Richard Hamilton, 4th Viscount Boyne (24 March 1724 – 30 July 1789) was an Irish peer and politician. After serving in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

and

Irish House of Commons The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until the end of 1800. The upper house was the Irish House of Lords, House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, ...

, he inherited the viscountcy from his brother Frederick Hamilton, 3rd Viscount Boyne in 1772 and died in 1789.

Early life

Hamilton was born on 24 March 1724. He was the younger son of Gustavus Hamilton (second of Gustavus Hamilton, 1st Viscount Boyne), and his wife Dorothea Bellew (a daughter of Richard Bellew, 3rd Baron Bellew of Duleek). His uncles were Frederick Hamilton and Henry Hamilton.

Career

Hamilton joined the

, and was promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

on 2 June 1748. Two days after this he was appointed to the 80-gun

ship of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactics in the Age of Sail, naval tactic known as the line of battl ...

HMS ''Russell'' as her third lieutenant, in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

. Hamilton entered the

in 1755 and sat as Member of Parliament (MP) for

Navan Navan ( ; , meaning "the Cave") is the county town and largest town of County Meath, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is at the confluence of the River Boyne and Leinster Blackwater, Blackwater, around 50 km northwest of Dublin. At the ...

until 1761. He was High Sheriff of Meath in 1766. On 8 June 1757 he joined the 74-gun ship of the line HMS ''Magnanime'' as her third lieutenant; he served in her until 11 July and did not receive any further appointments in the navy. On 2 January 1772 he succeeded his older brother Frederick Hamilton, 3rd Viscount Boyne as viscount.

Personal life

Hamilton married Georgiana Bury, second daughter of William Bury and his wife Jane Moore. Her maternal grandfather was John Moore, 1st Baron Moore, and her mother was the sister and heiress of Charles Moore, 1st Earl of Charleville. Together, they were the parents of seventeen children, seven sons and ten daughters, including: * Gustavus Hamilton, 5th Viscount Boyne (1749–1816), who married Martha Somerville, only daughter of Sir Quaile Somerville, 2nd Baronet, in 1773. * Charles Hamilton (1750–1794), who married Ms. Lister, daughter of Christopher Kirwan Lister, in 1785. * Catherine Hamilton (1754–1795), who married Hugh Montgomery Lyons of Belhaval on 2 February 1773. * Sophia Hamilton (b. 1769), who married William John Lowe and, secondly, Rev. Bigoe Henzell, Rector of Kilwahon. * Anne Hamilton (1771–1828), who married Thomas Craven. Lord Boyne died on 30 July 1789.

References

1724 births 1789 deaths Irish MPs 1727–1760 Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Meath constituencies Viscounts in the Peerage of Ireland {{Ireland-viscount-stub