James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran
Encyclopedia
James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran and 2nd Lord Hamilton (ca. 1475 – 1529) was a Scottish
nobleman and first cousin of James IV of Scotland
.
, and his wife, Mary Stewart, Countess of Arran. Mary was a daughter of King James II of Scotland
and his Queen consort
Mary of Guelders
, and was a sister of King James III of Scotland
.
Hamilton succeeded to his father's lordship and inherited his lands when his father died in 1479. In 1489 his first cousin King James IV
made him Sheriff
of Lanark
, a position his father had previously had, and a Scottish Privy Counsellor. By 28 April 1490 he was married to Elizabeth Home, daughter of Alexander Home, 2nd Lord Home.
Between April and August 1502, he commanded a naval fleet sent to help King Hans of Denmark, James IV's uncle, defeat a Swedish rebellion. He negotiated James's marriage to Margaret Tudor
and was present at the wedding on 8 August 1503. On the same day Lord Hamilton was created Earl of Arran
, with the formal grant three days later, "for his nearness of blood" and his services at the time of the marriage. He was appointed Lieutenant General of Scotland and in May 1504 commanded a naval expedition to suppress an uprising in the Western Isles.
In September 1507, James IV sent Hamilton as his ambassador
on a diplomatic mission to the court of Louis XII of France
. When returning in early 1508, he was briefly detained in the Kingdom of England
by Henry VII
, who was suspicious of a renewal of the Auld Alliance
between Scotland and France.
When Henry VIII of England
joined the War of the League of Cambrai
by invading France in 1513, Scotland came under pressure to support France against England. Hamilton was given command of the Scottish naval fleet. He first sailed to Ulster
and attacked Carrickfergus
, the main English stronghold there. The fleet then sailed to France, arriving there in September 1513, too late to be much help as the Scottish army had been defeated at the Battle of Flodden Field
in England on 9 September, with James IV being killed in battle.
During the minority of King James V
he opposed Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus
and the English party. He plotted against the Regent
John Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany
. He was president of the council of regency during Albany's absence in France from 1517 to 1520.
He was defeated in an attempt to overpower Angus in the streets of Edinburgh
in 1520, a riot known as "Cleanse the Causeway
". He was again a member of the council of regency in 1522 and Lieutenant of the South. He joined the Queen Dowager
Margaret Tudor
in ousting Albany and proclaiming James V in 1524.
Hamilton was compelled by Henry VIII of England
to readmit Angus to the council. He supported Angus against John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox
in 1526 at the Battle of Linlithgow Bridge
, but on the escape of James V from the Douglas
es, Hamilton received Bothwell
from Angus's forfeited estates.
, was still alive at the time of the wedding.
In November 1516 Hamilton married Janet Bethune of Easter Wemyss, daughter of Sir David Bethune of Creich, and widow of Sir Robert Livingstone of Easter Wemyss, who had been killed in the Battle of Flodden Field.
In November 1504 Hamilton had been granted a divorce from Elizabeth Home on the grounds that she had previously been married to Thomas Hay. Hay had apparently left the country and was thought to be dead when Hamilton married Home in or before 1490, but in fact he did not die until 1491 or later. This award of divorce was repeated in 1510, suggesting that Hamilton had continued living with her after 1504, and was held by some to undermine the dissolution of the first marriage as invalid. It is likely that the real motive for divorcing Elizabeth was that she had not born any children and that Hamilton wanted a legitimate heir – he already had several illegitimate children, his eldest illegitimate son being James Hamilton of Finnart
. The complicated legal issues of the second marriage would continue to trouble his heir, whose legitimacy was questioned by his rivals in 1543.
Arran and Janet Bethune had four children before Janet died c. 1522:
Hamilton had further illegitimate issue.
Children of James Hamilton and his mistress Beatrix Drummond, daughter of John Drummond, 1st Lord Drummond
and his wife Lady Elizabeth Lindsay:
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
nobleman and first cousin of James IV of Scotland
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...
.
Biography
He was the only son of James Hamilton, 1st Lord HamiltonJames Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton
James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton, 6th Lord of Cadzow was a Scottish nobleman, scholar and politician.-Early life:...
, and his wife, Mary Stewart, Countess of Arran. Mary was a daughter of King James II of Scotland
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 his Queen consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
Mary of Guelders
Mary of Guelders
Mary of Guelders was the Queen Consort of Scotland as the wife of King James II of Scotland. She served as Regent of Scotland from 1460 to 1463.-Background:...
, and was a sister of King James III of Scotland
James III of Scotland
James III was King of Scots from 1460 to 1488. James was an unpopular and ineffective monarch owing to an unwillingness to administer justice fairly, a policy of pursuing alliance with the Kingdom of England, and a disastrous relationship with nearly all his extended family.His reputation as the...
.
Hamilton succeeded to his father's lordship and inherited his lands when his father died in 1479. In 1489 his first cousin 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...
made him Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Lanark
Lanark
Lanark is a small town in the central belt of Scotland. Its population of 8,253 makes it the 100th largest settlement in Scotland. The name is believed to come from the Cumbric Lanerc meaning "clear space, glade"....
, a position his father had previously had, and a Scottish Privy Counsellor. By 28 April 1490 he was married to Elizabeth Home, daughter of Alexander Home, 2nd Lord Home.
Between April and August 1502, he commanded a naval fleet sent to help King Hans of Denmark, James IV's uncle, defeat a Swedish rebellion. He negotiated James's marriage to Margaret Tudor
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...
and was present at the wedding on 8 August 1503. On the same day Lord Hamilton was created Earl of Arran
Earl of Arran
Earl 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...
, with the formal grant three days later, "for his nearness of blood" and his services at the time of the marriage. He was appointed Lieutenant General of Scotland and in May 1504 commanded a naval expedition to suppress an uprising in the Western Isles.
In September 1507, James IV sent Hamilton as his ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
on a diplomatic mission to the court of Louis XII of France
Louis XII of France
Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes...
. When returning in early 1508, he was briefly detained in the Kingdom of England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
by 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....
, who was suspicious of a renewal of the Auld Alliance
Auld Alliance
The Auld Alliance was an alliance between the kingdoms of Scotland and France. It played a significant role in the relations between Scotland, France and England from its beginning in 1295 until the 1560 Treaty of Edinburgh. The alliance was renewed by all the French and Scottish monarchs of that...
between Scotland and France.
When Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
joined the War of the League of Cambrai
War of the League of Cambrai
The War of the League of Cambrai, sometimes known as the War of the Holy League and by several other names, was a major conflict in the Italian Wars...
by invading France in 1513, Scotland came under pressure to support France against England. Hamilton was given command of the Scottish naval fleet. He first sailed to Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
and attacked Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus , known locally and colloquially as "Carrick", is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is located on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 27,201 at the 2001 Census and takes its name from Fergus Mór mac Eirc, the 6th century king...
, the main English stronghold there. The fleet then sailed to France, arriving there in September 1513, too late to be much help as the Scottish army had been defeated at the Battle of Flodden Field
Battle of Flodden Field
The Battle of Flodden or Flodden Field or occasionally Battle of Branxton was fought in the county of Northumberland in northern England on 9 September 1513, between an invading Scots army under King James IV and an English army commanded by the Earl of Surrey...
in England on 9 September, with James IV being killed in battle.
During the minority of King James V
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
he opposed Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus
Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus
Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus was a Scottish nobleman active during the reigns of James V and Mary, Queen of Scots...
and the English party. He plotted against the Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
John Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany
John Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany
John Stewart, Duke of Albany was Regent of the Kingdom of Scotland, Duke of Albany in peerage of Scotland and Count of Auvergne and Lauraguais in France.-Early life:...
. He was president of the council of regency during Albany's absence in France from 1517 to 1520.
He was defeated in an attempt to overpower Angus in the streets of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
in 1520, a riot known as "Cleanse the Causeway
Cleanse the Causeway
The skirmish known as Cleanse the Causeway, or Clear the Causeway, took place in the High Street of Edinburgh, Scotland, on April 30, 1520, between rivals James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran, chief of Clan Hamilton, and Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus, chief of Clan Douglas.The skirmish was the...
". He was again a member of the council of regency in 1522 and Lieutenant of the South. He joined the Queen Dowager
Queen Dowager
A queen dowager or dowager queen is a title or status generally held by the widow of a deceased king. In the case of the widow of a deceased emperor, the title of empress dowager is used...
Margaret Tudor
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...
in ousting Albany and proclaiming James V in 1524.
Hamilton was compelled by Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
to readmit Angus to the council. He supported Angus against John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox
John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox
John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox was a prominent Scottish magnate. He was the son of Matthew Stewart, 2nd Earl of Lennox, and Elizabeth Hamilton, daughter of James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton and Mary Stewart, Princess of Scotland, daughter of King James II of Scotland.The Earl of Lennox had led...
in 1526 at the Battle of Linlithgow Bridge
Battle of Linlithgow Bridge
The Battle of Linlithgow Bridge is a battle that took place on 4 September 1526 in the village of Linlithgow Bridge, outside the Scottish town of Linlithgow. It was fought between a force of 10,000 men led by the Earl of Lennox and a force of 2,500 led by James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran...
, but on the escape of James V from the Douglas
Clan Douglas
Clan 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...
es, Hamilton received Bothwell
Bothwell
Bothwell is a small town in the South Lanarkshire council area of Scotland. It lies on the north bank of the River Clyde, adjacent to Uddingston and Hamilton, nine miles east-south-east of Glasgow city centre....
from Angus's forfeited estates.
Marriage and children
Hamilton was married firstly, c.1490, to Elizabeth Home, daughter of Alexander Home, 2nd Lord Home. The marriage was dissolved in 1506, when it was found that her first husband Thomas Hay, a son of John Hay, 1st Lord Hay of YesterJohn 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....
, was still alive at the time of the wedding.
In November 1516 Hamilton married Janet Bethune of Easter Wemyss, daughter of Sir David Bethune of Creich, and widow of Sir Robert Livingstone of Easter Wemyss, who had been killed in the Battle of Flodden Field.
In November 1504 Hamilton had been granted a divorce from Elizabeth Home on the grounds that she had previously been married to Thomas Hay. Hay had apparently left the country and was thought to be dead when Hamilton married Home in or before 1490, but in fact he did not die until 1491 or later. This award of divorce was repeated in 1510, suggesting that Hamilton had continued living with her after 1504, and was held by some to undermine the dissolution of the first marriage as invalid. It is likely that the real motive for divorcing Elizabeth was that she had not born any children and that Hamilton wanted a legitimate heir – he already had several illegitimate children, his eldest illegitimate son being James Hamilton of Finnart
James Hamilton of Finnart
Sir James Hamilton of Finnart was a Scottish nobleman and architect, the illegitimate son of James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran, and Mary Boyd of Bonshaw....
. The complicated legal issues of the second marriage would continue to trouble his heir, whose legitimacy was questioned by his rivals in 1543.
Arran and Janet Bethune had four children before Janet died c. 1522:
- Helen Hamilton, who married Archibald Campbell, 4th Earl of ArgyllArchibald Campbell, 4th Earl of ArgyllGillespie Roy Archibald Campbell, 4th Earl of Argyll was a Scottish nobleman and politician.-Biography:He was the eldest son of Colin Campbell, 3rd Earl of Argyll and Jean Gordon, daughter of Alexander Gordon, 3rd Earl of Huntly...
- James, 2nd Earl of Arran and later Duke of Châtelherault and governor of Scotland during the minority of Mary, Queen of Scots
- Janet Hamilton, who married Alexander Cunningham, 5th Earl of GlencairnAlexander Cunningham, 5th Earl of GlencairnAlexander Cunningham, 5th Earl of Glencairn was Scottish nobleman and Protestant reformer, prominent in the Scottish Reformation.-Biography:...
- son name unknown.
Hamilton had further illegitimate issue.
- James Hamilton of FinnartJames Hamilton of FinnartSir James Hamilton of Finnart was a Scottish nobleman and architect, the illegitimate son of James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran, and Mary Boyd of Bonshaw....
- Elizabeth Hamilton, married Robert Sempill, Master of SempillLord SempillLord Sempill is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in circa 1489 for Sir John Sempill, founder of the collegiate Church of Lochwinnoch. Sempill was killed at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. His grandson, the third Lord, was known as "The Great Lord Sempill"...
- John HamiltonJohn Hamilton (archbishop)The Most Rev. Dr. John Hamilton , Scottish prelate and politician, was an illegitimate son of James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran....
, Abbot of PaisleyAbbot of PaisleyThe Abbot of Paisley was the head of the Cluniac monastic community of Paisley Abbey and its property. The monastery was founded as a priory at Renfrew in 1163, but moved to Paisley in 1169. It became an abbey in 1219. The founder was Walter fitz Alan, Seneschal of Scotland...
and treasurer of Scotland.
Children of James Hamilton and his mistress Beatrix Drummond, daughter of John Drummond, 1st Lord Drummond
John Drummond, 1st Lord Drummond
John Drummond, first Lord Drummond , was a Scottish statesman.Drummond, ninth successive knight of his family, was the eldest son of Sir Malcolm Drummond of Cargill and Stobhall, Perthshire, by his marriage with Mariota, eldest daughter of Sir David Murray of Tullibardine in the same county. He sat...
and his wife Lady Elizabeth Lindsay:
- Margaret Hamilton, married Andrew Stewart, 2nd Lord Avondale and 1st Lord OchiltreeAndrew Stewart, 2nd Lord AvondaleAndrew Stewart, 2nd Lord Avondale or Andrew Stuart, 1st Lord Ochiltree, , Scottish peer.-Title:Andrew's father was the 1st Lord Avondale of a new creation, Andrew surrendered his title for a new investment as Lord Ochiltree. His seat became Ochiltree Castle in Ayrshire. The original Avondale lands...
- John Hamilton of Samuelston, married Janet Home, natural daughter of Alexander Home, 3rd Lord HomeAlexander Home, 3rd Lord HomeAlexander Home, 3rd Lord Home His mother was Nicholace Ker, a daughter of George Ker of Samuelston, his father the 2nd Lord Home. Alexander Home was found guilty of treason in 1516 and executed....
Ancestors
| James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran | Father: James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton, 6th Lord of Cadzow was a Scottish nobleman, scholar and politician.-Early life:... |
Paternal Grandfather: James Hamilton of Cadzow 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... |
Paternal Great-Grandfather: possibly John Hamilton of Cadzow 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,... |
| Paternal Great-grandmother: Janet, daughter of Sir James Douglas, 1st Lord Dalkeith |
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| Paternal Grandmother: Janet Livingston of Callander |
Paternal Great-Grandfather: Sir Alexander Livingston of Callander |
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| Paternal Great-Grandmother: |
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| Mother: Mary Stewart, Princess of Scotland Mary Stewart, Princess of Scotland Princess Mary, Countess of Arran was the eldest daughter of King James II of Scotland and Mary of Guelders. Her brother was King James III of Scotland. She married twice; firstly to Thomas Boyd, 1st Earl of Arran; secondly to James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton... |
Maternal Grandfather: James II of Scotland 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... |
Maternal Great-Grandfather: James I of Scotland James I of Scotland James I, King of Scots , was the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond. He was probably born in late July 1394 in Dunfermline as youngest of three sons... |
|
| Maternal Great-Grandmother: Joan, daughter of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset John Beaufort, 1st Marquess of Somerset and 1st Marquess of Dorset, later only 1st Earl of Somerset, KG was the first of the four illegitimate children of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, and his mistress Katherine Swynford, later his wife... |
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| Maternal Grandmother: Mary of Guelders Mary of Guelders Mary of Guelders was the Queen Consort of Scotland as the wife of King James II of Scotland. She served as Regent of Scotland from 1460 to 1463.-Background:... |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Arnold, Duke of Gelderland |
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| Maternal Great-Grandmother: Catherine of Cleves |