Henry Hamilton was an Irish

Kingdom of Ireland

The Kingdom of Ireland refers to the country of Ireland in the period between the proclamation of Henry VIII as King of Ireland by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 and the Act of Union in 1800. It replaced the Lordship of Ireland, which had been created in 1171...

-born soldier and official of the British Empire

British Empire

The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...

. He was captured during the American War of Independence while serving as the Lieutenant Governor at the British post of Fort Detroit

Fort Detroit

Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit or Fort Détroit was a fort established by the French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in 1701. The location of the former fort is now in the city of Detroit in the U.S...

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Henry was probably born in Dublin, Ireland, a younger son of Henry Hamilton

Henry Hamilton (politician)

Henry Hamilton , styled The Honourable from 1715, was an Irish politician.He was the youngest son of Gustavus Hamilton, 1st Viscount Boyne and his wife Elizabeth Brooke, daughter of Sir Henry Brooke. In 1725, he entered the Irish House of Commons for St Johnstown , a seat he held until 1727...

, an Irish Member of Parliament

British House of Commons

The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...

. He was raised in County Cork

County Cork

County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...

, then started his military career during the French and Indian War

French and Indian War

The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...

, as a Captain in the 15th Regiment of Foot

East Yorkshire Regiment

The East Yorkshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, first raised in 1685 as Sir William Clifton's Regiment of Foot. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated with the West Yorkshire Regiment , becoming The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of...

 in the 1757 attack

Siege of Louisbourg

Siege of Louisbourg may refer to:* Siege of Louisbourg , the capture of the settlement by British forces during the War of the Austrian Succession...

 on Louisbourg and the Battle of Quebec

Battle of the Plains of Abraham

The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec, was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War...

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