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The early records of the Hamiltons of Cadzow are incomplete, many having been stolen or destroyed during Scotland's struggle for independence, and some of the uncertain relationships between known members of the family may never be resolved, the difficulties of their identification aggravated by the flexibility practised in those early days in the choice of surnames taken from the lands owned by a family, sometimes later discarded, and then, as here, eventually resumed. Heraldic analysis tends to confirm what marriage alliances suggest: that the Beaumont Earls of Leicester, the Umfreville Earls of Angus, and those Hamiltons who held Hambleton in Leicestershire and were later granted the royal barony of Cadzow (renamed Hamilton in the 15th century) in Lanark, belong to the same family group (which probably first came into England from the Seine valley in France, to which they may have migrated from Hainault in the south of what is now Belgium).
The Heir Male of the Hamiltons is James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn in the Peerage of Ireland, 6th Marquess of Abercorn in the Peerage of Great Britain, and 14th Earl of Abercorn in the Peerage of Scotland. He was born 4 July 1934, educated at Eton and the Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester, and served as a Captain in the Grenadier Guards. He was MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone from 1964 to 1970 as an Ulster Unionist, and is Lord Lieutenant for County Tyrone. In 1966 he married Alexandra Anastasia, elder daughter of Lt Col Harold Pedro Joseph Phillips, FRGS, Coldstream Guards, by Georgina, daughter of Sir Harold Wernher, Bt, and has a son, James Harold Charles Hamilton, Viscount Strabane, born 1969, and a daughter, Lady Sophia Alexandra Hamilton, born 1973.
Ancestry: The first of the Scottish family of Hamilton on record is Gilbert de Hameldun, a witness to a charter confirming the gift of the church at Cragyn to the Abbey of Paisley in 1272. He may have been, but possibly may have been confused with, Gilbert de Beaumont alias de Hamildon (arguably the son of Gilbert de Umfraville, Earl of Angus [in right of his 2nd wife], by his 1st wife Theophania), the son of Richard, Lord of Prudhoe, the son of Odinel de Umfreville, builder of Prudhoe Castle and a notable warrior in the border wars), who is reported to have m 1st Isabel, dtr of Thomas Randolph, Lord of Strathdon, by a half-sister of Robert I possibly named Isabel, and who m 2nd ante 1296 Willelma dtr of Sir William "Longleg" Douglas, 3rd Lord of Douglas, widow of William Galbraith of that Ilk. The son of Gilbert de Hamildon by Isabel was:
Walter fitz Gilbert, featured on the Ragman Rolls in 1292 and 1296 as de Hamildon and de Homildon, and elsewhere as de Hambleton, witnessed a Stewart charter to Paisley Abbey 1294 as Walterus filius Gilberti, tenant in the royal barony of Cadzow, received grants of Dalserf (previously held by his stepmother) and later of the barony of Kinneil. He m 1st Helen; and m 2nd Mary dtr of Sir Adam Gordon of Gordon by whom he had issue:
..1A. David fitz Walter fitz Gilbert, his heir [see below]
..2A. John fitz Walter, ancestor of the Hamiltons of Innerwick and of the Hamilton Earls of Haddington.
The heir:
David fitz Walter fitz Gilbert, Knight, granted the royal barony of Cadzow by David II, not known to have used the surname de Hamilton (or any other), fought at Halidon Hill and Durham where he was taken prisoner 1346, one of the Scottish magnates who arranged the settlement of the Crown on Robert III 1371, d 1374. He m Margaret dtr of William de Ross, 5th Earl of Ross by whom he had three sons:
..1A. David, his heir [see below]
..2A. John Hamilton of Fingaltoun, Knight, ancestor of the Hamiltons of Preston
..3A. Walter Hamilton, ancestor of the Hamiltons of Cambuskeith in Ayr
The heir:
David fitz David fitz Walter fitz Gilbert de Hamyldon, baron of Cadzow, Knight, received further grants of land from the Crown in 1375 and 1378, and d ante 14 May 1392. He m Jonetta (Janet, Joan) dtr of Sir William Keith of Galston by whom he had issue:
..1A. John, his heir [see below]
..2A. William Hamilton, Knight, granted the lands of Bathgate surrendered by his mother 1407, ancestor of the Hamiltons of Bathgate
..3A. Andrew Hamilton, granted the lands of Thulock, Bruntwood and others surrendered by his mother 1406, ancestor of the Hamiltons of Bruntwood
..4A. George Hamilton, ancestor of the Hamiltons of Boreland
..5A. David Hamilton, m a dtr and coheiress of Galbraith of that Ilk, possibly ancestor of the Hamiltons of Bardowie
..1a. Elizabeth Hamilton, believed to have m as his 2nd wife Alexander Fraser, 1st of Philorth
The heir:
John Hamilton of Cadzow, Knight, witnessed a charter 14 May 1392, captured by the English but freed 28 Oct 1398. He m Janet (Jacoba) dtr of Sir James Douglas of Dalkeith and by her had issue:
..1A. James, his heir [see below]
..2A. David Hamilton, ancestor of the Hamiltons of Dalserf
..3A. Thomas Hamilton, ancestor of the Hamiltons of Raploch
The heir:
James Hamilton of Cadzow, Knight, hostage in 1424 and 1426 for the ransom of King James I from his English captivity, m 1st (contract 20 Oct 1422) Janet dtr of Sir Alexander Livingston of Callendar and d ante 1441 having by her had issue:
..1A. James, his heir [see below]
..2A. Alexander Hamilton, ancestor of the Hamiltons of Silvertonhill
..3A. John Hamilton, had charter of Whitecamp and Kirkhope 18 Jun 1449 and d ante 23 Oct 1455 leaving issue:
....1B. William Hamilton
....2B. Robert Hamilton
..4A. Gavin Hamilton, provost of the collegiate church of Bothwell, ancestor of the Hamiltons of Orbiston and father of a natural son, Thomas.
The heir:
James Hamilton of Cadzow, Knight, was created Lord Hamilton 28 June 1445 and surrendered all his lands and baronies for erection into a new barony of Hamilton, the name used thereafter for the town of Cadzow. His loyalties lay initially with his Douglas kinsmen, with whose chief he visited Rome in 1450 and Canterbury in 1451, and with whom he joined in the league with the Earls of Crawford and Ross against James II, but he subsequently moved over to the King's side to help suppress their revolt. He was rewarded with the office of sheriff of Lanarkshire 1 July 1455, and on 23 October was granted a new charter of his lands and baronies. He m 1st (by dispensation of 2 Feb 1440/1) Euphemia, who d 1468, eldest dtr of Sir Patrick Graham and Eupheme, Countess of Strathern, and widow of Archibald, 5th Earl of Douglas, and had issue:
..1a. Elizabeth Hamilton, m 1459 David Lindsay, 5th Earl of Crawford, later Duke of Montrose, but was divorced ante 1485. She m 2nd John Forrester of Niddrie and was divorced ante 1508. She was alive still in 1516.
Sir James, 1st Lord Hamilton, m 2nd 1474 Mary Stewart, Daughter of Scotland, b 1452, dtr of James II, sister of James III, and formerly wife of Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran, and d 6 Nov 1479 having had by her further issue legitimated by Papal dispensation 1476:
..1A. James, his heir [see below]
..2a. Elizabeth Hamilton, m April 1494 as his 2nd wife Mathew Stewart (or Stuart), 11th (or 2nd) Earl of Lennox, and was alive still April 1531.
The heir:
James Hamilton, 2nd Lord Hamilton, b ca 1475, Privy Councillor, created Earl of Arran 11 Aug 1503, Admiral of the Scottish Fleet 1513, Lord of Regency under the Duke of Albany 1517, commanded the Royal army against the Earl of Lennox September 1526. He is supposed to have m 1st 1490 (he was 15 and the bride 13) Elizabeth, widow of Thomas Hay of Hoprew, Master of Yester, dtr of Alexander Home, 2nd Lord Home, and is believed to have divorced her subsequently in 1504 on the grounds that the Master, although believed to be dead, was actually alive at the critical time. (In fact, the Master had m in 1483 Elizabeth Borthwick, who was alive at the time of his death, so the grounds for the Hamilton divorce appear suspicious, even though it was confirmed four years later.) He m (perhaps as his 2nd wife) Nov 1516 Janet, widow of Sir Robert Livingston of Easter Wemyss, dtr of Sir David Beaton of Creich. Among several natural children of the 1st Earl of Arran, three were legitimated 17 Jan 1512/3 by James IV, their first cousin of the half blood:
..1A. James Hamilton of Finnart, Knight, "the Bastard of Arran" m Margaret Livingston of Easter Wemyss, dtr of his father's new wife Janet [see above], and administered her lands to great personal advantage, becoming baron of Ochiltree. He was the murderer of John Stuart, 12th (or 3rd) Earl of Lennox, he instigated the death of his cousin, Patrick Hamilton, the Abbot of Fearn who was burnt at the stake, and he was executed for high treason 16 August 1540 after he lost a trial by combat to the Abbot's brother. By his wife Janet he had issue:
....1B. James Hamilton, ancestor of the Hamiltons of Gilkerscleugh
....1b. Agnes Hamilton, m as his 2nd wife James, 6th Lord Somerville
..2A. Patrick Hamilton of Kyncavil, Knight
..3A. John Hamilton, b 1512, Abbot of Paisley 1525, Lord High Treasurer 1545-54, Archbishop of St Andrews and Primate of All Scotland 1547, he was the principal opponent of John Knox after the murder of Cardinal Beaton and a leading supporter of Queen Mary. After accusations of complicity in the assassination of the Regent Moray he was in 1571 hanged, in his episcopal vestments, on the orders of the Regent Lennox. He cohabited with Grisel, divorced wife of James Hamilton of Stanehouse, Provost of Edinburgh, elder son of James Hamilton of Raploch, and dtr of Robert Sempill, 3rd Lord Sempill, and by her had issue (legitimated 9 Oct 1551, and captured at the battle of Langsyde in support of Queen Mary):
....1B. John Hamilton
....2B. William Hamilton
The 1st Earl of Arran d ante 22 July 1529 having had issue by his wife Margaret, who d ca 1522, two sons and three dtrs:
..4A. James, his heir [see below]
..5A. Gavin Hamilton
..1a. Janet Hamilton m Nov 1526 Alexander Cunningham, 5th Earl of Glencairn, and divorced ante 11 July 1545
..2a. Helen Hamilton of Menstrie m ante 26 Mar 1529 as his 1st wife Archibald Campbell, 4th Earl of Argyll
..3a. Jane Hamilton m as her 1st husband David Boswell of Auchinleck, and had issue. She m 2nd John Hamilton of Acuhingemmill and 3rd ante June 1563 John Crawfurd, tenant in Shaw.
The heir:
James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran, chosen as Regent of Scotland following the death of James V, and declared on 13 Mar 1542/3 Heir Presumptive of the Crown. During the subsequent religious troubles he attempted to compromise but finally favoured the Reformers. For his services in promoting the marriage of Queen Mary to the Dauphin of France he was created Duc de Châtelherault. In 1554 he resigned the Regency to Marie de Guise-Lorraine, the Queen-mother, and in 1565, after opposing the marriage of the widowed Queen Mary to Henry Stuart (known to the English as Lord Darnley, but to the Scots as Master of Lennox, Duke of Albany and King Henry), he went abroad for four years, returning to oppose the Regency of the Earl of Moray (assassinated by James Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh 1569/70) and then of the Earl of Lennox (killed by the Hamiltons 1571), but submitting finally on 15 Feb 1572/3 to the 4th Earl of Morton, ("the grimmest of that grim race from which he sprung"), the husband of his wife's sister Elizabeth, who lost the Regency in 1578 and was executed 1581). Much of his life was strongly influenced by his nearness in blood to the Queen, the strength that gave to the candidature of his sons for the rôle of Consort and the power of King, and the temptation that might arise when only an infant was between his family "and home" (as it was once said aloud). He m Sep 1532 Margaret, eldest dtr of James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Morton, by Catherine, natural dtr of James IV, and d 22 Jan 1574/5 having had issue:
..1A. James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran, b 1537-8, Commander of the Scots Guards in France, 1550-7, proposed by the Lords of the Congregation as husband for Queen Elizabeth of England 1560, and proposed himself as husband for Mary, Queen of Scots, 1561. Soon thereafter, in 1562, he was judged insane, although he was probably only scatterbrained, and in this state he resigned the Earldom of Arran to James Stewart of Bothwellhaugh, 1581, but this was reduced by the Court of Session in 1586 "as the act of a person incompetent in consequence of insanity," whereby he was restored to his honours. He dsp Mar 1609, his titles passing to the heirs of his brother John.
..2A. Gavin Hamilton, d young
..3A. John Hamilton, Commendator of Arbroath, created Marquess of Hamilton 17 Apr 1599, ancestor of the Dukes of Hamilton
John, Lord of Arbroath
..4A. David Hamilton, dsp 1611
..5A. Claud Hamilton, Commendator of Paisley, created Lord Paisley 29 July 1587, ancestor of the Dukes of Abercorn
Claud, Lord of Paisley
..1a. Barbara Hamilton, m 1st ca 1546 Alexander Gordon, eldest son of 4th Earl of Huntly, who dsp 1552-3, and m 2nd 1553 James Fleming, 4th Lord Fleming, who dspm 15 Dec 1558 aged 23
..2a. Jean Hamilton, m 13 Feb 1554/5 as his 1st wife Hugh Montgomery, 3rd Earl of Eglinton, and divorced in 1562 on grounds of consanguinity
..3a. Anne Hamilton, m 1558 George Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly, d 9 Oct 1576. She was still alive 17 Apr 1574.
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