Duke of Hamilton
Encyclopedia
Duke of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland
, created in 1643. It is the senior duke
dom in that Peerage (except for the Dukedom of Rothesay held by the Sovereign's eldest son), and as such its holder is the Premier Peer of Scotland, as well as being head of both the House of Hamilton
and the House of Douglas. The title, the town of Hamilton
in Lanarkshire
, and many places around the world are named for members of the Hamilton family
. The Ducal family's surname, originally "Hamilton", is now "Douglas-Hamilton
". Since 1711, the Dukedom has been held together with the Dukedom of Brandon in the Peerage of Great Britain
, and the Dukes since that time have been styled Duke of Hamilton and Brandon.
, the Hereditary Bearer of the Crown of Scotland
, a role which the 15th Duke performed at the inauguration of the Scottish Parliament
in 1999,as did the 16th Duke at the State Opening of Parliament, 30th June 2011.
are Marquis of Douglas and Clydesdale (the eldest son of the Duke) and Earl of Angus (the eldest son of a Marquis of Douglas and Clydesdale). No Duke has had a great-grandson in direct line to the titles, but it is likely that such an heir would be styled Lord Abernethy (the Lordship of Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest being the most senior available title). As the current Duke and Duchess are childless, none of these titles are currently in use.
Before the Dukes succeeded to the Marquisate of Douglas and its subsidiary titles, the heirs apparent were styled initially Earl of Arran (which had previously been used as a courtesy title by the Marquises of Hamilton) and later Marquis of Clydesdale (the former style then being adopted for a grandson in direct line). The heir apparent to the Earldom of Lanark (before that title merged with the Dukedom) was styled Lord Polmont.
Historically, several other peers have held multiple dukedoms, including the Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Newcastle-under-Lyne, the Duke of Argyll and Greenwich
, the Duke of Monmouth and Buccleuch
and the two Dukes of Queensberry and Dover
.
in 1271. His ancestry is uncertain but he may have been the son of William de Hamilton (third son of Robert de Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Leicester
) and Mary of Strathearn. Gilbert de Hameldun married Isabella Randolph, daughter of Thomas Randolph of Strathdon, Chamberlain of Scotland
. His heir was Walter fitz Gilbert
. He was governor of Bothwell Castle
for the English Crown during the First War of Scottish Independence
. Following the Battle of Bannockburn
in 1314, he gave refuge to the Earl of Hertford and other escapees, only to deliver them and Bothwell up to Edward Bruce
. He then became a Bruce partisan. Sometime between 1315 and 1329, Robert the Bruce knighted him and granted him lands in Renfrewshire
and the Lothian
s and the Barony of Cadzow (present day Hamilton
in Lanarkshire
), including Cadzow Castle
. The Barony had previously belonged to John Comyn, who was murdered by Robert the Bruce.
The 1st Baron of Cadzow was succeeded as 2nd Baron by his son Sir David fitz Walter
. He was a supporter of King David II
and fought at the Battle of Neville's Cross
(Battle of Durham) where he was captured along with the King. His son David Hamilton
, the 3rd Baron, was the first to establish Hamilton as the family name. David Hamilton's son Sir John Hamilton
became the 4th Baron and was in turn succeeded as 5th Baron by his son James Hamilton
.
, who was created a Lord of Parliament
as Lord Hamilton on 3 July 1445. In early 1474, he married Princess Mary, Countess of Arran, daughter of King James II
and widow of Thomas Boyd, 1st Earl of Arran
. He was succeeded by his only legitimate son, James, 2nd Lord Hamilton
. In 1490, then aged 15, he married the 13-year-old Elizabeth, Lady Hay, daughter of Alexander Home, 2nd Lord Home and widow of Sir Thomas Hay, Master of Yester, son and heir of John Hay, 1st Lord Hay of Yester
. However, it was later discovered that Sir Thomas Hay was still alive and the marriage was annulled. The 2nd Lord married secondly Janet, Lady Livingstone, daughter of Sir David Beaton of Creich and widow of Sir Robert Livingstone of Easter Wemyss and Drumry. He became a Privy Counsellor
to King James IV
, and helped to arrange his marriage to Princess Margaret
, daughter of King Henry VII
of England
. As a reward he was created Earl of Arran on 8 August 1503. He was succeeded by his elder son from his second marriage, James, 2nd Earl of Arran. He was Regent of Scotland between 1542 and 1554, and guardian of the young Mary, Queen of Scots. He was created Duc de Châtellerault in the French nobility
in 1548 for his part in arranging the marriage of Queen Mary to Francis, Dauphin of France
. This French Dukedom was forfeit when he switched allegiances in 1559. Emperor Napoleon III "confirmed" this title for the 12th Duke of Hamilton
in the 19th century, but as the 12th Duke was neither heir male nor heir general of the 2nd Earl, the legal effect of this "confirmation" is doubtful.
The 2nd Earl was succeeded by his eldest son, James, 3rd Earl of Arran
, who had been proposed as a husband to Queen Elizabeth I
of England in 1561. In 1562 he was declared insane, and in 1581 he resigned the Earldom to James Stewart of Bothwellhaugh. However, in 1586 his resignation was ruled by the Court of Session
to be the act of a madman and his honours were restored.
(who was styled Lord Hamilton, though apparently without legal justification) was appointed to administer his brother's estates. He was created Marquis of Hamilton, Earl of Arran and Lord Aven on 17 April 1599. His son, James, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton
(who had been created Lord Aberbrothwick (or Arbroath) on 5 May 1608, before he succeeded) moved to England with King James VI
, and invested into the Somers Isles Company
, an offshoot of the Virginia Company
, buying the shares of Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford
. The Parish of Hamilton
in the Somers Isles (now Bermuda
) is named for him. Upon the death of his uncle in 1609 he succeeded as 4th Earl of Arran (of the 1503 creation) and 5th Lord Hamilton. He was also created Earl of Cambridge and Baron Innerdale in the Peerage of England
on 16 June 1619.
His son, James, 3rd Marquis of Hamilton
, was created Duke of Hamilton, Marquis of Clydesdale, Earl of Arran and Cambridge and Lord Aven and Innerdale on 12 April 1643, with a special remainder allowing succession through the female line should his and his brother's heirs male fail. His son, Charles, Earl of Arran, died young and the 1st Duke's titles passed to his younger brother, William, 2nd Duke of Hamilton
, who had already been created Earl of Lanark and Lord Machanshire and Polmont on 31 March 1639. A surrender and regrant in 1650 allowed these also to be inherited by the 1st Duke's elder daughter. Upon his death in 1651, with no further heirs in the immediate male line, the Dukedom (and the titles created with it), as well as the Earldom of Lanark (and the title created with it), passed to that daughter, Anne, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton
. The 1503 Earldom of Arran and the Lordship of Hamilton became dormant, and all the other titles (the Marquisate of Hamilton, the 1599 Earldom of Arran and the Lordships of Hamilton, Aven and Aberbrothwick in the Peerage of Scotland, and the Earldom of Cambridge and the Barony of Innerdale in the Peerage of England) became extinct.
In 1656, the 3rd Duchess married William Douglas, 1st Earl of Selkirk, third son of William Douglas, 1st Marquis of Douglas. He had been created Earl of Selkirk and Lord Daer and Shortcleuch on 4 August 1646. He changed his surname to "Hamilton", and on 20 September 1660 was created Duke of Hamilton, Marquis of Clydesdale, Earl of Arran, Lanark and Selkirk and Lord Aven, Machanshire, Polmont and Daer for life. In 1688, he resigned the Earldom of Selkirk and the Lordship of Daer and Shortcleuch, and those titles were regranted to his second son, with a special remainder designed to prevent them becoming merged with the Dukedom. (See Earl of Selkirk
for the subsequent history of those titles, which were eventually inherited by the 12th Duke of Hamilton, becoming separated again from the Dukedom on the death of the 13th Duke in 1940).
On 9 July 1698, the 3rd Duchess resigned all her titles in favour of her eldest son, James, Earl of Arran, who thereby succeeded as 4th Duke in his mother's lifetime (his father had died in 1694). During the lead up to the Acts of Union 1707
, the 4th Duke was the leader of the anti-union party. He was created Duke of Brandon, in the County of Suffolk
, and Baron Dutton, in the County of Chester
, in the Peerage of Great Britain
on 10 September 1711, but was wrongfully refused a summons to the Parliament of Great Britain
under that title (although he continued to sit as a representative peer
). He was killed in duel with Charles Mohun, 4th Baron Mohun
(who also died) in Hyde Park
in London
on 15 November 1712.
The 4th Duke's son James, 5th Duke of Hamilton
was succeeded by his son James, 6th Duke of Hamilton
and he by his son James, 7th Duke of Hamilton
. In 1761, the 7th Duke's second cousin twice removed, Archibald Douglas, 1st Duke of Douglas
, died without an heir. As the Duke of Hamilton, though still using the surname "Hamilton", was patrilineally a "Douglas" (through the 3rd Duchess's husband), the 7th Duke became heir male of the House of Douglas and inherited the Duke of Douglas's minor titles (although not the Dukedom), succeeding as 4th Marquis of Douglas, 14th and 4th Earl of Angus and 4th Lord Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest. He died without issue and was succeeded by his brother Douglas, 8th Duke of Hamilton
. He left no sons and the title passed back to his uncle, the 6th Duke's brother, Archibald, 9th Duke of Hamilton
. He was succeeded by his son Alexander, 10th Duke of Hamilton
and then by his son William, 11th Duke of Hamilton
. The 11th Duke's son William, 12th Duke of Hamilton
(who changed his surname to "Hamilton Douglas") died without a male heir and the Dukedom passed to his fourth cousin Alfred, 13th Duke of Hamilton
, who was descended from the 4th Duke of Hamilton and whose line of the family had adopted the surname "Douglas-Hamilton". His son was Douglas, 14th Duke of Hamilton
, who was succeeded by his son Angus, 15th Duke of Hamilton
. He died in 2010, and was succeeded by his son, the current Duke, Alexander, 16th Duke of Hamilton
.
, was created Earl of Angus on 9 April 1389.
His descendant, William, 11th Earl of Angus, was created Marquis of Douglas, Earl of Angus and Lord Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest on 14 June 1633.
His great-grandson, Archibald, 3rd Marquis of Douglas
, was created Duke of Douglas, Marquess of Angus and Abernethy, Viscount of Jedburgh Forest and Lord Douglas of Bonkill, Prestoun and Robertoun on 10 April 1703.
He died, married but childless, in 1761, at which point the Dukedom of Douglas (and the titles created with it) became extinct, but the Marquisate of Douglas, both Earldoms of Angus and the Lordship of Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest passed to his second cousin twice removed and heir male, James Hamilton, 7th Duke of Hamilton
.
of the current Duke of Hamilton and Brandon are: quarterly: 1st and 4th grandquarters: quarterly: 1st and 4th, Gules three Cinquefoils Ermine (for Hamilton); 2nd and 3rd, Argent a Lymphad with the sails furled proper flagged Gules (for Arran); 2nd and 3rd grandquarters: Argent a Heart Gules imperially crowned Or on a Chief Azure three Mullets of the first (for Douglas).
The achievement has two crests
, namely: 1st, on a Ducal Coronet an Oak Tree rutted and penetrated transversely in the main stem by a Frame Saw proper the frame Or (for Hamilton); 2nd, on a Chapeau Gules turned up Ermine a Salamander in flames proper (for Douglas). The supporters are: on either side an Antelope Argent armed unguled ducally gorged and chained Or. Each crest has a motto
, namely "Through" (over the 1st crest) and "Jamais Arriere" ("Never Behind") (over the 2nd crest).
The next heir is (under provision 4 of the special remainder) the heir whatsoever of the 3rd Duchess, namely Edward Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby
(b. 1962) (a great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson of the 6th Duke, through his only daughter, Lady Elizabeth Hamilton, who married Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby
). Lord Derby is not, however, an heir to the Marquisate of Douglas and its subsidiary titles, which would pass to the heir male (a junior-line descendant of one of the Earls of Angus, as the heirs male of the body of the 3rd Duchess are the only remaining heirs male of the body of the 1st Marquess of Douglas). He is also not an heir to the Dukedom of Brandon or the Barony of Dutton, which are limited to the heirs male of the body of the 3rd Duchess.
Peerage of Scotland
The Peerage of Scotland is the division of the British Peerage for those peers created in the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707. With that year's Act of Union, the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England were combined into the Kingdom of Great Britain, and a new Peerage of Great Britain was...
, created in 1643. It is the senior duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
dom in that Peerage (except for the Dukedom of Rothesay held by the Sovereign's eldest son), and as such its holder is the Premier Peer of Scotland, as well as being head of both the House of Hamilton
Clan Hamilton
The House of Hamilton, occasionally and erroneously referred to as Clan Hamilton, is a Scottish family who historically held broad territories throughout central and southern Scotland, particularly Ayrshire, Lanarkshire and the Lothians...
and the House of Douglas. The title, the town of Hamilton
Hamilton, South Lanarkshire
Hamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It is the fifth-biggest town in Scotland after Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston and Cumbernauld...
in Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
, and many places around the world are named for members of the Hamilton family
Clan Hamilton
The House of Hamilton, occasionally and erroneously referred to as Clan Hamilton, is a Scottish family who historically held broad territories throughout central and southern Scotland, particularly Ayrshire, Lanarkshire and the Lothians...
. The Ducal family's surname, originally "Hamilton", is now "Douglas-Hamilton
Douglas-Hamilton
Douglas-Hamilton is the family surname of the Dukes of Hamilton and Earls of Selkirk. The name originates from the marriage of Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton to William Douglas, 1st Earl of Selkirk in 1656. Anne was Duchess in her own right and head of the "House of Hamilton"...
". Since 1711, the Dukedom has been held together with the Dukedom of Brandon in the Peerage of Great Britain
Peerage of Great Britain
The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain after the Act of Union 1707 but before the Act of Union 1800...
, and the Dukes since that time have been styled Duke of Hamilton and Brandon.
Peerage of Scotland
- 16th Duke of Hamilton (created 1643)
- 13th Marquis of Douglas (created 1633)
- 16th Marquis of Clydesdale (created 1643)
- 23rd Earl of Angus (created 1389)
- 13th Earl of Angus (created 1633)
- 15th Earl of Lanark (created 1639)
- 16th Earl of Arran and Cambridge (created 1643)
- 13th Lord Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest (created 1633)
- 15th Lord Machanshyre and Polmont (created 1639)
- 16th Lord Aven and Innerdale (created 1643)
Peerage of Great Britain
- 13th Duke of Brandon, in the County of Suffolk (created 1711)
- 13th Baron Dutton, in the County of Chester (created 1711)
Other offices and duties
The Duke of Hamilton and Brandon is Hereditary Keeper of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official royal residence in Scotland, where he maintains large private quarters. He is also, as Lord Abernethy, and in this respect successor to the Gaelic Earls of FifeEarl of Fife
The Earl of Fife or Mormaer of Fife referred to the Gaelic comital lordship of Fife which existed in Scotland until the early 15th century....
, the Hereditary Bearer of the Crown of Scotland
Crown of Scotland
The Crown of Scotland is the crown used at the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland. Remade in its current form for King James V of Scotland in 1540, the crown is part of the Honours of Scotland, the oldest set of Crown Jewels in the United Kingdom...
, a role which the 15th Duke performed at the inauguration of the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
in 1999,as did the 16th Duke at the State Opening of Parliament, 30th June 2011.
Courtesy titles
The courtesy titles used by heirs apparentHeir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
are Marquis of Douglas and Clydesdale (the eldest son of the Duke) and Earl of Angus (the eldest son of a Marquis of Douglas and Clydesdale). No Duke has had a great-grandson in direct line to the titles, but it is likely that such an heir would be styled Lord Abernethy (the Lordship of Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest being the most senior available title). As the current Duke and Duchess are childless, none of these titles are currently in use.
Before the Dukes succeeded to the Marquisate of Douglas and its subsidiary titles, the heirs apparent were styled initially Earl of Arran (which had previously been used as a courtesy title by the Marquises of Hamilton) and later Marquis of Clydesdale (the former style then being adopted for a grandson in direct line). The heir apparent to the Earldom of Lanark (before that title merged with the Dukedom) was styled Lord Polmont.
Multiple dukedoms
The Duke of Hamilton and Brandon is one of only five British peers to hold more than one dukedom, the others being:- the Prince of WalesPrince of WalesPrince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
(who is Duke of CornwallDuke of CornwallThe Duchy of Cornwall was the first duchy created in the peerage of England.The present Duke of Cornwall is The Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, the reigning British monarch .-History:...
and RothesayDuke of RothesayDuke of Rothesay was a title of the heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707, of the Kingdom of Great Britain from 1707 to 1801, and now of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland....
); - the Duke of BuccleuchDuke of BuccleuchThe title Duke of Buccleuch , formerly also spelt Duke of Buccleugh, was created in the Peerage of Scotland on 20 April 1663 for the Duke of Monmouth, who was the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II of Scotland, England, and Ireland and who had married Anne Scott, 4th Countess of Buccleuch.Anne...
and QueensberryDuke of QueensberryThe title Duke of Queensberry was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1684 along with the subsidiary title Marquess of Dumfriesshire for the 1st Marquess of Queensberry...
; - the Duke of ArgyllDuke of ArgyllDuke of Argyll is a title, created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1701 and in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1892. The Earls, Marquesses, and Dukes of Argyll were for several centuries among the most powerful, if not the most powerful, noble family in Scotland...
(who holds two Dukedoms of Argyll); and - the Duke of RichmondDuke of RichmondThe title Duke of Richmond is named after Richmond and its surrounding district of Richmondshire, and has been created several times in the Peerage of England for members of the royal Tudor and Stuart families...
, LennoxDuke of LennoxThe title Duke of Lennox has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland, for Clan Stewart of Darnley. The Dukedom, named for the district of Lennox in Stirling, was first created in 1581, and had formerly been the Earldom of Lennox. The second Duke was made Duke of Richmond; at his...
and GordonDuke of GordonThe title Duke of Gordon has been created once in the Peerage of Scotland and again in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.The Dukedom, named after the Clan Gordon, was first created for the 4th Marquess of Huntly, who on 3 November 1684 was created Duke of Gordon, Marquess of Huntly, Earl of Huntly...
(who alone holds three dukedoms).
Historically, several other peers have held multiple dukedoms, including the Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Newcastle-under-Lyne, the Duke of Argyll and Greenwich
John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll
Field Marshal John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll, 1st Duke of Greenwich KG , known as Iain Ruaidh nan Cath or Red John of the Battles, was a Scottish soldier and nobleman.-Early Life:...
, the Duke of Monmouth and Buccleuch
James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth
James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, 1st Duke of Buccleuch, KG, PC , was an English nobleman. Originally called James Crofts or James Fitzroy, he was born in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II and his mistress, Lucy Walter...
and the two Dukes of Queensberry and Dover
Duke of Queensberry
The title Duke of Queensberry was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1684 along with the subsidiary title Marquess of Dumfriesshire for the 1st Marquess of Queensberry...
.
Barons of Cadzow
Gilbert de Hameldun is recorded as witnessing a charter confirming the gift of the church at Cragyn to the Abbey of PaisleyPaisley Abbey
Paisley Abbey is a former Cluniac monastery, and current Church of Scotland parish kirk, located on the east bank of the White Cart Water in the centre of the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, in west central Scotland.-History:...
in 1271. His ancestry is uncertain but he may have been the son of William de Hamilton (third son of Robert de Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Leicester
Robert de Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Leicester
Robert de Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Leicester was an English nobleman, one of the principal followers of Henry the Young King in the Revolt of 1173–1174 against his father Henry II...
) and Mary of Strathearn. Gilbert de Hameldun married Isabella Randolph, daughter of Thomas Randolph of Strathdon, Chamberlain of Scotland
Chamberlain of Scotland
Holders of the office of Lord Chamberlain of Scotland are known from about 1124.It was ranked by King Malcolm as the third great Officer of State, called Camerarius Domini Regis, and had a salary of £200 per annum alloted to him...
. His heir was Walter fitz Gilbert
Walter fitz Gilbert of Cadzow
Sir Walter fitz Gilbert of Cadzow, 1st Laird of Cadzow was a Scottish nobleman. The son of Gilbert fitz William of Hameldone, and an unknown wife, possibly Isabelle Randolph...
. He was governor of Bothwell Castle
Bothwell Castle
Bothwell Castle is a large medieval castle sited on a high, steep bank, above a bend in the River Clyde, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located between Uddingston and Bothwell, about south-east of Glasgow. Construction of the castle was begun in the 13th century by the ancestors of Clan...
for the English Crown during the First War of Scottish Independence
First War of Scottish Independence
The First War of Scottish Independence lasted from the invasion by England in 1296 until the de jure restoration of Scottish independence with the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton in 1328...
. Following the Battle of Bannockburn
Battle of Bannockburn
The Battle of Bannockburn was a significant Scottish victory in the Wars of Scottish Independence...
in 1314, he gave refuge to the Earl of Hertford and other escapees, only to deliver them and Bothwell up to Edward Bruce
Edward Bruce
Edward the Bruce , sometimes modernised Edward of Bruce, was a younger brother of King Robert I of Scotland, who supported his brother in the struggle for the crown of Scotland, then pursued his own claim in Ireland. He was proclaimed High King of Ireland, but was eventually defeated and killed in...
. He then became a Bruce partisan. Sometime between 1315 and 1329, Robert the Bruce knighted him and granted him lands in Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfrewshire, the others being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east...
and the Lothian
Lothian
Lothian forms a traditional region of Scotland, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills....
s and the Barony of Cadzow (present day Hamilton
Hamilton, South Lanarkshire
Hamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It is the fifth-biggest town in Scotland after Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston and Cumbernauld...
in Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
), including Cadzow Castle
Cadzow Castle
Cadzow Castle, now in ruins, was constructed between 1500 and 1550 on the site of an earlier royal castle, one mile south-east of the centre of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The town of Hamilton was formerly known as Cadzow or Cadyou , until renamed in 1455 in honour of James Hamilton, 1st...
. The Barony had previously belonged to John Comyn, who was murdered by Robert the Bruce.
David fitz Walter of Cadzow
Sir David fitz Walter of Cadzow or David fitz Walter fitz Gilbert de Hameldone, 2nd Laird of Cadzow was a Scottish nobleman....
. He was a supporter of King David II
David II of Scotland
David II was King of Scots from 7 June 1329 until his death.-Early life:...
and fought at the Battle of Neville's Cross
Battle of Neville's Cross
The Battle of Neville's Cross took place to the west of Durham, England on 17 October 1346.-Background:In 1346, England was embroiled in the Hundred Years' War with France. In order to divert his enemy Philip VI of France appealed to David II of Scotland to attack the English from the north in...
(Battle of Durham) where he was captured along with the King. His son David Hamilton
David Hamilton of Cadzow
David Hamilton of Cadzow, 3rd Laird of Cadzow was a Scottish nobleman. The son of David fitz Walter fitz Gilbert of Cadzow, he was born at Cadzow Castle, South Lanarkshire....
, the 3rd Baron, was the first to establish Hamilton as the family name. David Hamilton's son Sir John Hamilton
John Hamilton of Cadzow
Sir John Hamilton of Cadzow, 4th Laird of Cadzow was a Scottish nobleman and soldier.He succeeded his father, David Hamilton of Cadzow, no later than 1392, when he appears on a charter of Andrew Murray of Touchadam as Dominus de Cadzow.He was imprisoned, along with his brothers William and Andrew,...
became the 4th Baron and was in turn succeeded as 5th Baron by his son James Hamilton
James Hamilton of Cadzow
Sir James Hamilton of Cadzow, 5th Laird of Cadzow was a Scottish nobleman and royal hostage.-Biography:The son of Sir John Hamilton of Cadzow and his wife, Janet Douglas, James Hamilton is first attested to in 1397...
.
Lords Hamilton and Earls of Arran
The 5th Baron was succeeded as 6th Baron by his son, Sir James HamiltonJames Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton
James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton, 6th Lord of Cadzow was a Scottish nobleman, scholar and politician.-Early life:...
, who was created a Lord of Parliament
Lord of Parliament
A Lord of Parliament was the lowest rank of nobility automatically entitled to attend sessions of the pre-Union Parliament of Scotland. Post-Union, it is a member of the lowest rank of the Peerage of Scotland, ranking below a viscount...
as Lord Hamilton on 3 July 1445. In early 1474, he married Princess Mary, Countess of Arran, daughter of King James II
James II of Scotland
James II reigned as King of Scots from 1437 to his death.He was the son of James I, King of Scots, and Joan Beaufort...
and widow of Thomas Boyd, 1st Earl of Arran
Thomas Boyd, 1st Earl of Arran
Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran was a Scottish nobleman.Thomas was the son of Robert, 1st Lord Boyd, who was a regent during the minority of James III. His father was able have Thomas created Earl of Arran and Baron Kilmarnock in the Peerage of Scotland and arrange Thomas' marriage to Princess Mary,...
. He was succeeded by his only legitimate son, James, 2nd Lord Hamilton
James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran
James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran and 2nd Lord Hamilton was a Scottish nobleman and first cousin of James IV of Scotland.-Biography:...
. In 1490, then aged 15, he married the 13-year-old Elizabeth, Lady Hay, daughter of Alexander Home, 2nd Lord Home and widow of Sir Thomas Hay, Master of Yester, son and heir of John Hay, 1st Lord Hay of Yester
John Hay, 1st Lord Hay of Yester
John Hay, 1st Lord Hay of Yester is the ancestor of the Marquesses of Tweeddale. He was created a Lord of Parliament on 29 January 1488 by James III of Scotland....
. However, it was later discovered that Sir Thomas Hay was still alive and the marriage was annulled. The 2nd Lord married secondly Janet, Lady Livingstone, daughter of Sir David Beaton of Creich and widow of Sir Robert Livingstone of Easter Wemyss and Drumry. He became a Privy Counsellor
Privy Council of Scotland
The Privy Council of Scotland was a body that advised the King.In the range of its functions the council was often more important than the Estates in the running the country. Its registers include a wide range of material on the political, administrative, economic and social affairs of Scotland...
to King James IV
James IV of Scotland
James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
, and helped to arrange his marriage to Princess Margaret
Margaret Tudor
Margaret Tudor was the elder of the two surviving daughters of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and the elder sister of Henry VIII. In 1503, she married James IV, King of Scots. James died in 1513, and their son became King James V. She married secondly Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of...
, daughter of King Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. As a reward he was created Earl of Arran on 8 August 1503. He was succeeded by his elder son from his second marriage, James, 2nd Earl of Arran. He was Regent of Scotland between 1542 and 1554, and guardian of the young Mary, Queen of Scots. He was created Duc de Châtellerault in the French nobility
French nobility
The French nobility was the privileged order of France in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern periods.In the political system of the Estates General, the nobility made up the Second Estate...
in 1548 for his part in arranging the marriage of Queen Mary to Francis, Dauphin of France
Francis II of France
Francis II was aged 15 when he succeeded to the throne of France after the accidental death of his father, King Henry II, in 1559. He reigned for 18 months before he died in December 1560...
. This French Dukedom was forfeit when he switched allegiances in 1559. Emperor Napoleon III "confirmed" this title for the 12th Duke of Hamilton
William Douglas-Hamilton, 12th Duke of Hamilton
William Alexander Louis Stephen Douglas-Hamilton, 12th Duke of Hamilton, 9th Duke of Brandon, 2nd Duke of Châtellerault KT was a Scottish nobleman.-Biography:...
in the 19th century, but as the 12th Duke was neither heir male nor heir general of the 2nd Earl, the legal effect of this "confirmation" is doubtful.
James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran
James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran was a Scottish nobleman and soldier who fought against French troops during the Scottish Reformation....
, who had been proposed as a husband to Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
of England in 1561. In 1562 he was declared insane, and in 1581 he resigned the Earldom to James Stewart of Bothwellhaugh. However, in 1586 his resignation was ruled by the Court of Session
Court of Session
The Court of Session is the supreme civil court of Scotland, and constitutes part of the College of Justice. It sits in Parliament House in Edinburgh and is both a court of first instance and a court of appeal....
to be the act of a madman and his honours were restored.
Marquises and Dukes of Hamilton
The 3rd Earl's younger brother John HamiltonJohn Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Hamilton
John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Hamilton was a Scottish nobleman.-Life:Hamilton was the third son of James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran by his wife Margaret Douglas, a daughter of James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Morton...
(who was styled Lord Hamilton, though apparently without legal justification) was appointed to administer his brother's estates. He was created Marquis of Hamilton, Earl of Arran and Lord Aven on 17 April 1599. His son, James, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton
James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton
James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton and 4th Earl of Arran KG PC , styled Lord Aven from 1599 to 1604, was a Scottish politician. He was the son of John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Hamilton....
(who had been created Lord Aberbrothwick (or Arbroath) on 5 May 1608, before he succeeded) moved to England with King James VI
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
, and invested into the Somers Isles Company
Somers Isles Company
The Somers Isles Company was formed in 1615 to operate the English colony of the Somers Isles, also known as Bermuda, as a commercial venture. It held a royal charter for Bermuda until 1684, when it was dissolved, and the Crown assumed responsibility for the administration of Bermuda as a royal...
, an offshoot of the Virginia Company
London Company
The London Company was an English joint stock company established by royal charter by James I of England on April 10, 1606 with the purpose of establishing colonial settlements in North America.The territory granted to the London Company included the coast of North America from the 34th parallel ...
, buying the shares of Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford
Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford
Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford was a major aristocratic patron of the arts and literature in the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras...
. The Parish of Hamilton
Hamilton Parish, Bermuda
Hamilton Parish is one of the nine parishes of Bermuda. It was renamed for Scottish aristocrat James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton when he purchased the shares originally held in the Virginia Company by Lucy, Countess of Bedford.It is located in the northwest of the island chain, and is...
in the Somers Isles (now Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
) is named for him. Upon the death of his uncle in 1609 he succeeded as 4th Earl of Arran (of the 1503 creation) and 5th Lord Hamilton. He was also created Earl of Cambridge and Baron Innerdale in the Peerage of England
Peerage of England
The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. In that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were replaced by one Peerage of Great Britain....
on 16 June 1619.
His son, James, 3rd Marquis of Hamilton
James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton
General Sir James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton KG was a Scottish nobleman and influential Civil war military leader.-Young Arran:...
, was created Duke of Hamilton, Marquis of Clydesdale, Earl of Arran and Cambridge and Lord Aven and Innerdale on 12 April 1643, with a special remainder allowing succession through the female line should his and his brother's heirs male fail. His son, Charles, Earl of Arran, died young and the 1st Duke's titles passed to his younger brother, William, 2nd Duke of Hamilton
William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton
William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton KG was a Scottish nobleman who supported both Royalist and Presbyterian causes during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms....
, who had already been created Earl of Lanark and Lord Machanshire and Polmont on 31 March 1639. A surrender and regrant in 1650 allowed these also to be inherited by the 1st Duke's elder daughter. Upon his death in 1651, with no further heirs in the immediate male line, the Dukedom (and the titles created with it), as well as the Earldom of Lanark (and the title created with it), passed to that daughter, Anne, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton
Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton
Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton 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 Lady Mary Feilding, daughter of William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh and Lady Susan Villiers, a...
. The 1503 Earldom of Arran and the Lordship of Hamilton became dormant, and all the other titles (the Marquisate of Hamilton, the 1599 Earldom of Arran and the Lordships of Hamilton, Aven and Aberbrothwick in the Peerage of Scotland, and the Earldom of Cambridge and the Barony of Innerdale in the Peerage of England) became extinct.
In 1656, the 3rd Duchess married William Douglas, 1st Earl of Selkirk, third son of William Douglas, 1st Marquis of Douglas. He had been created Earl of Selkirk and Lord Daer and Shortcleuch on 4 August 1646. He changed his surname to "Hamilton", and on 20 September 1660 was created Duke of Hamilton, Marquis of Clydesdale, Earl of Arran, Lanark and Selkirk and Lord Aven, Machanshire, Polmont and Daer for life. In 1688, he resigned the Earldom of Selkirk and the Lordship of Daer and Shortcleuch, and those titles were regranted to his second son, with a special remainder designed to prevent them becoming merged with the Dukedom. (See Earl of Selkirk
Earl of Selkirk
Earl of Selkirk is a title in the Peerage of Scotland.It was created on 4 August 1646 for Lord William Douglas, third son of William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas, along with the title Lord Daer and Shortcleuch...
for the subsequent history of those titles, which were eventually inherited by the 12th Duke of Hamilton, becoming separated again from the Dukedom on the death of the 13th Duke in 1940).
On 9 July 1698, the 3rd Duchess resigned all her titles in favour of her eldest son, James, Earl of Arran, who thereby succeeded as 4th Duke in his mother's lifetime (his father had died in 1694). During the lead up to the Acts of Union 1707
Acts of Union 1707
The Acts of Union were two Parliamentary Acts - the Union with Scotland Act passed in 1706 by the Parliament of England, and the Union with England Act passed in 1707 by the Parliament of Scotland - which put into effect the terms of the Treaty of Union that had been agreed on 22 July 1706,...
, the 4th Duke was the leader of the anti-union party. He was created Duke of Brandon, in the County of Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, and Baron Dutton, in the County of Chester
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, in the Peerage of Great Britain
Peerage of Great Britain
The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain after the Act of Union 1707 but before the Act of Union 1800...
on 10 September 1711, but was wrongfully refused a summons to the Parliament of Great Britain
Parliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
under that title (although he continued to sit as a representative peer
Representative peer
In the United Kingdom, representative peers were those peers elected by the members of the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of Ireland to sit in the British House of Lords...
). He was killed in duel with Charles Mohun, 4th Baron Mohun
Charles Mohun, 4th Baron Mohun
Charles Mohun, 4th Baron Mohun was an English politician best known for his frequent participation in duels and his reputation as a rake....
(who also died) in Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 15 November 1712.
James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton
James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton and 2nd Duke of Brandon KT FRS was a Scottish peer, the son of the 4th Duke of Hamilton....
was succeeded by his son James, 6th Duke of Hamilton
James Hamilton, 6th Duke of Hamilton
James Douglas-Hamilton, 6th Duke of Hamilton and 3rd Duke of Brandon, KT was a Scottish peer.-Early years and Education:...
and he by his son James, 7th Duke of Hamilton
James Hamilton, 7th Duke of Hamilton
James George Douglas-Hamilton, 7th Duke of Hamilton and 4th Duke of Brandon was a short-lived Scottish peer.Hamilton was born at Holyrood Palace, the son of the 6th Duke of Hamilton and his wife, Elizabeth...
. In 1761, the 7th Duke's second cousin twice removed, Archibald Douglas, 1st Duke of Douglas
Archibald Douglas, 1st Duke of Douglas
Archibald Douglas, 1st Duke of Douglas was a Scottish nobleman.He was the second son of James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas, by his second marriage...
, died without an heir. As the Duke of Hamilton, though still using the surname "Hamilton", was patrilineally a "Douglas" (through the 3rd Duchess's husband), the 7th Duke became heir male of the House of Douglas and inherited the Duke of Douglas's minor titles (although not the Dukedom), succeeding as 4th Marquis of Douglas, 14th and 4th Earl of Angus and 4th Lord Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest. He died without issue and was succeeded by his brother Douglas, 8th Duke of Hamilton
Douglas Hamilton, 8th Duke of Hamilton
Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 8th Duke of Hamilton and 5th Duke of Brandon KT was a Scottish peer.Hamilton was born at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the son of the 6th Duke of Hamilton and his wife, Elizabeth Gunning...
. He left no sons and the title passed back to his uncle, the 6th Duke's brother, Archibald, 9th Duke of Hamilton
Archibald Hamilton, 9th Duke of Hamilton
Archibald Douglas-Hamilton, 9th Duke of Hamilton and 6th Duke of Brandon was a Scottish peer and politician.Hamilton was the eldest son of the 5th Duke of Hamilton and his third wife, Anne, and was educated at Eton...
. He was succeeded by his son Alexander, 10th Duke of Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton, 10th Duke of Hamilton
Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, 10th Duke of Hamilton, 7th Duke of Brandon KG PC FRS FSA was a Scottish politician and art collector....
and then by his son William, 11th Duke of Hamilton
William Hamilton, 11th Duke of Hamilton
William Alexander Archibald Douglas-Hamilton, 11th Duke of Hamilton and 8th Duke of Brandon , styled Earl of Angus before 1819 and Marquess of Douglas and Clydesdale between 1819 and 1852, was a Scottish nobleman.He was the son of Alexander Hamilton, 10th Duke of Hamilton and Susan Euphemia...
. The 11th Duke's son William, 12th Duke of Hamilton
William Douglas-Hamilton, 12th Duke of Hamilton
William Alexander Louis Stephen Douglas-Hamilton, 12th Duke of Hamilton, 9th Duke of Brandon, 2nd Duke of Châtellerault KT was a Scottish nobleman.-Biography:...
(who changed his surname to "Hamilton Douglas") died without a male heir and the Dukedom passed to his fourth cousin Alfred, 13th Duke of Hamilton
Alfred Douglas-Hamilton, 13th Duke of Hamilton
Lieutenant Alfred Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 13th Duke of Hamilton and 10th Duke of Brandon TD, DL was a Scottish nobleman and sailor.-Life and Succession:...
, who was descended from the 4th Duke of Hamilton and whose line of the family had adopted the surname "Douglas-Hamilton". His son was Douglas, 14th Duke of Hamilton
Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton
Air Commodore Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton and 11th Duke of Brandon, KT, GCVO, AFC, PC, DL, FRCSE, FRGS, was a Scottish nobleman and pioneering aviator....
, who was succeeded by his son Angus, 15th Duke of Hamilton
Angus Douglas-Hamilton, 15th Duke of Hamilton
Angus Alan Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 15th Duke of Hamilton and 12th Duke of Brandon was the premier peer of Scotland...
. He died in 2010, and was succeeded by his son, the current Duke, Alexander, 16th Duke of Hamilton
Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, 16th Duke of Hamilton
Alexander Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 16th Duke of Hamilton and 13th Duke of Brandon , styled Marquess of Douglas and Clydesdale from birth till 2010, is a Scottish nobleman and the Premier Peer of Scotland.-Life and education:...
.
Succession to the Dukedom of Hamilton
The letters patent that created the Dukedom of Hamilton contained a special remainder. It stipulated that the Dukedom should descend to:- heirs male of the bodyHeirs of the bodyHeirs of the body is the term for the English legal principle that certain types of property pass to a descendant of the original holder, recipient or grantee according to a fixed order of kinship...
of the granteeJames Hamilton, 1st Duke of HamiltonGeneral Sir James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton KG was a Scottish nobleman and influential Civil war military leader.-Young Arran:...
, failing which to - the grantee's brotherWilliam Hamilton, 2nd Duke of HamiltonWilliam Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton KG was a Scottish nobleman who supported both Royalist and Presbyterian causes during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms....
and heirs male of the body of the grantee's brother, failing which to - the grantee's eldest daughterAnne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of HamiltonAnne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton 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 Lady Mary Feilding, daughter of William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh and Lady Susan Villiers, a...
and heirs male of her body, failing which to - nearest heirs whatsoever of the grantee.
House of Douglas
George Douglas, an illegitimate son of William Douglas, 1st Earl of DouglasWilliam Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas
William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas was a Scottish magnate.-Early Life:William Douglas was the son of Sir Archibald Douglas and Beatrice Lindsay, and nephew of "Sir James the Good", Robert the Bruce's trusted deputy...
, was created Earl of Angus on 9 April 1389.
His descendant, William, 11th Earl of Angus, was created Marquis of Douglas, Earl of Angus and Lord Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest on 14 June 1633.
His great-grandson, Archibald, 3rd Marquis of Douglas
Archibald Douglas, 1st Duke of Douglas
Archibald Douglas, 1st Duke of Douglas was a Scottish nobleman.He was the second son of James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas, by his second marriage...
, was created Duke of Douglas, Marquess of Angus and Abernethy, Viscount of Jedburgh Forest and Lord Douglas of Bonkill, Prestoun and Robertoun on 10 April 1703.
He died, married but childless, in 1761, at which point the Dukedom of Douglas (and the titles created with it) became extinct, but the Marquisate of Douglas, both Earldoms of Angus and the Lordship of Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest passed to his second cousin twice removed and heir male, James Hamilton, 7th Duke of Hamilton
James Hamilton, 7th Duke of Hamilton
James George Douglas-Hamilton, 7th Duke of Hamilton and 4th Duke of Brandon was a short-lived Scottish peer.Hamilton was born at Holyrood Palace, the son of the 6th Duke of Hamilton and his wife, Elizabeth...
.
Arms
The armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of the current Duke of Hamilton and Brandon are: quarterly: 1st and 4th grandquarters: quarterly: 1st and 4th, Gules three Cinquefoils Ermine (for Hamilton); 2nd and 3rd, Argent a Lymphad with the sails furled proper flagged Gules (for Arran); 2nd and 3rd grandquarters: Argent a Heart Gules imperially crowned Or on a Chief Azure three Mullets of the first (for Douglas).
The achievement has two crests
Crest (heraldry)
A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....
, namely: 1st, on a Ducal Coronet an Oak Tree rutted and penetrated transversely in the main stem by a Frame Saw proper the frame Or (for Hamilton); 2nd, on a Chapeau Gules turned up Ermine a Salamander in flames proper (for Douglas). The supporters are: on either side an Antelope Argent armed unguled ducally gorged and chained Or. Each crest has a motto
Scottish heraldry
Heraldry in Scotland, while broadly similar to that practised in England and elsewhere in western Europe, has its own distinctive features. Its heraldic executive is separate from that of the rest of the United Kingdom.-Executive:...
, namely "Through" (over the 1st crest) and "Jamais Arriere" ("Never Behind") (over the 2nd crest).
Barons of Cadzow (c. 1315)
- Sir Walter fitz GilbertWalter fitz Gilbert of CadzowSir Walter fitz Gilbert of Cadzow, 1st Laird of Cadzow was a Scottish nobleman. The son of Gilbert fitz William of Hameldone, and an unknown wife, possibly Isabelle Randolph...
, 1st Baron of Cadzow (c. 1250– bef. 1336) - Sir David fitz WalterDavid fitz Walter of CadzowSir David fitz Walter of Cadzow or David fitz Walter fitz Gilbert de Hameldone, 2nd Laird of Cadzow was a Scottish nobleman....
, 2nd Baron of Cadzow (c. 1310–1374/1378) - David HamiltonDavid Hamilton of CadzowDavid Hamilton of Cadzow, 3rd Laird of Cadzow was a Scottish nobleman. The son of David fitz Walter fitz Gilbert of Cadzow, he was born at Cadzow Castle, South Lanarkshire....
, 3rd Baron of Cadzow (c. 1333–c. 1392) - Sir John HamiltonJohn Hamilton of CadzowSir John Hamilton of Cadzow, 4th Laird of Cadzow was a Scottish nobleman and soldier.He succeeded his father, David Hamilton of Cadzow, no later than 1392, when he appears on a charter of Andrew Murray of Touchadam as Dominus de Cadzow.He was imprisoned, along with his brothers William and Andrew,...
, 4th Baron of Cadzow (d. bef. 1410) - James HamiltonJames Hamilton of CadzowSir James Hamilton of Cadzow, 5th Laird of Cadzow was a Scottish nobleman and royal hostage.-Biography:The son of Sir John Hamilton of Cadzow and his wife, Janet Douglas, James Hamilton is first attested to in 1397...
, 5th Baron of Cadzow (d. bef. 1441) - Sir James HamiltonJames Hamilton, 1st Lord HamiltonJames Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton, 6th Lord of Cadzow was a Scottish nobleman, scholar and politician.-Early life:...
, 6th Baron of Cadzow (d. 1479) (created Lord Hamilton in 1445)
Lords Hamilton (1445)
- James Hamilton, 1st Lord HamiltonJames Hamilton, 1st Lord HamiltonJames Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton, 6th Lord of Cadzow was a Scottish nobleman, scholar and politician.-Early life:...
(d. 1479) - James Hamilton, 2nd Lord HamiltonJames Hamilton, 1st Earl of ArranJames Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran and 2nd Lord Hamilton was a Scottish nobleman and first cousin of James IV of Scotland.-Biography:...
(c.1475–1529) (created Earl of Arran in 1503)
Earls of Arran, second Creation (1503)
- James Hamilton, 1st Earl of ArranJames Hamilton, 1st Earl of ArranJames Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran and 2nd Lord Hamilton was a Scottish nobleman and first cousin of James IV of Scotland.-Biography:...
(c. 1475–1529) - James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran (1515–1575) (also Duke of ChâtelleraultDuke of ChâtelleraultThe French noble title of Duke of Châtellerault has been created several times.The first was for François de Bourbon-Montpensier, a younger son of Gilbert, Comte de Montpensier. He received the duchy-peerage of Châtellerault in 1515, but died the same year, being succeeded by his brother Charles,...
in the French nobilityFrench nobilityThe French nobility was the privileged order of France in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern periods.In the political system of the Estates General, the nobility made up the Second Estate...
from 1548 until 1559) - James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of ArranJames Hamilton, 3rd Earl of ArranJames Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran was a Scottish nobleman and soldier who fought against French troops during the Scottish Reformation....
(1533/1538–1609) (under attainderAttainderIn English criminal law, attainder or attinctura is the metaphorical 'stain' or 'corruption of blood' which arises from being condemned for a serious capital crime . It entails losing not only one's property and hereditary titles, but typically also the right to pass them on to one's heirs...
1579–1585) - James Hamilton, 4th Earl of ArranJames Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of HamiltonJames Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton and 4th Earl of Arran KG PC , styled Lord Aven from 1599 to 1604, was a Scottish politician. He was the son of John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Hamilton....
(1589–1625) (had already succeeded as 2nd Marquess of Hamilton)
Marquises of Hamilton (1599)
- John Hamilton, 1st Marquis of Hamilton (c. 1535–1604) (created Marquis of Hamilton in the lifetime of his elder brother, the 3rd Earl of Arran)
- James Hamilton, 2nd Marquis of Hamilton, 1st Earl of Cambridge (1589–1625) (succeeded as 4th Earl of Arran in 1609)
- James Hamilton, 3rd Marquis of Hamilton, 2nd Earl of CambridgeJames Hamilton, 1st Duke of HamiltonGeneral Sir James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton KG was a Scottish nobleman and influential Civil war military leader.-Young Arran:...
(1606–1649) (created Duke of Hamilton in 1643)- Charles Hamilton, Earl of Arran (1634–1640) (eldest son of the 3rd Marquis, predeceased his father in childhood)
Dukes of Hamilton (1643)
- James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton, 2nd Earl of CambridgeJames Hamilton, 1st Duke of HamiltonGeneral Sir James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton KG was a Scottish nobleman and influential Civil war military leader.-Young Arran:...
(1606–1649)- Charles Hamilton, Earl of Arran (d. 1640)
- William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton, 3rd Earl of CambridgeWilliam Hamilton, 2nd Duke of HamiltonWilliam Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton KG was a Scottish nobleman who supported both Royalist and Presbyterian causes during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms....
(1616–1651)- James Hamilton, Lord Polmont (d. 1648)
- Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of HamiltonAnne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of HamiltonAnne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton 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 Lady Mary Feilding, daughter of William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh and Lady Susan Villiers, a...
(c. 1631–1716) (resigned the Dukedom in her son's favour in 1698)
- m. William Douglas later Hamilton, Duke of Hamilton, 1st Earl of Selkirk (1635–1694) (created Duke of Hamilton for life in 1660)
- James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton, 1st Duke of Brandon (1658–1712) (created Duke of Brandon in 1711)
- James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Brandon (1703–1743)
- James Hamilton, 6th Duke of Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Brandon (1724–1758)
- James Hamilton, 7th Duke of Hamilton, 4th Duke of Brandon (1755–1769) (succeeded as 4th Marquess of Douglas in 1761)
- Douglas Hamilton, 8th Duke of Hamilton, 5th Duke of Brandon (1756–1799)
- Archibald Hamilton, 9th Duke of Hamilton, 6th Duke of Brandon (1740–1819)
- Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, 10th Duke of Hamilton, 7th Duke of Brandon (1767–1852)
- William Douglas-Hamilton, 11th Duke of Hamilton, 8th Duke of Brandon (1811–1863)
- William Alexander Louis Stephen Douglas-Hamilton, 12th Duke of Hamilton, 9th Duke of Brandon, 8th Earl of SelkirkWilliam Douglas-Hamilton, 12th Duke of HamiltonWilliam Alexander Louis Stephen Douglas-Hamilton, 12th Duke of Hamilton, 9th Duke of Brandon, 2nd Duke of Châtellerault KT was a Scottish nobleman.-Biography:...
(1845–1895) - Alfred Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 13th Duke of Hamilton, 10th Duke of Brandon, 9th Earl of SelkirkAlfred Douglas-Hamilton, 13th Duke of HamiltonLieutenant Alfred Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 13th Duke of Hamilton and 10th Duke of Brandon TD, DL was a Scottish nobleman and sailor.-Life and Succession:...
(1862–1940) - Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton, 11th Duke of BrandonDouglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of HamiltonAir Commodore Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton and 11th Duke of Brandon, KT, GCVO, AFC, PC, DL, FRCSE, FRGS, was a Scottish nobleman and pioneering aviator....
(1903–1973) - Angus Alan Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 15th Duke of Hamilton, 12th Duke of BrandonAngus Douglas-Hamilton, 15th Duke of HamiltonAngus Alan Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 15th Duke of Hamilton and 12th Duke of Brandon was the premier peer of Scotland...
(1938–2010) - Alexander Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 16th Duke of Hamilton, 13th Duke of BrandonAlexander Douglas-Hamilton, 16th Duke of HamiltonAlexander Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 16th Duke of Hamilton and 13th Duke of Brandon , styled Marquess of Douglas and Clydesdale from birth till 2010, is a Scottish nobleman and the Premier Peer of Scotland.-Life and education:...
(b. 1978)
Line of succession
- Lord John William Douglas-Hamilton (b. 1979) (younger brother of the 16th Duke)
- James Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, Baron Selkirk of DouglasJames Douglas-Hamilton, Baron Selkirk of DouglasJames Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, Baron Selkirk of Douglas, PC, QC , briefly The 11th Earl of Selkirk and styled Lord James Douglas-Hamilton until 1997, is a Scottish Conservative politician who served as Member of Parliament for Edinburgh West then Member of the Scottish Parliament for the...
(b. 1942) (second son of the 14th Duke) - The Hon. John Andrew Douglas-Hamilton, (who would be Lord Daer but title disclaimed by his father) (b. 1978) (eldest son of life peer, Baron Selkirk of Douglas)
- The Hon. Charles Douglas Douglas-Hamilton (b. 1979) (second son of Baron Selkirk of Douglas)
- The Hon. James Robert Douglas-Hamilton (b. 1981) (third son of Baron Selkirk of Douglas) (elder twin)
- The Hon. Harry Alexander Douglas-Hamilton (b. 1981) (fourth son of Baron Selkirk of Douglas) (younger twin)
- Brendan Thomas Douglas-Hamilton (b. 1974) (only son of Lord Hugh Malcolm Douglas-Hamilton, third son of the 14th Duke)
- Lord Patrick George Douglas-Hamilton (b. 1950) (fourth son of the 14th Duke)
- Lord David Stephen Douglas-Hamilton (b. 1952) (fifth son of the 14th Duke)
- Alasdair Malcolm Douglas-Hamilton (b. 1939) (elder son of Lord Malcolm Avondale Douglas-Hamilton, third son of the 13th Duke)
- Angus Gavin Douglas-Hamilton (b. 1968) (elder son of Alasdair Malcolm Douglas-Hamilton)
- William Niall Douglas-Hamilton (b. 1999) (only son of Angus Gavin Douglas-Hamilton)
- Geordie Fergus Douglas-Hamilton (b. 1969) (younger son of Alasdair Malcolm Douglas-Hamilton)
- Diarmaid Hugh Douglas-Hamilton (b. 1940) (elder son of Lord David Douglas-Hamilton, fourth son of the 13th Duke)
- Iain Douglas-Hamilton (b. 1942) (younger son of Lord David Douglas-Hamilton)
- John Gavin Douglas-Hamilton (b. 1957) (a great-great-grandson of Francis Seymour Douglas-Hamilton, a younger brother of the 13th Duke's father)
- Cecil Seymour Douglas-Hamilton (b. 1916) (a great-grandson of Francis Seymour Douglas-Hamilton)
The next heir is (under provision 4 of the special remainder) the heir whatsoever of the 3rd Duchess, namely Edward Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby
Edward Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby
Edward Richard William Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby is a British peer. He is known for ownership of the racehorse Ouija Board and for his controversial plans to build houses and an industrial estate on of greenfield land he inherited in Newmarket, Suffolk...
(b. 1962) (a great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson of the 6th Duke, through his only daughter, Lady Elizabeth Hamilton, who married Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby
Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby
Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby PC , styled Lord Strange between 1771 and 1776, was a British peer and politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries...
). Lord Derby is not, however, an heir to the Marquisate of Douglas and its subsidiary titles, which would pass to the heir male (a junior-line descendant of one of the Earls of Angus, as the heirs male of the body of the 3rd Duchess are the only remaining heirs male of the body of the 1st Marquess of Douglas). He is also not an heir to the Dukedom of Brandon or the Barony of Dutton, which are limited to the heirs male of the body of the 3rd Duchess.
Family tree
See also
- Clan HamiltonClan HamiltonThe House of Hamilton, occasionally and erroneously referred to as Clan Hamilton, is a Scottish family who historically held broad territories throughout central and southern Scotland, particularly Ayrshire, Lanarkshire and the Lothians...
- Clan DouglasClan DouglasClan Douglas is an ancient Scottish kindred from the Scottish Lowlands taking its name from Douglas, South Lanarkshire, and thence spreading through the Scottish Borderland, Angus, Lothian and beyond. The clan does not currently have a chief, therefore it is considered an armigerous clan.The...
- Earl of AngusEarl of AngusThe Mormaer or Earl of Angus was the ruler of the medieval Scottish province of Angus. The title, in the Peerage of Scotland, is currently held by the Duke of Hamilton.-Mormaers:...
- Earl of ArranEarl of ArranEarl of Arran is a title in both the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of Ireland. The two titles refer to different places, the Isle of Arran in Scotland, and the Aran Islands in Ireland...
- Earl of SelkirkEarl of SelkirkEarl of Selkirk is a title in the Peerage of Scotland.It was created on 4 August 1646 for Lord William Douglas, third son of William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas, along with the title Lord Daer and Shortcleuch...
- Lord AbernethyLord AbernethyThe Lord of Abernethy was from the 12th century to the 14th century the hereditary holder of the church and lands of the Scottish monastery at Abernethy. It gradually evolved alongside the title Abbot of Abernethy, displacing that term in extant sources by the end of the 13th century...
- Hamilton PalaceHamilton PalaceHamilton Palace was a large country house located north-east of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The former seat of the Dukes of Hamilton, it was built in 1695 and subsequently much enlarged. The house was demolished in 1921 due to ground subsidence despite inadequate evidence for that...
- Brodick CastleBrodick CastleBrodick Castle is a castle situated outside the port of Brodick on the Isle of Arran, an island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. It was previously a seat of the Dukes of Hamilton, but is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland.-Early and High Mediæval:...
- Lennoxlove House
- Holyrood Palace
- Duke of AbercornDuke of AbercornThe title Duke of Abercorn was created in the Peerage of Ireland in 1868 and bestowed upon James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Abercorn.This article also covers the Earls and Marquesses of Abercorn, all named after Abercorn, West Lothian, in Scotland.-History:...