in the Scottish line of succession after the
House of Hanover
The House of Hanover (german: Haus Hannover), whose members are known as Hanoverians, is a European royal house of German origin that ruled Hanover, Great Britain, and Ireland at various times during the 17th to 20th centuries. The house or ...
. To the detriment of his royal future, Hamilton's political conduct proved ineffective and he wavered between both the Court and the National parties. On the day of the final vote regarding the Anglo-Scottish union, Hamilton abstained and remained in his chambers at
Holyrood Palace
The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace or Holyroodhouse, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh ...
claiming to be indisposed by toothache. The highly unpopular
Acts of Union were passed, and riots followed in the streets of Edinburgh. Hamilton had missed his chance to secure the Scottish succession for his family.
Post Union
Hamilton was chosen as one of 16
Scottish Representative Peers in 1708. He was created Duke of Brandon,
Suffolk
Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include ...
in the Peerage of
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...
in 1711. This drew criticism as to the legality of his position and ability to sit in the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...
. The situation was not resolved until 1782 for the
6th Duke of Hamilton. In addition to the Dukedom, Hamilton was created Baron Dutton in
Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county tow ...
. In October 1712 he was created a
Knight of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George ...
, making him the only Non-Royal to be a knight of both Thistle and Garter.
The Macclesfield inheritance and death
On 15 November 1712, Hamilton fought a celebrated duel with
Charles, Lord Mohun, in
Hyde Park,
Westminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster.
The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...
, in an episode narrated in
Thackeray's ''
The History of Henry Esmond
''The History of Henry Esmond'' is a historical novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, originally published in 1852. The book tells the story of the early life of Henry Esmond, a colonel in the service of Queen Anne of England. A typical examp ...
''.
Following the death without an heir of
Fitton Gerard, third
Earl of Macclesfield
Earl of Macclesfield is a title that has been created twice. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1679 in favour of the soldier and politician Charles Gerard, 1st Baron Gerard. He had already been created Baron Gerard, of Bra ...
, in 1702, a disagreement had arisen over who should succeed to his extensive estates, based at
Gawsworth Hall, Cheshire. Hamilton claimed the estates through his wife Elizabeth Gerard, a granddaughter of
Charles Gerard, 1st Earl of Macclesfield
Charles Gerard, 1st Earl of Macclesfield, PC (c. 16187 January 1694) was an English aristocrat, soldier and courtier.
Early life
The eldest son of Sir Charles Gerard, he was a member of an old Lancashire family, his great-grandfather having ...
. Mohun claimed them as the named heir of
Charles Gerard, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield
Charles Gerard, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield (c. 16595 November 1701) was an English peer, soldier and MP.
Biography
He was born in France, the eldest son of Charles Gerard, Baron Brandon (later 1st Earl of Macclesfield), and Jeanne, the daughter of ...
, to whom he had been a companion-in-arms. The years of litigation that followed culminated in Mohun calling Hamilton out.
The duel took place on the morning of the 15th. The older Hamilton mortally wounded Mohun, and was mortally wounded in turn. Hamilton's second thereafter claimed that Mohun's second
George Macartney had dealt the final stroke to Hamilton whilst pretending to attend to Mohun, but the evidence was wholly inconclusive. Questions about why John Hamilton did not stay to attempt to arrest Macartney if he had thought that such a crime had been committed brought suspicion on his testimony. A cry for justice went up amongst the Duke's friends, including Jonathan Swift, and Macartney escaped to the continent. After attempts to repatriate him, he was tried ''in absentia'' for murder, and stripped of his regiment, but was later pardoned.
Marriage and issue
In 1686 Hamilton married Lady Anne Spencer, a daughter of
Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland
Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland, (5 September 164128 September 1702) was an English nobleman and politician of the Spencer family. An able and gifted statesman, his caustic temper and belief in absolute monarchy nevertheless made him nu ...
. They had two daughters, although neither survived childhood:
*Unnamed daughter (born and died 1689)
*Unnamed daughter (born and died 1690)
Anne died shortly after the birth of the second daughter in 1690.
Hamilton married secondly Elizabeth Gerard, daughter of
Digby Gerard, 5th Baron Gerard in 1698 (died February 1743/4), and had seven children:
*Lady Elizabeth Hamilton (1699–1702)
*Lady Catherine Hamilton (c. 1700 – 22 Dec 1712)
*Lady Charlotte Hamilton (c. 1701 – 1774), who married
Charles Edwin, MP, of Llanfihangel, and was a figure in early
Methodism
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
.
*
James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton (1703–1743)
*
Lord William Hamilton
Lord William Hamilton (c. 1706 – 11 July 1734) was a member of Parliament for Lanarkshire.
Early life
Lord William was the second oldest child of James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton, and his second wife Elizabeth (née Gerard). When the ...
(c. 1705 – 1734)
*Lady Susan Hamilton (26 Sep 1706–1753), who married
Anthony Keck
Anthony Keck (1726–1797) was an 18th-century English architect with an extensive practice in Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire and South Wales.
Life
Keck was born at Randwick, Gloucestershire in 1726 He designed in the "austere ...
, MP for Woodstock.
*
Lord Anne Hamilton
Lord Anne Hamilton (12 October 1709 – 25 December 1748) was a Scottish nobleman. He is said to have married the richest woman in the UK and they had a child.
Early life
Hamilton was born at St. James's Square, London, the third son of Lieuten ...
(1709–1748), ancestor of the 13th and subsequent Dukes of Hamilton.
In addition, Hamilton had four illegitimate children:
*Lt. Col.
Sir James Abercrombie, 1st Baronet
''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as ...
, born prior to 1680, who died at
Dunkirk
Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France. in 1724. Sir James entered the
Royal Scots
The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment), once known as the Royal Regiment of Foot, was the oldest and most senior infantry regiment of the line of the British Army, having been raised in 1633 during the reign of Charles I of Scotland. The regime ...
, rose to the rank of
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colon ...
and fought in the
Battle of Blenheim
The Battle of Blenheim (german: Zweite Schlacht bei Höchstädt, link=no; french: Bataille de Höchstädt, link=no; nl, Slag bij Blenheim, link=no) fought on , was a major battle of the War of the Spanish Succession. The overwhelming Allied ...
as
Aide-de-Camp to his uncle
George Douglas-Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney
Field Marshal George Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney, KT (9 February 1666 – 29 January 1737), styled Lord George Hamilton from 1666 to 1696, was a British soldier and Scottish nobleman and the first British Army officer to be promoted to the ran ...
.
[Hayton, D. W. (2002]
"ABERCROMBY, James (d. 1724)"
''The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1690–1715'', edited by D. Hayton, E. Cruickshanks, and S. Handley He went on to become a
Whig MP for
Dysart Burghs in 1710.
[Wilkinson, David (2002]
"Dysart Burghs"
''The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1690–1715'', edited by D. Hayton, E. Cruickshanks, and S. Handley
*
Sir Charles Hamilton KB, born to
Lady Barbara FitzRoy, he married first Elizabeth, daughter of the Hon.
John Campbell of Mamore and had a son christened William James (the surname was taken after his grandfather), but he died in infancy. The main reason for the name change was to distance him from the Hamilton family who had sent Charles out to France after the disgrace of his father's affair and bastard child. While in France Charles Hamilton was styled Count of Arran. Elizabeth later died and Charles remarried Antoinette Courtney, daughter of Charles Courtney of Archambaud and had a son by her,
Charles Hamilton James (christened with the surname James as with his older brother) who returned to England and began a military career, finally settling in
Dorset
Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , ...
. Charles on returning to England went into the Army, became a Lieutenant Colonel in the
Royal Scots Greys
The Royal Scots Greys was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1707 until 1971, when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards) to form the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.
The regiment's history began in 16 ...
and was created a Knight Companion of the
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) a ...
. He went on to marry Catherine, daughter of
Sir Gerrard Napier, 5th Baronet of Middle March and had a son, who married firstly the granddaughter of the
3rd Earl of Aboyne and secondly the daughter of
John Montagu, 5th Earl of Sandwich
John Montagu, 5th Earl of Sandwich, PC (26 January 1744 – 6 June 1814), styled Viscount Hinchingbrooke until 1792, was a British peer and Tory politician.
Background and education
Montagu was the eldest son of John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandw ...
he had issue by both.
*Hamilton also had two daughters named Ruthven.
Ancestors
Coat of Arms
Notes
References
*
*
*
*
Further reading
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton
1658 births
1712 deaths
Diplomatic peers
Duelling fatalities
Peers of Great Britain created by Queen Anne
101
104
Garter Knights appointed by Anne
Knights of the Thistle
Lord-Lieutenants of Lancashire
Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1689–1702
Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1702–1707
Royal Horse Guards officers
Scottish generals
Scottish representative peers
James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton
Ambassadors of Great Britain to France
James
Scottish Jacobites