Lord Claud Hamilton PC (27 July 1813 – 3 June 1884) was a British

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

politician. He notably served as

Treasurer of the Household The Treasurer of the Household is a member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The position is usually held by one of the government deputy Chief Whips in the House of Commons. The current holder of the office is Ma ...

in 1852 and between 1858 and 1859 and as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household between 1866 and 1868.

Background and education

Hamilton was the second son of

James Hamilton, Viscount Hamilton James Hamilton, Viscount Hamilton (7 October 1786 – 27 May 1814) was a British nobleman and politician. Birth and education The eldest son of John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn, James Hamilton was born at Petersham Lodge, Surrey, on 7 Oct ...

, eldest son of

John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

. His mother was Harriet Douglas, daughter of the Honourable John Douglas, younger son of

James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton, KT, PRS (1702 – 12 October 1768) was a Scottish astronomer and representative peer who was president of the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh from its foundation in 1737 until his death. He also became ...

James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn, (21 January 1811 – 31 October 1885), styled Viscount Hamilton from 1814 to 1818 and The Marquess of Abercorn from 1818 to 1868, was a British Conservative statesman who twice served as Lord Lieutenant of I ...

, was his elder brother.thepeerage.com Lord Claud Hamilton
/ref> He was educated at Harrow and

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...

Political career

Hamilton sat as

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for

County Tyrone County Tyrone (; ) is one of the six Counties of Northern Ireland, counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional Counties of Ireland, counties of Ireland. It is no longer used as an admini ...

from 1835 to 1837 and again from 1839 to 1874. When the Conservatives came to power in February 1852 under the

Earl of Derby Earl of Derby ( ) is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby, under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the end ...

, Hamilton was admitted to 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 ...

and appointed

, a post he held until the government fell in December 1852. He held the same office under Derby from 1858 to 1859. When Derby became prime minister for a third time in 1866, Hamilton was promoted to Vice-Chamberlain of the Household, a position he retained until 1868, the last year under the premiership of

Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and Conservative politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creation o ...

. He could talk fluently and well on almost any topic at indefinite length. One of his speeches lasted four hours and twenty minutes, one of the longest then on record in the House of Commons.

Family

Hamilton married Lady Elizabeth Proby, daughter of Granville Proby, 3rd Earl of Carysfort, on 7 August 1844. They had one son and three daughters. Hamilton's wife Elizabeth was the translator from French to English of 'Louis Pasteur: His life and times' by Pasteur's son-in-law. His only son

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...

became a soldier and Member of Parliament while his grandson Richard was created a

Baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

in 1952 (see

Proby Baronets There have been two baronetcies created for persons with the surname Proby, one in the Baronetage of England and one in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. The first creation is extinct while the second creation is extant. The Proby Baronetc ...

). A daughter, Louisa Hamilton, married physicist

John Tyndall John Tyndall FRS (; 2 August 1820 – 4 December 1893) was a prominent 19th-century Irish physicist. His scientific fame arose in the 1850s from his study of diamagnetism. Later he made discoveries in the realms of infrared radiation and the p ...

. Hamilton died in June 1884, aged 70. Lady Elizabeth survived him by sixteen years and died in June 1900.

References

External links

* 1813 births 1884 deaths Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for County Tyrone constituencies (1801–1922) UK MPs 1835–1837 UK MPs 1837–1841 UK MPs 1841–1847 UK MPs 1847–1852 UK MPs 1852–1857 UK MPs 1857–1859 UK MPs 1859–1865 UK MPs 1865–1868 UK MPs 1868–1874 Irish Conservative Party MPs Younger sons of marquesses Treasurers of the Household People educated at Harrow School Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom {{England-UK-MP-stub