William Douglas-Hamilton, Duke of Hamilton, KG, PC (24 December 1634 – 18 April 1694), also known as Lord William Douglas and the Earl of Selkirk, was a Scottish nobleman and politician. He was the eldest son of The 1st Marquess of Douglas by his second wife, Lady Mary Gordon, a daughter of The 1st Marquess of Huntly. Subsequent to marrying

Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton (6 January 1632 – 17 October 1716) was a Scottish peeress. The daughter of Sir James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton and 3rd Marquess of Hamilton, Scottish General and premier peer of the realm, and La ...

, he was created Duke of Hamilton in the Peerage of Scotland, which also allowed him to use his wife's subsidiary titles during his lifetime and to take the name Hamilton for their descendants.

Early life and marriage

Lord William Douglas was created Earl of Selkirk in 1646, at the age of 11. He supported the Royalist cause in the

Wars of the Three Kingdoms The Wars of the Three Kingdoms were a series of related conflicts fought between 1639 and 1653 in the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, then separate entities united in a personal union under Charles I. They include the 1639 to 1640 B ...

and was fined £,1000, under the terms of the English Commonwealth's Act of Pardon and Grace to the People of Scotland. On 29 April 1656, he married Anne Hamilton, Duchess of Hamilton. She was from a staunchly Royalist dynasty. Her estates had been declared forfeit by

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three K ...

after the activities of her father and uncle in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Her father, James, 1st Duke of Hamilton, was executed by the English in 1649 at the end of the

Second English Civil War The Second English Civil War took place between February to August 1648 in Kingdom of England, England and Wales. It forms part of the series of conflicts known collectively as the 1639-1651 Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which include the 1641� ...

, and her uncle, William, 2nd Duke of Hamilton, died following 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 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. A Parliamentarian army of around 28,000 under Oliver Cromwell d ...

in 1651.

Restoration

After the Restoration, he was created Duke of Hamilton in 1660 on the petition of his wife, Anne Hamilton, ''

suo jure ''Suo jure'' is a Latin phrase, used in English to mean 'in his own right' or 'in her own right'. In most nobility-related contexts, it means 'in her own right', since in those situations the phrase is normally used of women; in practice, especi ...

'' Duchess of Hamilton, receiving also several of the other Hamilton peerages for life. He supported the Duke of Lauderdale in the early stages of his Scottish policy, in which he adopted a moderate attitude towards the

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

s. However, the two were soon alienated through the influence of the

Countess of Dysart Earl of Dysart (pronounced ) is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1643 and has been held continuously since then by descendants of the 1st Earl, William Murray. Creation The title was created in 1643 for William Murray, ...

, according to Gilbert Burnet, who spent much time at

Hamilton Palace Hamilton Palace was a country house in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The former seat of the Dukes of Hamilton, it dated from the 14th century and was subsequently much enlarged in the 17th and 19th centuries.London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, Charles II refused to receive him. On the accession of James II, he received numerous honours, but he was one of the first to enter into communication with

William III of Orange William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 16508 March 1702), also widely known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from ...

. He presided over the Convention of Edinburgh, summoned at his request, which offered the Scottish crown to William III and Mary II in March 1689. His death took place at Holyrood Palace on 18 April 1694. His wife survived until 17 April 1716.

Children

He was married to Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton, who bore eleven children by him. He adopted the surname Douglas-Hamilton and the Hamilton arms, and his children bore the surname Hamilton. * Lady Mary Hamilton (1657–July 1666), who died young. *

James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton Lieutenant General 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 o ...

(1658–1712) * Lord William Hamilton (1659–1681) * Lady Catherine Hamilton (1662–1707), who married 1st Duke of Atholl. *

Charles Douglas, 2nd Earl of Selkirk Charles Douglas, 2nd Earl of Selkirk ( Hamilton) PC (3 February 1663 – 13 March 1739) was a Scottish aristocrat and courtier. Early life Hamilton was born 3 February 1663. He was the third, but second surviving, son of William Hamilton, Duke o ...

(-) * John Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Selkirk, 1st

Earl of Ruglen Earl of Ruglen was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. Along with the subsidiary titles Viscount of Riccartoun and Lord Hillhouse, it was created on the 14th of April, 1697, for Lord John Douglas-Hamilton, fourth (third surviving) son of William ...

(–1744) *

George 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 ra ...

(1666–1737) * Lady Susannah Hamilton (1667–1737), who married

John Cochrane, 2nd Earl of Dundonald John Cochrane, 2nd Earl of Dundonald ( – 16 May 1690), ''styled'' Lord Cochrane from 1679 to 1686, was a Scottish aristocrat. Early life He was the eldest son of William Cochrane, Lord Cochrane (d. 1679) and the former Lady Katherine Kennedy. A ...

. After his death, she married Charles Hay, 3rd Marquess of Tweeddale. * Lady Margaret Hamilton (1668–1731), who married

James Maule, 4th Earl of Panmure 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 (disambiguat ...

. *

Lord Basil Hamilton Lord Basil Hamilton ( bp 16 December 1671 – 27 August 1701) was a Scottish aristocrat who drowned trying to save his servant. Early life Hamilton was baptized on 16 December 1671 at Hamilton. His was the sixth son of William Hamilton, Duke of Ham ...

(1671–1701), drowned at age 30. *

Lord Archibald Hamilton Lord Archibald Hamilton of Riccarton and Pardovan (1673 – 5 April 1754) was a British officer of the Royal Navy, and Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1708 and 1747. In the 1690s, he was active in the English Channel pur ...

(1673–1754), an officer of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

who married

Lady Jane Hamilton Jane, Lady Archibald Hamilton (née Lady Jane Hamilton) (before 1704 – 6 December 1753, Paris) was a British noblewoman. She was the fifth child and third daughter of James Hamilton, 6th Earl of Abercorn (d. 1734) and Elizabeth Reading, daughter ...

(a daughter of the 6th Earl of Abercorn).

Notes

References

* * * * ;Attribution * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, William, Duke of Hamilton 1635 births 1694 deaths Dukes of Hamilton

William Hamilton, Duke of Hamilton William Douglas-Hamilton, Duke of Hamilton, KG, PC (24 December 1634 – 18 April 1694), also known as Lord William Douglas and the Earl of Selkirk, was a Scottish nobleman and politician. He was the eldest son of The 1st Marquess of Douglas by ...

Knights of the Garter Lord High Admirals of Scotland Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1661–1663 Members of the Convention of the Estates of Scotland 1665 Members of the Convention of the Estates of Scotland 1667 Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1669–1674 Members of the Convention of the Estates of Scotland 1678 Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1681–1682 Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1685–1686 Members of the Convention of the Estates of Scotland 1689 Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1689–1702 Members of the Privy Council of England Younger sons of marquesses Lords High Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland Commissioners of the Treasury of Scotland Senators of the College of Justice Extraordinary Lords of Session

William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

17th-century Scottish military personnel 17th-century Scottish peers Life peers created by Charles II