James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton
Encyclopedia
General Sir James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton KG
(19 June 1606 – 9 March 1649) was a Scottish
nobleman and influential Civil war
military leader.
, and of the Lady Ann Cunningham, daughter of James Cunningham, 7th Earl of Glencairn
, was born on 19 June 1606 at Hamilton Palace
, Lanarkshire
. Following the death of his insane great-uncle James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran
in 1609, the infant was styled Earl of Arran.
and Mary of Gueldres. Failing the House of Stewart, as looked increasingly possible after the death of Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales
, in 1612, the young Earl of Arran
would have become heir to the throne of Scotland, should anything have happened to the young Charles, Duke of Rothesay
, and his sister Elizabeth
.
occurred in early 1617, whilst in Scotland, he was apparently charmed by the Marquess, and invited him to court in London
. The Marquess duly arrived in London in August of that year, with his eleven year old son. Although like most Noblemen's sons of the time he had a private tutor, James Bale, Arran's time spent at court in the ensuing years did not consist of much formal education. To remedy this he was sent in 1621, at the age of fifteen to Exeter College, Oxford
. Arran was not a natural scholar and was back at court within six months of entering the college.
. Like all ambitious upstarts at court, Buckingham was keen to consolidate his new found fortunes by allying himself and his family with established and wealthy families. Buckingham proposed to wed Arran to his niece Mary, daughter to William, Viscount Feilding
, an undistinguished Warwickshire
Squire
. Hamilton, despite his misgivings regarding Buckingham's lowly origins was impressed enough by his influence with the King, to accept his suggestion. On 16 June 1622 the fifteen year old Arran married 9 year old Mary Feilding in the presence of the King. Arran was not consulted and later came to bitterly resent it.
In 1623 Arran was made Gentleman of the Bedchamber
to the Prince of Wales
, and the following year was made Lord High Steward of the Royal Household.
of a seizure. His death was blamed on fever, although the speed of his death and his age, thirty-six, made many suspect poison. King James died three weeks later. The new Marquess received all his father's titles, and also the same annuity his father had received from the court of £2500 sterling. At the coronation of King Charles I
, Hamilton bore the Sword of State
at Westminster Abbey
.
In 1631 Hamilton took over a force of 6,000 men to assist Gustavus Adolphus
in the Thirty Years' War
in Germany
. He guarded the fortresses on the Oder
while Gustavus fought Tilly at the Battle of Breitenfeld
, and afterwards occupied Magdeburg
, but his army was destroyed by disease and starvation, and after the complete failure of the expedition Hamilton returned to England
in September 1634.
He now became Charles I
's chief adviser in Scottish affairs. In May 1638, after the outbreak of the revolt against the new Prayer-Book, he was appointed commissioner for Scotland to appease the discontents. He described the Scots as being "possessed by the devil", and instead of doing his utmost to support the king's interests was easily intimidated by the covenanting
leaders and persuaded of the impossibility of resisting their demands, finally returning to Charles to urge him to give way. It is said that he so far forgot his trust as to encourage the Scottish leaders in their resistance in order to gain their favour.
On 27 July 1638 Charles sent Hamilton back to Scotland with new proposals for the election of an assembly and a parliament
, episcopacy being safeguarded but bishops being made responsible to future assemblies. After a wrangle concerning the mode of election he again returned to Charles. Having been sent back to Edinburgh
on 17 September 1638, he brought with him a revocation of the prayer-book and canons and another covenant to be substituted for the national covenant. On 21 November 1638 Hamilton presided over the first meeting of the assembly in Glasgow
cathedral, but dissolved it on 28 November 1638 on its declaring the bishops responsible to its authority. The assembly, however, continued to sit notwithstanding, and Hamilton returned to England to give an account of his failure, leaving the enemy triumphant and in possession.
War was now decided upon, and Hamilton was chosen to command an expedition to the Forth
to menace the rear of the Covenanters. On arrival on 1 May 1639 he found the plan impossible, despaired of success, and was recalled in June. On 8 July 1639, after a hostile reception at Edinburgh
, he resigned his commissionership. He supported Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford's proposal to call the Short Parliament
, but otherwise opposed him as strongly as he could, as the, chief adversary of the Scots; and he aided Henry Vane the Elder
, it was believed, in accomplishing Strafford's destruction by sending for him to the Long Parliament
.
Hamilton now supported the parliamentary party, desired an alliance with his nation, and persed Charles in February 1641 to admit some of their leaders into the council. On the death of Strafford (12 May 1641) Hamilton was confronted by a new antagonist in James Graham, 5th Earl of Montrose
, who detested both his character and policy and repudiated his supremacy in Scotland.
On 10 August 1641 Hamilton accompanied Charles on his last visit to Scotland. His aim now was to effect an alliance between the king and Archibald Campbell, 8th Earl of Argyll, the former accepting Presbyterianism and receiving the help of the Scots against the English parliament, and when this failed he abandoned Charles and adhered to Argyll. In consequence he received a challenge from Lord Ker
, of which he gave the king information, and obtained from Ker an apology. Montrose wrote to Charles declaring he could prove Hamilton to be a traitor. The king himself spoke of him as being "very active in his own preservation".
Shortly afterwards the plot—known as the "Incident"—to seize Argyll, Hamilton and the latter's brother, William Hamilton, Earl of Lanark
, was discovered, and on 12 October 1641 they fled from Edinburgh. Hamilton returned not long afterwards, and notwithstanding all that had occurred still retained Charles's favour and confidence. He returned with him to London and accompanied him on 5 January 1642 when he went to the city after the failure to secure the five members.
In July 1642 Hamilton went to Scotland on a hopeless mission to prevent the intervention of the Scots in the impending English Civil War
, and a breach then took place between him and Argyll.
Earlier, in February 1643 proposals of mediation between Charles and the parliament came from Scotland, Hamilton instigated the "cross petition" which demanded from Charles the surrender of the annuities of tithes in order to embarrass John Campbell, 1st Earl of Loudoun
, the chief promoter of the project, to whom they had already been granted. This failing, he promoted a scheme for overwhelming the influence and votes of Argyll and his party by sending to Scotland all the Scottish peers then with the king, thereby preventing any assistance to the parliament coming from that quarter, while Charles was to guarantee the establishment of Presbyterianism in Scotland only. This foolish intrigue was strongly opposed by Montrose, who was eager to strike a sudden blow and anticipate and annihilate the plans of the Covenanters. Hamilton, however, gained over the queen Henrietta Maria for his project
, while Montrose was condemned to inaction. Hamilton's scheme, however, completely failed. He had no control over the parliament. He was unable to hinder the meeting of the convention of the estates
which assembled without the king's authority, and his supporters found themselves in a minority.
Finally, on refusing to take the Covenant, Hamilton and Lanark were obliged to leave Scotland. They arrived at Oxford on 16 December 1643. Hamilton's conduct had at last incurred Charles's resentment and he was imprisoned in a Baker called Daniells house with only two servants and not allowed to leave the house.He was sent, in January 1644, a prisoner to Pendennis Castle
, in 1645 being removed to St Michael's Mount, where he was liberated by Lord Fairfax's troops on 23 April 1646.
In 1646 Charles conferred on the Duke the heritable office of Keeper of Holyroodhouse.
Subsequently he showed great activity in the futile negotiations between the Scots and Charles at Newcastle
. In 1648, in consequence of the seizure of Charles by the army in 1647, Hamilton obtained a temporary influence and authority in the Scottish parliament over Argyll, and led a large force into England in support of the king on 8 July 1648. He showed complete incapacity in military command; was kept in check for some time by Lambert
; and though outnumbering the enemy by 24,000 to about 9000 men, allowed his troops to disperse over the country and to be defeated in detail by Cromwell
during the three days 17–19 August 1648 at the so-called Battle of Preston
, being himself taken prisoner on 25 August.
He was tried on 6 February 1649, condemned to death on 6 March and executed by decapitation
on 9 March.
Hamilton, during his unfortunate career, had often been suspected of betraying the king's cause, and, as an heir to the Scottish throne, of intentionally laying into the hands of the Covenanters with a view of procuring the crown for himself.
The charge was brought against him as early as 1631 when he was levying men in Scotland for the German expedition, but Charles gave no credence to it and showed his trust in Hamilton by causing him to share his own room. The charge, however, always clung to him, and his intriguing character and hopeless management of the king's affairs in Scotland gave colour to the accusation. There seems, however, to be no real foundation for it. His career is sufficiently explained by his thoroughly weak and egotistical character. He took no interest whatever in the great questions at issue, was neither loyal nor patriotic, and only desired peace and compromise to avoid personal losses. "He was devoid of intellectual or moral strength, and was therefore easily brought to fancy all future tasks easy and all present obstacles insuperable". A worse choice than Hamilton could not possibly have been made in such a crisis, and his want of principle, of firmness and resolution, brought irretrievable ruin upon the royal cause.
Following the death of his three sons, the dukedom passed by special remainder to his brother William Hamilton, Earl of Lanark. On the latter's death at Worcester
in 1651 the Scottish titles reverted to the 1st duke's eldest daughter, Anne. She married William Douglas, Earl of Selkirk
, who was created Duke of Hamilton
for life.
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
(19 June 1606 – 9 March 1649) was a Scottish
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 influential Civil war
Wars of the Three Kingdoms
The Wars of the Three Kingdoms formed an intertwined series of conflicts that took place in England, Ireland, and Scotland between 1639 and 1651 after these three countries had come under the "Personal Rule" of the same monarch...
military leader.
Young Arran
The son of James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of HamiltonJames Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton
James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton and 4th Earl of Arran KG PC , styled Lord Aven from 1599 to 1604, was a Scottish politician. He was the son of John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Hamilton....
, and of the Lady Ann Cunningham, daughter of James Cunningham, 7th Earl of Glencairn
James Cunningham, 7th Earl of Glencairn
James Cunningham, 7th Earl of Glencairn was a Scottish peer and member of the Privy Council of Scotland.-Early life:The eldest son and heir of William Cunningham, 6th Earl of Glencairn by his spouse Janet, daughter of Sir John Gordon of Lochinvar, James was engaged in the notorious Raid of Ruthven...
, was born on 19 June 1606 at Hamilton Palace
Hamilton Palace
Hamilton Palace was a large country house located north-east of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The former seat of the Dukes of Hamilton, it was built in 1695 and subsequently much enlarged. The house was demolished in 1921 due to ground subsidence despite inadequate evidence for that...
, Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
. Following the death of his insane great-uncle James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran
James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran
James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran was a Scottish nobleman and soldier who fought against French troops during the Scottish Reformation....
in 1609, the infant was styled Earl of Arran.
Heir to the Throne of Scotland
The young James' close ancestor was the Princess Mary, daughter to James II of ScotlandJames 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 Mary of Gueldres. Failing the House of Stewart, as looked increasingly possible after the death of Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales
Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales
Henry Frederick Stuart, Prince of Wales was the elder son of King James I & VI and Anne of Denmark. His name derives from his grandfathers: Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley and Frederick II of Denmark. Prince Henry was widely seen as a bright and promising heir to his father's throne...
, in 1612, the young 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...
would have become heir to the throne of Scotland, should anything have happened to the young Charles, Duke of Rothesay
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
, and his sister Elizabeth
Elizabeth of Bohemia
Elizabeth of Bohemia was the eldest daughter of King James VI and I, King of Scotland, England, Ireland, and Anne of Denmark. As the wife of Frederick V, Elector Palatine, she was Electress Palatine and briefly Queen of Bohemia...
.
Education
James VI's first visit to Scotland since the Union of the CrownsUnion of the Crowns
The Union of the Crowns was the accession of James VI, King of Scots, to the throne of England, and the consequential unification of Scotland and England under one monarch. The Union of Crowns followed the death of James' unmarried and childless first cousin twice removed, Queen Elizabeth I of...
occurred in early 1617, whilst in Scotland, he was apparently charmed by the Marquess, and invited him to court in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The Marquess duly arrived in London in August of that year, with his eleven year old son. Although like most Noblemen's sons of the time he had a private tutor, James Bale, Arran's time spent at court in the ensuing years did not consist of much formal education. To remedy this he was sent in 1621, at the age of fifteen to Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
. Arran was not a natural scholar and was back at court within six months of entering the college.
Marriage
The Marquess meanwhile had been intriguing with George Villiers, 1st Duke of BuckinghamGeorge Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham KG was the favourite, claimed by some to be the lover, of King James I of England. Despite a very patchy political and military record, he remained at the height of royal favour for the first two years of the reign of Charles I, until he was assassinated...
. Like all ambitious upstarts at court, Buckingham was keen to consolidate his new found fortunes by allying himself and his family with established and wealthy families. Buckingham proposed to wed Arran to his niece Mary, daughter to William, Viscount Feilding
William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh
William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh was an English naval officer and courtier.William Feilding was the son of Basil Fielding of Newnham Paddox in Warwickshire, , and of Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Walter Aston and his wife, Elizabeth Leveson.The descent of the Feildings from the house of Habsburg,...
, an undistinguished Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
Squire
Squire
The English word squire is a shortened version of the word Esquire, from the Old French , itself derived from the Late Latin , in medieval or Old English a scutifer. The Classical Latin equivalent was , "arms bearer"...
. Hamilton, despite his misgivings regarding Buckingham's lowly origins was impressed enough by his influence with the King, to accept his suggestion. On 16 June 1622 the fifteen year old Arran married 9 year old Mary Feilding in the presence of the King. Arran was not consulted and later came to bitterly resent it.
In 1623 Arran was made Gentleman of the Bedchamber
Gentleman of the Bedchamber
A Gentleman of the Bedchamber was the holder of an important office in the royal household of the Kingdom of England from the 11th century, later used also in the Kingdom of Great Britain.-Description and functions:...
to the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
, and the following year was made Lord High Steward of the Royal Household.
Marquess of Hamilton
In 1625 the 2nd Marquess died at WhitehallWhitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
of a seizure. His death was blamed on fever, although the speed of his death and his age, thirty-six, made many suspect poison. King James died three weeks later. The new Marquess received all his father's titles, and also the same annuity his father had received from the court of £2500 sterling. At the coronation of King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
, Hamilton bore the Sword of State
Sword of State
A sword of state is a sword, used as part of the regalia, symbolizing the power of a monarch to use the might of the state against its enemies, and their duty to preserve thus right and peace.It is known to be used in following monarchies:...
at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
.
In 1631 Hamilton took over a force of 6,000 men to assist Gustavus Adolphus
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
Gustav II Adolf has been widely known in English by his Latinized name Gustavus Adolphus Magnus and variously in historical writings also as Gustavus, or Gustavus the Great, or Gustav Adolph the Great,...
in the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He guarded the fortresses on the Oder
Oder
The Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...
while Gustavus fought Tilly at the Battle of Breitenfeld
Battle of Breitenfeld (1631)
The Battle of Breitenfeld or First Battle of Breitenfeld , was fought at the crossroads villages of Breitenfeld , Podelwitz , and Seehausen , approximately five miles northwest of the walled city of Leipzig on September 17 , or September 7 The Battle of Breitenfeld or First Battle of Breitenfeld...
, and afterwards occupied Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
, but his army was destroyed by disease and starvation, and after the complete failure of the expedition Hamilton returned to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in September 1634.
He now became Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
's chief adviser in Scottish affairs. In May 1638, after the outbreak of the revolt against the new Prayer-Book, he was appointed commissioner for Scotland to appease the discontents. He described the Scots as being "possessed by the devil", and instead of doing his utmost to support the king's interests was easily intimidated by the covenanting
Covenanter
The Covenanters were a Scottish Presbyterian movement that played an important part in the history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent in that of England and Ireland, during the 17th century...
leaders and persuaded of the impossibility of resisting their demands, finally returning to Charles to urge him to give way. It is said that he so far forgot his trust as to encourage the Scottish leaders in their resistance in order to gain their favour.
On 27 July 1638 Charles sent Hamilton back to Scotland with new proposals for the election of an assembly and a parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
, episcopacy being safeguarded but bishops being made responsible to future assemblies. After a wrangle concerning the mode of election he again returned to Charles. Having been sent back to 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...
on 17 September 1638, he brought with him a revocation of the prayer-book and canons and another covenant to be substituted for the national covenant. On 21 November 1638 Hamilton presided over the first meeting of the assembly in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
cathedral, but dissolved it on 28 November 1638 on its declaring the bishops responsible to its authority. The assembly, however, continued to sit notwithstanding, and Hamilton returned to England to give an account of his failure, leaving the enemy triumphant and in possession.
War was now decided upon, and Hamilton was chosen to command an expedition to the Forth
River Forth
The River Forth , long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland.The Forth rises in Loch Ard in the Trossachs, a mountainous area some west of Stirling...
to menace the rear of the Covenanters. On arrival on 1 May 1639 he found the plan impossible, despaired of success, and was recalled in June. On 8 July 1639, after a hostile reception at 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...
, he resigned his commissionership. He supported Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford's proposal to call the Short Parliament
Short Parliament
The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640 during the reign of King Charles I of England, so called because it lasted only three weeks....
, but otherwise opposed him as strongly as he could, as the, chief adversary of the Scots; and he aided Henry Vane the Elder
Henry Vane the Elder
Sir Henry Vane, the elder was an English politician and secretary of state.-Origins and education:Vane was born on 18 February 1589, the eldest son of Henry Vane or Fane of Hadlow, Kent, by his second wife, Margaret, daughter of Roger Twysden of East Peckham, Kent...
, it was believed, in accomplishing Strafford's destruction by sending for him to the Long Parliament
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
.
Hamilton now supported the parliamentary party, desired an alliance with his nation, and persed Charles in February 1641 to admit some of their leaders into the council. On the death of Strafford (12 May 1641) Hamilton was confronted by a new antagonist in James Graham, 5th Earl of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was a Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed...
, who detested both his character and policy and repudiated his supremacy in Scotland.
On 10 August 1641 Hamilton accompanied Charles on his last visit to Scotland. His aim now was to effect an alliance between the king and Archibald Campbell, 8th Earl of Argyll, the former accepting Presbyterianism and receiving the help of the Scots against the English parliament, and when this failed he abandoned Charles and adhered to Argyll. In consequence he received a challenge from Lord Ker
William Kerr, 1st Earl of Lothian
William Kerr, 1st Earl of Lothian was a Scottish nobleman.The eldest son of Sir Robert Kerr, later 1st Earl of Ancram, he was born within St James's Palace in London and was educated at Cambridge University and at Paris...
, of which he gave the king information, and obtained from Ker an apology. Montrose wrote to Charles declaring he could prove Hamilton to be a traitor. The king himself spoke of him as being "very active in his own preservation".
Shortly afterwards the plot—known as the "Incident"—to seize Argyll, Hamilton and the latter's brother, William Hamilton, Earl of Lanark
William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton
William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton KG was a Scottish nobleman who supported both Royalist and Presbyterian causes during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms....
, was discovered, and on 12 October 1641 they fled from Edinburgh. Hamilton returned not long afterwards, and notwithstanding all that had occurred still retained Charles's favour and confidence. He returned with him to London and accompanied him on 5 January 1642 when he went to the city after the failure to secure the five members.
In July 1642 Hamilton went to Scotland on a hopeless mission to prevent the intervention of the Scots in the impending English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, and a breach then took place between him and Argyll.
Duke of Hamilton
On 12 April 1643, Hamilton was further ennobled. At Oxford King Charles conferred upon the Marquess, the titles of Duke of Hamilton, Marquess of Clydesdale, Earl of Cambridge, the Baronies of Aven and Innerdale, in addition he also regranted the Earldom of Arran.Earlier, in February 1643 proposals of mediation between Charles and the parliament came from Scotland, Hamilton instigated the "cross petition" which demanded from Charles the surrender of the annuities of tithes in order to embarrass John Campbell, 1st Earl of Loudoun
John Campbell, 1st Earl of Loudoun
John Campbell, 1st Earl of Loudoun was a Scottish politician. He was the eldest son of James Campbell of LawersJohn Campbell married Margaret, the daughter of George Campbell around 1620. Margaret was heir to her grandfather Hugh Campbell, first Lord Loudoun, who resigned his peerage in John's...
, the chief promoter of the project, to whom they had already been granted. This failing, he promoted a scheme for overwhelming the influence and votes of Argyll and his party by sending to Scotland all the Scottish peers then with the king, thereby preventing any assistance to the parliament coming from that quarter, while Charles was to guarantee the establishment of Presbyterianism in Scotland only. This foolish intrigue was strongly opposed by Montrose, who was eager to strike a sudden blow and anticipate and annihilate the plans of the Covenanters. Hamilton, however, gained over the queen Henrietta Maria for his project
Project
A project in business and science is typically defined as a collaborative enterprise, frequently involving research or design, that is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim. Projects can be further defined as temporary rather than permanent social systems that are constituted by teams...
, while Montrose was condemned to inaction. Hamilton's scheme, however, completely failed. He had no control over the parliament. He was unable to hinder the meeting of the convention of the estates
Estates of the realm
The Estates of the realm were the broad social orders of the hierarchically conceived society, recognized in the Middle Ages and Early Modern period in Christian Europe; they are sometimes distinguished as the three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and commoners, and are often referred to by...
which assembled without the king's authority, and his supporters found themselves in a minority.
Finally, on refusing to take the Covenant, Hamilton and Lanark were obliged to leave Scotland. They arrived at Oxford on 16 December 1643. Hamilton's conduct had at last incurred Charles's resentment and he was imprisoned in a Baker called Daniells house with only two servants and not allowed to leave the house.He was sent, in January 1644, a prisoner to Pendennis Castle
Pendennis Castle
Pendennis Castle is a Henrician castle, also known as one of Henry VIII's Device Forts, in the English county of Cornwall. It was built in 1539 for King Henry VIII to guard the entrance to the River Fal on its west bank, near Falmouth. St Mawes Castle is its opposite number on the east bank and...
, in 1645 being removed to St Michael's Mount, where he was liberated by Lord Fairfax's troops on 23 April 1646.
In 1646 Charles conferred on the Duke the heritable office of Keeper of Holyroodhouse.
Subsequently he showed great activity in the futile negotiations between the Scots and Charles at Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. In 1648, in consequence of the seizure of Charles by the army in 1647, Hamilton obtained a temporary influence and authority in the Scottish parliament over Argyll, and led a large force into England in support of the king on 8 July 1648. He showed complete incapacity in military command; was kept in check for some time by Lambert
John Lambert (general)
John Lambert was an English Parliamentary general and politician. He fought during the English Civil War and then in Oliver Cromwell's Scottish campaign , becoming thereafter active in civilian politics until his dismissal by Cromwell in 1657...
; and though outnumbering the enemy by 24,000 to about 9000 men, allowed his troops to disperse over the country and to be defeated in detail by Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
during the three days 17–19 August 1648 at the so-called Battle of Preston
Battle of Preston (1648)
The Battle of Preston , fought largely at Walton-le-Dale near Preston in Lancashire, resulted in a victory by the troops of Oliver Cromwell over the Royalists and Scots commanded by the Duke of Hamilton...
, being himself taken prisoner on 25 August.
He was tried on 6 February 1649, condemned to death on 6 March and executed by decapitation
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
on 9 March.
Hamilton, during his unfortunate career, had often been suspected of betraying the king's cause, and, as an heir to the Scottish throne, of intentionally laying into the hands of the Covenanters with a view of procuring the crown for himself.
The charge was brought against him as early as 1631 when he was levying men in Scotland for the German expedition, but Charles gave no credence to it and showed his trust in Hamilton by causing him to share his own room. The charge, however, always clung to him, and his intriguing character and hopeless management of the king's affairs in Scotland gave colour to the accusation. There seems, however, to be no real foundation for it. His career is sufficiently explained by his thoroughly weak and egotistical character. He took no interest whatever in the great questions at issue, was neither loyal nor patriotic, and only desired peace and compromise to avoid personal losses. "He was devoid of intellectual or moral strength, and was therefore easily brought to fancy all future tasks easy and all present obstacles insuperable". A worse choice than Hamilton could not possibly have been made in such a crisis, and his want of principle, of firmness and resolution, brought irretrievable ruin upon the royal cause.
Issue and Succession
By his wife Mary Feilding, Hamilton had six children, of whom four died in childhood.- Henrietta Mary (1631–1632)
- AnneAnne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of HamiltonAnne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton was a Scottish peeress.The daughter of Sir James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton and 3rd Marquess of Hamilton, Scottish General and premier peer of the realm, and Lady Mary Feilding, daughter of William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh and Lady Susan Villiers, a...
(1632–1716), later suo jure Duchess of Hamilton - Susannah (1633–1694), married John Kennedy, 7th Earl of CassilisJohn Kennedy, 7th Earl of CassilisJohn Kennedy, 7th Earl of Cassilis, PC was a Scottish peer, the son of John Kennedy, 6th Earl of Cassilis.He succeeded to the titles of 9th Lord Kennedy and 7th Earl of Cassillis on 22 September 1668. He held the office of Lord of the Treasury between 1689 and 1695...
in 1668 - Charles, Earl of Arran (1634–1640)
- James (1635–1639)
- William (1636–1638)
Following the death of his three sons, the dukedom passed by special remainder to his brother William Hamilton, Earl of Lanark. On the latter's death at Worcester
Battle of Worcester
The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 at Worcester, England and was the final battle of the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians defeated the Royalist, predominantly Scottish, forces of King Charles II...
in 1651 the Scottish titles reverted to the 1st duke's eldest daughter, Anne. She married William Douglas, Earl of Selkirk
William Douglas, Duke of Hamilton
William Douglas-Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Hamilton, KG, PC , born Lord William Douglas, was the son of William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas and his second wife Lady Mary Gordon, a daughter of George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly...
, who was created Duke of Hamilton
Duke of Hamilton
Duke of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in 1643. It is the senior dukedom in that Peerage , and as such its holder is the Premier Peer of Scotland, as well as being head of both the House of Hamilton and the House of Douglas...
for life.