Editing Duke of Hamilton (section)

==House of Hamilton==

===Lairds of Cadzow===

Gilbert de Hameldun is recorded as witnessing a charter confirming the gift of the church at Cragyn to the [[Paisley Abbey|Abbey of Paisley]] 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 of Cadzow|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]]<!-- Can this be correct? The last Earl of (Gloucester and) Hertford seems to have been killed at Bannockburn. --> 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 Cadzow (present day [[Hamilton, South Lanarkshire|Hamilton]] in [[Lanarkshire]]), including [[Cadzow Castle]]. The lands had previously belonged to [[John III Comyn|John Comyn]], who was murdered by Robert the Bruce.

[[Image:Arms of Hamilton.svg|thumb|150px|Undifferenced arms of the chief of Hamilton until 1503]]
The 1st laird of Cadzow was succeeded as the 2nd laird by his son [[David fitz Walter of Cadzow|Sir David fitz Walter]]. He was a supporter of [[David II of Scotland|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 of Cadzow|David Hamilton]], the 3rd laird, was the first to establish Hamilton as the family name. David Hamilton's son [[John Hamilton of Cadzow|Sir John Hamilton]] became the 4th laird and was, in turn, succeeded as the 5th laird by his son [[James Hamilton of Cadzow|James Hamilton]].

===Lords Hamilton and Earls of Arran===

The 5th laird was succeeded as 6th laird by his son, [[James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton|Sir James Hamilton]], who was created a [[Lord of Parliament]] as '''Lord Hamilton''' on 3 July 1445.<ref>{{Citation |last=Balfour Paul |first=Sir James |author-link=James Balfour Paul |title=The Scots Peerage |url=https://archive.org/details/scotspeeragefoun04pauluoft |volume=IV |year=1907 |publisher=David Douglas |location=Edinburgh |pages=349–350 }}</ref> In early 1474, he married [[Mary Stewart, Countess of Arran|Princess Mary, Countess of Arran]], daughter of [[James II of Scotland|King James II]] and widow of [[Thomas Boyd, 1st Earl of Arran]]. He was succeeded by his only legitimate son, [[James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran|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 Council of Scotland|Privy Counsellor]] to [[King James IV]], and helped to arrange his marriage to [[Margaret Tudor|Margaret]], daughter of [[Henry VII of England|King Henry VII]] of [[England]]. As a reward, he was created '''Earl of Arran''' on 8 August 1503.<ref>{{Citation |last=Balfour Paul |first=Sir James |author-link=James Balfour Paul |title=The Scots Peerage |url=https://archive.org/details/scotspeeragefoun04pauluoft |volume=IV |year=1907 |publisher=David Douglas |location=Edinburgh |page=355 }}</ref> He was succeeded by his elder son from his second marriage, [[James Hamilton, Duke of Châtellerault|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 [[Peerage of France]] in 1548 for his part in arranging the marriage of Queen Mary to [[Francis II of France|Francis, Dauphin of France]]. This French Dukedom was forfeited when he switched allegiances in 1559. [[Emperor Napoleon III]] "confirmed" this title for the [[William Hamilton Douglas, 12th Duke of Hamilton|12th Duke of Hamilton]] in the 19th century, but although the 12th Duke was heir male of the 2nd Earl, the legal effect of this "confirmation" is doubtful.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.heraldica.org/topics/france/scotfr.htm |title=Scots Members of the French Nobility |author=Velde, François |date=22 April 2010 |access-date=5 March 2011}}</ref>
[[Image:Hamiltonarms.gif|thumb|200px|The undifferenced arms of the Chief of the Hamiltons from 1503 onwards|left]]
[[File:Duke of Hamilton Coat of Arms.jpg|thumb|left|Coat of arms on a [[Derby Porcelain]] dinner service commissioned by the 8th Duke of Hamilton, circa 1780–90]]

The 2nd Earl was succeeded by his eldest son, [[James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran|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 Stuart, Earl of Arran|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.

===Marquesses and Dukes of Hamilton===

The 3rd Earl's younger brother [[John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Hamilton|John Hamilton]] (who was styled Lord Hamilton as is traditional for the younger sons of Earls<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.debretts.com/expertise/essential-guide-to-the-peerage/courtesy-titles|title=Courtesy Titles}}</ref>) was appointed to administer his brother's estates. He was created '''Marquess of Hamilton''', '''Earl of Arran''' and '''Lord Aven''' on 17 April 1599.<ref>{{Citation |last=Balfour Paul |first=Sir James |author-link=James Balfour Paul |title=The Scots Peerage |url=https://archive.org/details/scotspeeragefoun04pauluoft |volume=IV |year=1907 |publisher=David Douglas |location=Edinburgh |page=372 }}</ref> His son, [[James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton|James, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton]] (who had been created '''Lord Aberbrothwick''' (or '''Arbroath''') on 5 May 1608,<ref>{{Citation |last=Balfour Paul |first=Sir James |author-link=James Balfour Paul |title=The Scots Peerage |url=https://archive.org/details/scotspeeragefoun04pauluoft |volume=IV |year=1907 |publisher=David Douglas |location=Edinburgh |page=373 }}</ref> before he succeeded) moved to England with [[James I of England|King James VI]], and invested into the [[Somers Isles Company]], an offshoot of the [[London Company|Virginia Company]], buying the shares of [[Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford]]. The Parish of [[Hamilton Parish, Bermuda|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 Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton|James, 3rd Marquess of Hamilton]], was created '''Duke of Hamilton''', '''Marquess of Clydesdale''', '''Earl of Arran and Cambridge''' and '''Lord Aven and Innerdale''' on 12 April 1643,<ref>{{Citation |last=Balfour Paul |first=Sir James |author-link=James Balfour Paul |title=The Scots Peerage |url=https://archive.org/details/scotspeeragefoun04pauluoft |volume=IV |year=1907 |publisher=David Douglas |location=Edinburgh |page=377 }}</ref> 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 Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton|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 Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton|Anne, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton]]. The 1503 Earldom of Arran and the Lordship of Hamilton became dormant,<ref>The heir male was [[James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Abercorn]], grandson of the third son of the 2nd Earl of Arran. Neither he nor his successors, the Earls, Marquesses and Dukes of Abercorn, have claimed either title.</ref> and all the other titles (the Marquessate 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 Hamilton, Duke of Hamilton|William Douglas, 1st Earl of Selkirk]], third son of [[William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas]]. He had been created '''Earl of Selkirk''' and '''Lord Daer and Shortcleuch''' on 4 August 1646.<ref name="Balfour Paul 1907 381">{{Citation |last=Balfour Paul |first=Sir James |author-link=James Balfour Paul |title=The Scots Peerage |url=https://archive.org/details/scotspeeragefoun04pauluoft |volume=IV |year=1907 |publisher=David Douglas |location=Edinburgh |page=381 }}</ref> He changed his surname to "Hamilton", and on 20 September 1660 was created '''Duke of Hamilton''', '''Marquess of Clydesdale''', '''Earl of Arran, Lanark and Selkirk''' and '''Lord Aven, Machanshire, Polmont and Daer''' [[life peerage|for life]].<ref name="Balfour Paul 1907 381"/> 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 Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton|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 [[Suffolk|County of Suffolk]], and '''Baron Dutton''', in the [[Cheshire|County of Chester]], in the [[Peerage of Great Britain]] on 10 September 1711,<ref>{{Citation |last=Balfour Paul |first=Sir James |author-link=James Balfour Paul |title=The Scots Peerage |url=https://archive.org/details/scotspeeragefoun04pauluoft |volume=IV |year=1907 |publisher=David Douglas |location=Edinburgh |page=384 }}</ref> but was wrongfully refused a summons to the [[Parliament of Great Britain]] under that title (although he continued to sit as a [[List of Scottish representative peers|Scottish representative peer]]). He was killed in [[Hamilton–Mohun duel|a celebrated duel]] with [[Charles Mohun, 4th Baron Mohun]] (who also died) in [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]] in London on 15 November 1712.

[[Image:Hamiltonpalacemorris edited.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Hamilton Palace]], the former family seat in [[Hamilton, South Lanarkshire|Hamilton]], circa 1880.]]
The 4th Duke's son [[James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton|James, 5th Duke of Hamilton]] was succeeded by his son [[James Hamilton, 6th Duke of Hamilton|James, 6th Duke of Hamilton]], and he by his son [[James Hamilton, 7th Duke of Hamilton|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 subsidiary titles (although not the Dukedom), succeeding as 4th Marquess 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 Hamilton, 8th Duke of Hamilton|Douglas, 8th Duke of Hamilton]]. He left no sons and the title passed back to his uncle, the 6th Duke's brother, [[Archibald Hamilton, 9th Duke of Hamilton|Archibald, 9th Duke of Hamilton]]. He was succeeded by his son [[Alexander Hamilton, 10th Duke of Hamilton|Alexander, 10th Duke of Hamilton]], and then by his son [[William Hamilton, 11th Duke of Hamilton|William, 11th Duke of Hamilton]]. The 11th Duke's son [[William Hamilton Douglas, 12th Duke of Hamilton|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 Douglas-Hamilton, 13th Duke of Hamilton|Alfred, 13th Duke of Hamilton]],{{ sfn | Hesilrige | 1921 | page=435 }} 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 Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton|Douglas, 14th Duke of Hamilton]], who was succeeded by his son [[Angus Douglas-Hamilton, 15th Duke of Hamilton|Angus, 15th Duke of Hamilton]]. He died in 2010, and was succeeded by his son, the current Duke, [[Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, 16th Duke of Hamilton|Alexander, 16th Duke of Hamilton]].

=== 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]] [[heirs of the body|of the body]] of the [[James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton|grantee]], failing which to
# the grantee's [[William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton|brother]] and heirs male of the body of the grantee's brother, failing which to
# the grantee's [[Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton|eldest daughter]] and heirs male of her body, failing which to
# nearest heirs whatsoever of the grantee.<ref name="books.google.com"/>

As the first Duke and his brother (the second Duke) both died without surviving sons, the succession has, since 1651, been governed by the third rule given, with the dukedom going to the grantee's daughter (the third Duchess) and her heirs male.