James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn

His Grace The Duke of Abercorn

James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn, KG, PC (January 21, 1811 – October 31, 1885) was a British Conservative nobleman and statesman who twice served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. He had various styles during his lifetime, namely The Hon. James Hamilton (until 1814, by virtue of his father's courtesy viscountcy), Viscount Hamilton (1814–1818, while heir to the Marquessate of Abercorn), The Marquess of Abercorn (inherited in 1818), and finally The Duke of Abercorn (so created in 1868).

Born in Mayfair, London, Hamilton was the son of James Hamilton, Viscount Hamilton, who died when his son was only three. Hamilton was educated at Harrow and Christ Church, Oxford. In 1818 he succeeded his grandfather as second Marquess of Abercorn, and in 1832 married Lady Louisa Russell, daughter of John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford.

In 1844 Lord Abercorn was made a Knight of the Garter at the relatively young age of 33, becoming that same year Lord Lieutenant of County Donegal. Two years later he was appointed a Privy Counsellor and Groom of the Stole to Prince Albert, and remained a prominent figure in the royal court for the next two decades. In 1866 he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and two years later was created Duke of Abercorn and Marquess of Hamilton, resigning shortly after Gladstone won the 1868 general election. He was reappointed to the post in 1874, and the Duke served as Lord Lieutenant until his resignation in 1876, partly on account of his wife's ill health. He was also Grandmaster of the Freemasons (Ireland) from 1874 until his death. He was later elected Chancellor of the University of Ireland in 1881, and died four years later at his home of Baronscourt, County Tyrone.

Family and Children

With Lady Louisa Russell (1812–1905) he had fourteen children, thirteen of whom survived infancy:
*Lady Harriet Georgiana Louisa Hamilton (1834–1913), who in 1855 married Thomas George Anson, 2nd Earl of Lichfield (1825–1892). They had eight sons and five daughters.
*Lady Beatrix Frances Hamilton (1835–1871), who in 1854 married George Frederick D'Arcy Lambton, 2nd Earl of Durham (1828–1879). They had nine sons and four daughters.
*Lady Louisa Jane Hamilton (1836–1912), who in 1859 married William Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 6th Duke of Buccleuch (1831–1914). They had six sons and two daughters.
*Lady Katherine Elizabeth Hamilton (c. 1838–1874), who in 1858 married William Henry Edgcumbe, 4th Earl of Mount Edgcumbe (1833–1917) and was his first wife. They had one son and three daughters.
*Sir James Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Abercorn (1838–1913), who succeeded him in the dukedom and was involved in promoting British imperialism in Africa.
*Lady Georgiana Susan Hamilton (1841–1913), who in 1882 married Edward Turnour, 5th Earl Winterton (1837–1907). They had one son.
*Lord Claud John Hamilton (1843–1925), who held the office of M.P. for Londonderry (1865–1868), for King's Lynn (1869–1880), for Liverpool (1880–1898) and for South Kensington (1910–1918). He was a Lord of the Treasury (1868), Aide-de-Camp to HM Queen Victoria (1887-1897) and High Steward of the Borough of Great Yarmouth and of Harwick. He was invested as Privy Counsellor in 1917 and as K.J.St.J. In 1878 he married Carolina Chandos-Pole (1857–1911), daughter of Edward Sacheverell Chandos-Pole (d. 1873, having lived in Radbourne Hall, Derby). They had a son and a daughter:
**Gilbert Claud Hamilton (1879–1943), who gained the rank of Colonel in service of the Grenadier Guards, fought in the Second Boer War and was decorated several times. He married twice, firstly in 1911 Enid Awa Elgar (d. 1916), daughter of Charles Elgar from Fernside, Featherston, New Zealand, and secondly in 1916 Mary Blair (d. 1961), daughter of Joseph Allan Blair from New York City, U.S.A. He had no issue.
**Ida Hamilton (1883–1970), who in 1909 married Hugh Dunombe Flower (d. 1950). They divorced in 1923 and had one son.
*Lord George Hamilton (1845–1927), a Conservative politician who served in the cabinets of Lord Salisbury mainly as First Lord of the Admiralty and Secretary of State for India.
*Lady Albertha Frances Anne Hamilton (1847–1932), who in 1869 married George Charles Spencer-Churchill, 8th Duke of Marlborough (1844–1892). They had one son and three daughters. In 1883 her petition to annul the marriage was accepted.
*Lord Ronald Douglas Hamilton (1849–1867)
*Lady Maud Evelyn Hamilton (1850–1932), who was Lady of the Bedchamber (1905–1909) and Extra Lady of the Bedchamber (1910–1925), and who in 1869 married Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne (1845-1927). They had two sons and two daughters.
*Lord Cosmo Hamilton(1853–1853, on the same day)
*Lord Frederick Spencer Hamilton (1856–1928), who was Second Secretary of the Diplomatic Service (1877–1884), M.P. for South-West-Manchester (1884–1886) and for Tyrone (1892–1895) and wrote the books "Here, There and Everywhere", "The Days Before Yesterday" and "Vanished Pomps of Yesterday". He died unmarried and without issue.
*Lord Ernest William Hamilton (1858–1939), who gained the rank of Captain in the service of the 11th Hussars and was M.P. for North Tyrone (1885–1892). In 1891 he married Pamela Campbell (d. 1931), granddaughter of the 1st Baronet Campbell of Cross Mede, Hants. by his son Capt. Frederick Augustus Campbell (1839–1916). They had two sons and two daughters:
**Guy Ernest Frederick Hamilton (1894–1914), who died unmarried.
**Mary Brenda Hamilton (b. 1897), who in 1922 married the Lt.-Col. of the Scots Guards, Alphonse de Chimay, Prince de Chimay, Comte de Caraman (d. 1973). Their only child and daughter is the widow of the 8th Marquess of Hertford.
**Jean Barbara Hamilton (b. 1898), who in 1921 became the first wife of Sir John William Buchanan-Jardine, 3rd Baronet Buchanan-Jardine, of Castle Milk (1900–1969). They were divorced in 1944 and had one child and son.
**John George Peter Hamilton (1900–1967), who in 1932 married Alexandra Christine Egerton (d. 1963), daughter of William Egerton from Kimberley, South Africa. They had no issue.

See Also, Reference and More