The title Duke of Abercorn () is a title in the

Peerage of Ireland The Peerage of Ireland consists of those titles of nobility created by the English monarchs in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland, or later by monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It is one of the five divisi ...

. It was created in 1868 and bestowed upon James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Abercorn. Although the Dukedom is in the Peerage of Ireland, it refers to Abercorn,

West Lothian West Lothian ( sco, Wast Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Iar) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and was one of its historic counties. The county was called Linlithgowshire until 1925. The historic county was bounded geographically by the A ...

, and the Duke also bears four titles in

Peerage of Scotland The Peerage of Scotland ( gd, Moraireachd na h-Alba, sco, Peerage o Scotland) is one of the five divisions of peerages in the United Kingdom and for those peers created by the King of Scots before 1707. Following that year's Treaty of Unio ...

and two in the

Peerage of Great Britain The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain between the Acts of Union 1707 and the Acts of Union 1800. It replaced the Peerage of England and the Peerage of Scotland, but was itself re ...

, and is one of only three peers who have titles in those three peerages. The Duke of Abercorn also claims the French title of

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 cre ...

, created in 1548.

History

In acknowledgement of his loyalty,

James VI of Scotland 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 Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...

(James I of England), conferred on the Hon. Claud Hamilton, third son of James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran, the title Lord Paisley. His son James Hamilton was created Lord Abercorn on 5 April 1603, then on 10 July 1606 he was made Earl of Abercorn and Lord of Paisley, Hamilton, Mountcastell and Kilpatrick. His successor, the 2nd Earl of Abercorn, was additionally created Lord Hamilton, Baron of Strabane, in the

, on 8 May 1617. He resigned this dignity to his younger brother in 1633; the brother's heirs inherited the Earldom and other titles in 1680, in the person of

Claud Hamilton, 4th Earl of Abercorn Claud Hamilton, 4th Earl of Abercorn PC (Ire) (1659–1691) was a Scottish and Irish peer who fought for the Jacobites in the Williamite War. He went with King James to Derry in 1689 and tried to negotiate the surrender of the town with Adam ...

. He was attainted in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

in 1691, and the Barony of

Strabane Strabane ( ; ) is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Strabane had a population of 13,172 at the 2011 Census. It lies on the east bank of the River Foyle. It is roughly midway from Omagh, Derry and Letterkenny. The River Foyle mark ...

forfeited, but his brother

Charles Hamilton, 5th Earl of Abercorn Charles Hamilton, 5th Earl of Abercorn (died June 1701) succeeded his brother who had been attainted as a Jacobite and, having conformed to the established church, could get the attainder reversed. Birth and origins Charles was born betwee ...

, obtained a reversal of the attainder and recovered in 1692. The 6th earl was at his accession an Irish

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 14t ...

, "of Dunalong in the County of Tyrone, and of Nenagh in the County of Tipperary" (1660). He was additionally created Baron Mountcastle and Viscount Strabane, in the Peerage of Ireland, on 2 September 1701. The 7th earl became the first of the Earls of Abercorn to be invested a Privy Counsellor, having been appointed to both the English and Irish Privy Councils. The 8th earl was created Viscount Hamilton, of Hamilton, in the

on 24 August 1786. He was succeeded by his nephew, who was created Marquess of Abercorn in the Peerage of Great Britain on 15 October 1790, after having sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...

as MP for East Looe and for St Germans. He was made a

Knight of the Order 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 Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system, outranked in ...

in 1805. The 2nd Marquess, who had been given the Garter in 1844, served as

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (), or more formally Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland, was the title of the chief governor of Ireland from the Williamite Wars of 1690 until the Partition of Ireland in 1922. This spanned the King ...

from 1866 to 1868 (and again from 1874 to 1876); and on 10 August 1868, during his first term, he was created Marquess of Hamilton, of Strabane, and Duke of Abercorn (in the Peerage of Ireland). His successor, the 2nd Duke, continued the family tradition by being awarded the Garter in 1892; the 3rd Duke served as MP for Londonderry and as

Governor of Northern Ireland The governor of Northern Ireland was the principal officer and representative in Northern Ireland of the British monarch. The office was established on 9 December 1922 and abolished on 18 July 1973. Overview The office of Governor of Northern ...

, along with being created a Knight of St Patrick and given the Garter. Currently, the holder of the Dukedom is

James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn, (born 4 July 1934), is a British nobleman, peer, and politician. He became Duke of Abercorn in the Peerage of Ireland on the death of his father in June 1979. He is the son of James Edward Hamilton, 4th D ...

, also a Knight of the Garter. Of the subsidiary titles above, Marquess of Hamilton is the courtesy title of the

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

, and Viscount Strabane that of his heir-apparent. The Dukes of Abercorn also claim the French title of '' Duc de Châtellerault'', as heirs-male of the 2nd Earl of Arran, who was granted the title in 1548 by

Henry II of France Henry II (french: Henri II; 31 March 1519 – 10 July 1559) was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559. The second son of Francis I and Duchess Claude of Brittany, he became Dauphin of France upon the death of his elder bro ...

. Additionally, since the death of

William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton KG (14 December 161612 September 1651) was a Scottish nobleman who supported both Royalist and Presbyterian causes during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Life Hamilton was born at Hamilton Palace in De ...

, in 1651, the Earls, Marquesses, and Dukes of Abercorn have been the rightful claimants to the peerage dignities of Earl of Arran (of the 1503 creation) and Lord Hamilton (of the 1445 creation), both in the

, as the most senior heirs-male of

James Hamilton, Duke of Châtellerault James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Châtellerault, 2nd Earl of Arran ( 1519 – 22 January 1575), was a Scottish nobleman and head of the House of Hamilton. A great-grandson of King James II of Scotland, he was heir presumptive to the Scottish thr ...

, and this title is reflected in their coat of arms, with an inescutcheon of three fleurs-de-lys and a French ducal crown.

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

was a great-granddaughter of the 3rd Duke of Abercorn. The family seat is Baronscourt (usually known locally as Baronscourt Castle), a neo-Classical country house on the Barons Court Estate near Newtownstewart, Omagh, a village near

County Tyrone County Tyrone (; ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. It is no longer used as an administrative division for local government but retai ...

, Northern Ireland. The traditional burial place of the Dukes of Abercorn and their families is the cemetery at Baronscourt Parish Church.Baronscourt Parish Church
/ref>

List of titleholders

Lords Paisley (1587)

Claud Hamilton, 1st Lord Paisley Claud Hamilton, 1st Lord Paisley (3 June 1546 – 3 May 1621) was a 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 Abercorn. Birth and origi ...

(1543–1621) was a Scottish politician **The 1st Earl of Abercorn was the 1st Lord's eldest son. He predeceased his father *James Hamilton, 2nd Lord Paisley was already 2nd Earl of Abercorn

Earls of Abercorn (1606)

:''Other titles: Lord Abercorn, in the county of Linlithgow (Sc 1603) and Lord Paisley, Hamilton, Mountcashell and Kirkpatrick (Sc 1606)'' *

James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Abercorn James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Abercorn PC (S) (1575–1618) was a Scottish diplomat for James VI and an undertaker in the Plantation of Ulster, Ireland. Birth and origins James was born on 12 August 1575, probabl ...

(1575–1618) had been created ''Lord Abercorn'' in 1603 :''Other titles (2nd Earl onwards):

Lord Paisley Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

, in the county of Renfrew (Sc 1587)'' :''Other titles (2nd Earl):

Baron Hamilton of Strabane Lord Hamilton, Baron of Strabane, in the County of Tyrone, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland created on 8 May 1617, for James Hamilton, Master of Abercorn, eldest son of James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Abercorn, during the life of his father (and ...

, in the county of Tyrone (Ir 1617, res. 1633)'' *

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 Ha ...

( – c. 1670), eldest son of the 1st Earl, succeeded his grandfather as 2nd Lord Paisley in 1621 ** James Hamilton, Lord Paisley (c. 1633 – c. 1670), eldest son of the 2nd Earl, died without male issue *

George Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Abercorn George Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Abercorn ( – before 1683) died unmarried in Padua on a voyage to Rome. He was succeeded by Claud Hamilton, heir of Claud Hamilton, 2nd Baron Hamilton of Strabane, second son of the 1st Earl of Abercorn. Birth ...

(c. 1636–c. 1680), third and youngest son of the 2nd Earl, died unmarried :''Other titles (4th Earl): Baron Hamilton of Strabane, in the county of Tyrone (Ir 1617, suc. 1668, att. 1691)'' *

(c. 1659–c. 1691), already 5th Lord Hamilton, was descended from the 3rd son of the 1st Earl. He died unmarried :''Other titles (5th Earl onwards): Baron Hamilton of Strabane, in the county of Tyrone (Ir 1617, rest. 1692)'' *

(died 1701), younger brother of the 4th Earl, died without issue * James Hamilton, 6th Earl of Abercorn (c. 1661–1734), eldest son of Col James, himself eldest son of Sir George, himself fourth and youngest son of the 1st Earl :''Other titles (7th Earl onwards): Viscount Strabane and Baron Mountcastle, in the county of Tyrone (Ir 1701)'' * James Hamilton, 7th Earl of Abercorn (1685–1744), eldest son of the 6th Earl :''Other tiles (8th Earl onwards): Viscount Hamilton (GB 1786)'' * James Hamilton, 8th Earl of Abercorn (1712–1789), eldest son of the 7th Earl, died unmarried * John Hamilton, 9th Earl of Abercorn (1756–1818) was created Marquess of Abercorn in 1790

Marquesses of Abercorn (1790)

:''Other titles: Earl of Abercorn (Sc 1606), Viscount Strabane (Ir 1701), Viscount Hamilton (GB 1786), Lord Paisley, in the county of Renfrew (Sc 1587), Lord Abercorn, in the county of Linlithgow (Sc 1603), Lord Paisley, Hamilton, Mountcashell and Kirkpatrick (Sc 1606), Lord Hamilton of Strabane, in the county of Tyrone (Ir 1617) and Baron Mountcastle, in the county of Tyrone (Ir 1701)'' * John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn (1756–1818), only son of Capt John, himself second son of the 7th Earl ** James Hamilton, Viscount Hamilton (1786–1814), elder son of the 1st Marquess, predeceased his father * James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Abercorn (1811–1885) was created Duke of Abercorn in 1868

Dukes of Abercorn (1868)

:''Other titles: Marquess of Abercorn (GB 1790), Marquess of Hamilton, of Strabane in the county of Tyrone (1868), Earl of Abercorn (Sc 1606), Viscount Strabane (Ir 1701), Viscount Hamilton (GB 1786), Lord Paisley, in the county of Renfrew (Sc 1587), Lord Abercorn, in the county of Linlithgow (Sc 1603), Lord Paisley, Hamilton, Mountcashell and Kirkpatrick (Sc 1606), Lord Hamilton of Strabane, in the county of Tyrone (Ir 1617) and Baron Mountcastle, in the county of Tyrone (Ir 1701)'' * James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn (1811–1885), elder son of Lord Hamilton * James Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Abercorn (1838–1913), eldest son of the 1st Duke * James Albert Edward Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Abercorn (1869–1953), eldest son of the 2nd Duke. His daughter

Cynthia Spencer, Countess Spencer Cynthia Ellinor Beatrix Spencer, Countess Spencer (''née'' Hamilton; 16 August 1897 – 4 December 1972) was a British peeress and the paternal grandmother of Diana, Princess of Wales. Life and family Cynthia Hamilton was the daughter of ...

was grandmother of

. *

James Edward Hamilton, 4th Duke of Abercorn James Edward Hamilton, 4th Duke of Abercorn (29 February 1904 – 4 June 1979) styled Viscount Strabane until 1913 and Marquess of Hamilton between 1913 and 1953, was a British peer. He was the son of James Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Abercorn, and La ...

(1904–1979), elder son of the 3rd Duke. *

(born 1934), elder son of the 4th Duke

Line of succession

James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Abercorn James Edward Hamilton, 4th Duke of Abercorn (29 February 1904 – 4 June 1979) styled Viscount Strabane until 1913 and Marquess of Hamilton between 1913 and 1953, was a British peer. He was the son of James Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Abercorn, and L ...

(1904–1979)'' ** Coronet of a British Duke

(b. 1934) ***(1) James Hamilton, ''Marquess of Hamilton'' (b. 1969) ****(2) James Hamilton, ''Viscount Strabane'' (b. 2005) ****(3) ''Lord'' Claud Hamilton (b. 2007) ***(4) ''Lord'' Nicholas Hamilton (b. 1979) **(5) ''Lord'' Claud Hamilton (b. 1939) ***(6) Alexander Hamilton (b. 1987)

Family tree

References

External links

Baronscourt House official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abercorn, Duke Of Dukedoms in the Peerage of Ireland Noble titles created in 1868 County Tyrone 1868 establishments in Ireland Lists of dukes in Ireland British landowners