James Hamilton, 4th Baron Hamilton of Dalzell
Encyclopedia
James Leslie Hamilton, 4th Baron Hamilton of Dalzell (11 February 1938 – 28 September 2006) was a British
Conservative Party
hereditary peer
.
to the Queen. The title was originally granted to Hamilton's great-grandfather, John Hamilton, 1st Baron Hamilton of Dalzell, who was a Liberal politician, and had been inherited by his second son, Gavin Hamilton, 2nd Baron Hamilton of Dalzell
, also a Liberal politician, before passing his nephew, Hamilton's father. His mother, Rosemary Coke, was a daughter of Major Sir John Spencer Coke, son of Thomas Coke, 2nd Earl of Leicester
; her maternal grandfather was Harry Lawson, 1st Viscount Burnham. His younger brother, Archie Hamilton
, a former Armed Forces Minister, became a life peer
in 2005, as Baron Hamilton of Epsom.
Hamilton followed his mother as a Christian Scientist, and attended Claremont Fan Court School
and then Eton College
. He did National Service
in the Coldstream Guards
from 1955 to 1958. His father had been wounded while serving with the same regiment in the Second World War. Hamilton then worked in the City of London
as a gilts
broker
. He was a member of the London Stock Exchange
from 1967 to 1980. He remained in the City for only a short period, leaving when he inherited two estates from his father's cousin. He married his wife, Corinna Dixon, in 1967, and they had four sons together. He succeeded his father as Baron Hamilton of Dalzell
in 1990, inheriting land near and properties in the village of Betchworth
in Surrey, and a Regency mansion.
motto
was "Quis occursabit" - "Who will oppose?") . He was a strong Eurosceptic
, opposing his party on issues relating to the Common Agricultural Policy
and on the Maastricht Treaty
. With three other peers, he presented a petition to the Queen
in 2001 under clause 61 of Magna Carta
, a provision that had not been invoked for more than 300 years, claiming that the Nice Treaty breached Magna Carta. Unusually, perhaps, he supported a written constitution, which he saw as a means to inhibit the gradual loss of power to Europe. He was a member of the Freedom Association, which published his Manifesto for Sovereign Britain in 2004.
He also objected to leasehold reform leading to the enfranchisement of leaseholders, and to family law reform. He strongly opposed reform of the House of Lords
, to such an extent that he opposed the compromise that saw 92 hereditary peers retained in the reformed house. He refused to stand for one of the retained seats, and so was deprived of his seat after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999
.
He supported many charities, particularly Queen Elizabeth's Foundation for Disabled People
for disabled people, of which he became a governor in 1978 and chairman in 1989, Rowton Houses
, and the Henry Smith charity. However, he argued against legislation to combat disability discrimination, believing that it was better to assist the disabled directly than impose obligations on businesses, since imposing those obligations would mean that the businesses were then unable to continue providing direct help.
He served as High Sheriff of Surrey
for 1995.
from his father, and had a notable garden at his home in Surrey
. He was chairman of the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens
from 1997 until his death. The Demeter database, recording the 650 national plant collections run by the Council, was created under his chairmanship.
He died of cancer
. He was survived by his wife, and the eldest of his four sons, Gavin, succeeded to the title.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
hereditary peer
Hereditary peer
Hereditary peers form part of the Peerage in the United Kingdom. There are over seven hundred peers who hold titles that may be inherited. Formerly, most of them were entitled to sit in the House of Lords, but since the House of Lords Act 1999 only ninety-two are permitted to do so...
.
Early life
Hamilton was the elder son (and second child) of John Hamilton, 3rd Baron Hamilton of Dalzell, a Lord-in-WaitingLord-in-Waiting
Most Lords in Waiting are Government whips in the House of Lords who are members of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. As members of the Royal Household their duties are nominal, though they are occasionally required to meet visiting political and state leaders on visits...
to the Queen. The title was originally granted to Hamilton's great-grandfather, John Hamilton, 1st Baron Hamilton of Dalzell, who was a Liberal politician, and had been inherited by his second son, Gavin Hamilton, 2nd Baron Hamilton of Dalzell
Gavin Hamilton, 2nd Baron Hamilton of Dalzell
Gavin George Hamilton, 2nd Baron Hamilton of Dalzell KT, CVO, MC , was a Scottish Liberal politician.Hamilton was the eldest surviving son of John Hamilton, 1st Baron Hamilton of Dalzell, and his wife Lady Emily Eleanor, daughter of Alexander Leslie-Melville, 10th Earl of Leven...
, also a Liberal politician, before passing his nephew, Hamilton's father. His mother, Rosemary Coke, was a daughter of Major Sir John Spencer Coke, son of Thomas Coke, 2nd Earl of Leicester
Thomas Coke, 2nd Earl of Leicester
Thomas William Coke, 2nd Earl of Leicester KG , known as Viscount Coke from 1837 to 1842, was a British peer....
; her maternal grandfather was Harry Lawson, 1st Viscount Burnham. His younger brother, Archie Hamilton
Archie Hamilton, Baron Hamilton of Epsom
Archibald Gavin Hamilton, Baron Hamilton of Epsom, PC is a British Conservative Party politician.-Background and education:...
, a former Armed Forces Minister, became a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
in 2005, as Baron Hamilton of Epsom.
Hamilton followed his mother as a Christian Scientist, and attended Claremont Fan Court School
Claremont Fan Court School
Claremont Fan Court School is a co-educational independent school, for boys and girls from 3 to 18. Situated just outside Esher, in Surrey, only sixteen miles from London, it is set in the historic grounds of the Claremont Estate....
and then Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
. He did National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
in the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
from 1955 to 1958. His father had been wounded while serving with the same regiment in the Second World War. Hamilton then worked in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
as a gilts
Gilts
Gilts are bonds issued by certain national governments. The term is of British origin, and originally referred to the debt securities issued by the Bank of England, which had a gilt edge. Hence, they are called gilt-edged securities, or gilts for short. The term is also sometimes used in Ireland...
broker
Broker
A broker is a party that arranges transactions between a buyer and a seller, and gets a commission when the deal is executed. A broker who also acts as a seller or as a buyer becomes a principal party to the deal...
. He was a member of the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
from 1967 to 1980. He remained in the City for only a short period, leaving when he inherited two estates from his father's cousin. He married his wife, Corinna Dixon, in 1967, and they had four sons together. He succeeded his father as Baron Hamilton of Dalzell
Baron Hamilton of Dalzell
Baron Hamilton of Dalzell, in the County of Lanark, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1886 for the Liberal politician John Hamilton. He had previously represented Falkirk and Lanarkshire South in the House of Commons and after his elevation to the peerage served...
in 1990, inheriting land near and properties in the village of Betchworth
Betchworth
Betchworth is a village and civil parish in the Mole Valley district of Surrey, England. The village lies on the north bank of the River Mole, off the A25 road, about three miles east of Dorking and three miles west of Reigate. The village lay within the Reigate hundred.It was home to the now...
in Surrey, and a Regency mansion.
Political career
Hamilton made his maiden speech in the House of Lords in April 1992. He was an impassioned and tenacious debater, even if no-one else shared his views. Although a Conservative, he opposed his party on many issues (his family's LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
was "Quis occursabit" - "Who will oppose?") . He was a strong Eurosceptic
EuroSceptic
EuroSceptic is the second album of British singer Jack Lucien. It was released in October 2009.Due to being an album influenced by Europop, it features songs with parts in different languages...
, opposing his party on issues relating to the Common Agricultural Policy
Common Agricultural Policy
The Common Agricultural Policy is a system of European Union agricultural subsidies and programmes. It represents 48% of the EU's budget, €49.8 billion in 2006 ....
and on the Maastricht Treaty
Maastricht Treaty
The Maastricht Treaty was signed on 7 February 1992 by the members of the European Community in Maastricht, Netherlands. On 9–10 December 1991, the same city hosted the European Council which drafted the treaty...
. With three other peers, he presented a petition to the Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
in 2001 under clause 61 of Magna Carta
Magna Carta
Magna Carta is an English charter, originally issued in the year 1215 and reissued later in the 13th century in modified versions, which included the most direct challenges to the monarch's authority to date. The charter first passed into law in 1225...
, a provision that had not been invoked for more than 300 years, claiming that the Nice Treaty breached Magna Carta. Unusually, perhaps, he supported a written constitution, which he saw as a means to inhibit the gradual loss of power to Europe. He was a member of the Freedom Association, which published his Manifesto for Sovereign Britain in 2004.
He also objected to leasehold reform leading to the enfranchisement of leaseholders, and to family law reform. He strongly opposed reform of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, to such an extent that he opposed the compromise that saw 92 hereditary peers retained in the reformed house. He refused to stand for one of the retained seats, and so was deprived of his seat after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999
House of Lords Act 1999
The House of Lords Act 1999 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. The Act reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. For centuries, the House of Lords had included several hundred members who inherited their seats;...
.
He supported many charities, particularly Queen Elizabeth's Foundation for Disabled People
Queen Elizabeth's Foundation for Disabled People
Queen Elizabeth's Foundation for Disabled People is a British charity. It was founded in the 1930s, and works to encourage disabled people to become more independent by fostering life skills and vocational training...
for disabled people, of which he became a governor in 1978 and chairman in 1989, Rowton Houses
Rowton Houses
Rowton Houses were a chain of hostels built in London, England by the Victorian philanthropist Lord Rowton to provide decent accommodation for working men in place of the squalid lodging houses of the time....
, and the Henry Smith charity. However, he argued against legislation to combat disability discrimination, believing that it was better to assist the disabled directly than impose obligations on businesses, since imposing those obligations would mean that the businesses were then unable to continue providing direct help.
He served as High Sheriff of Surrey
High Sheriff of Surrey
-List of High Sheriffs of Surrey:The list of known High Sheriffs of Surrey extends back to 1066 At various times the High Sheriff of Surrey was also High Sheriff of Sussex -1066-1228:...
for 1995.
Later life
He inherited a passion for gardeningGardening
Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants are grown for consumption , for their dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use...
from his father, and had a notable garden at his home in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. He was chairman of the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens
National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens
The National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens , also known as Plant Heritage, is a botanical conservation organisation in the United Kingdom and a registered charity. It was founded in 1978 to combine the talents of botanists, horticulturalists and conservationists with the...
from 1997 until his death. The Demeter database, recording the 650 national plant collections run by the Council, was created under his chairmanship.
He died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. He was survived by his wife, and the eldest of his four sons, Gavin, succeeded to the title.