James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton, 6th Laird of Cadzow (c. 1415 – 6 November 1479) was a Scottish nobleman, scholar and politician.

Early life

James Hamilton was the son of James Hamilton of Cadzow, 5th Laird of

Cadzow Hamilton ( sco, Hamiltoun; gd, Baile Hamaltan ) is a large town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It sits south-east of Glasgow, south-west of Edinburgh and nor ...

. He was born at Cadzow Castle,

Lanarkshire Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark ( gd, Siorrachd Lannraig; sco, Lanrikshire), is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the central Lowlands of Scotland. Lanarkshire is the most populous county in Scotl ...

. He first appears on record on a charter of 1426, granting him the rights to the lands of

Dalserf Dalserf is a small village of only a few streets in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies on the River Clyde, east of Larkhall and south east of Hamilton, Scotland, Hamilton. Dalserf is also a traditional civil parishes in Scotland, civil pari ...

, which had been alienated by his father.

Douglas connection

Hamilton was intimately connected with the powerful

House of Douglas Clan Douglas is an ancient clan or noble house from the Scottish Lowlands. Taking their name from Douglas in Lanarkshire, their leaders gained vast territories throughout the Borders, Angus, Lothian, Moray, and also in France and Sweden. The f ...

: his paternal grandmother was a daughter of James Douglas Lord of Dalkeith d. 1441, and also through his marriage in 1439/1440 with Lady Euphemia Graham, the youthful widow of

Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas (c. 1391 – 26 June 1439) was a Scottish nobleman and general during the Hundred Years' War. Life Douglas was the son of Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas and Margaret Stewart, eldest daughter o ...

and daughter of

Euphemia Stewart, Countess of Strathearn Euphemia Stewart, Countess of Strathearn (died c. 1434) was a medieval Scottish noblewoman, the daughter of David Stewart, Earl Palatine of Strathearn and Caithness. She succeeded to both her father's titles after his death between 1385 and 1389 ...

. Hamilton became stepfather to the young 6th Earl of Douglas, his brother David, both who would be murdered in November 1440 at the '

Black Dinner Clan Douglas is an ancient clan or noble house from the Scottish Lowlands. Taking their name from Douglas in Lanarkshire, their leaders gained vast territories throughout the Borders, Angus, Lothian, Moray, and also in France and Sweden. The f ...

' at Edinburgh Castle in the presence of James II. Furthermore, he was the stepfather of Margaret Douglas, known as the " Fair Maid of Galloway", who was to marry her cousins

William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas, 2nd Earl of Avondale (1425 – 22 February 1452) was a late Medieval Scottish nobleman, Lord of Galloway, and Lord of the Regality of Lauderdale, and the most powerful magnate in Southern Scotland. He was ki ...

, and

James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas, 3rd Earl of Avondale KG (1426–1491) was a Scottish nobleman, last of the 'Black' earls of Douglas. Early life The son of James the Gross, 7th Earl of Douglas, by his wife Lady Beatrice Sinclair, daug ...

Laird o' Cadzow to Lord Hamilton

Prior to 1440 he achieved the status of

knighthood A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the ...

, and c. 1440/1441 he inherited his father's estates. In 1445, Hamilton received letters patent creating him a

Lord of Parliament A Lord of Parliament ( sco, Laird o Pairlament) was the holder of the lowest form of peerage, entitled as of right to take part in sessions of the pre- Union Parliament of Scotland. Since that Union in 1707, it has been the lowest rank of the ...

. This charter raised all his estates into the entail of that rank, with its Capital Messuage at the ''Orchard'', (later

Hamilton Palace Hamilton Palace was a country house in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The former seat of the Dukes of Hamilton, it dated from the 14th century and was subsequently much enlarged in the 17th and 19th centuries.Hamilton as they are today. Hamilton accompanied his stepson in law, the 8th Earl of Douglas, to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

in 1450, and there obtained permission from the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

to convert the

Parish Church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

at the new burgh of Hamilton into a Collegiate Establishment, with endowments for a Provost and six

Canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

Royal displeasure

He was certainly with the 9th Earl of Douglas, a month after the murder when the 9th Earl burned the town of Stirling. There followed open warfare in which King James II attacked Douglas lands. An agreement was reached between the King and the Douglas faction at

Douglas Castle Douglas Castle was a stronghold of the Douglas (later Douglas-Home) family from medieval times to the 20th century. The first castle, erected in the 13th century, was destroyed and replaced several times until the 18th century when a large man ...

, in August 1452 that was to last until 1455 in which the Douglas forgave the King's killing of his brother. In 1453, Hamilton was in England, again with the 9th Earl of Douglas, arranging the release of his brother in law,

Malise Graham, Earl of Strathearn Malise Graham, 1st Earl of Menteith (c. 1407–1490) was a 15th-century Scottish magnate, who was the heir to the Scottish throne between 1437 and 1451, if Elizabeth Mure's children were not counted as lawful heirs (a question that hadn't been ad ...

. For this action Strathearn granted Hamilton the lands of Elliestoun in

Linlithgowshire West Lothian ( sco, Wast Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Iar) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and was one of its shires of Scotland, historic counties. The county was called Linlithgowshire until 1925. The historic county was bounded geogra ...

. Hamilton was again in London the following year negotiating a treasonous bond in which Douglas was to swear fealty to King Henry VI in return for support against King James, but the negotiations came to nothing. He was back in Scotland by February 1455 at which time Hamilton and the Earl of Douglas's brothers ravaged and burned much of Lanarkshire.

Siege of Abercorn and fall of the Black Douglas

In March 1455, King James took to the field against Douglas, sacking his properties and burning his crops. Hamilton's lands, he being a partisan of the Douglases, were also particularly devastated. King James then besieged the Douglas stronghold of Abercorn Castle, using cannons to destroy it. Douglas mustered his men from Douglasdale,

Galloway Galloway ( ; sco, Gallowa; la, Gallovidia) is a region in southwestern Scotland comprising the historic counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire. It is administered as part of the council area of Dumfries and Galloway. A native or ...

and the

Forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

; Hamilton, his levies from Clydesdale. The troops marched to raise the siege, but the Earl of Douglas' indecision on a plan of attack is said to have perplexed Hamilton, and cause him to withdraw his support for the Douglas cause. Hamilton changed sides and became a partisan of the Royal party. There is evidence to suggest that Hamilton's uncle,

James Livingstone, 1st Lord Livingston James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguati ...

had a part in this change of heart. Douglas fled to England, his Castle of Abercorn was

slighted Slighting is the deliberate damage of high-status buildings to reduce their value as military, administrative or social structures. This destruction of property sometimes extended to the contents of buildings and the surrounding landscape. It is ...

, two of his brothers died at and following the

Battle of Arkinholm The Battle of Arkinholm was fought on 1 May 1455, at Arkinholm near Langholm in Scotland, during the reign of King James II of Scotland. Although a small action, involving only a few hundred troops, it was the decisive battle in a civil war be ...

; finally Douglas' great fortalice of Threave Castle fell and Douglas was attainted, all his enormous patrimony forfeit.

Return to Favour

Following the collapse of the Douglas rebellion, Hamilton was warded at

Roslin Castle Roslin Castle (sometimes spelt Rosslyn) is a partially ruined castle near the village of Roslin in Midlothian, Scotland. It is located around 9 miles south of Edinburgh, on the north bank of the North Esk, only a few hundred metres from the fa ...

, in Midlothian for a short while. As recompense for his ''Volte-Face'', Hamilton was created Sheriff of

Lanark Lanark (; gd, Lannraig ; sco, Lanrik) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, located 20 kilometres to the south-east of Hamilton. The town lies on the River Clyde, at its confluence with Mouse Water. In 2016, the town had a population of 9 ...

, in July 1455, and certain of the Earl of Douglas' forfeited lands were made over to him. These, and his existing lands, being confirmed in Royal charters of October that year. The Barony of Hamilton was increased to include the lands of Drumsergard, Cessford, Kinneil etc., and carefully entailed to whosoever might bear the name and Chief arms of Hamilton. Hamilton was made Bailie of the Priory of Lesmahagow, a Douglas foundation, and was granted the privilege of the lands of

Finnart The lands of Finnart to the west of Greenock belonged to the Earl of Douglas in medieval times. Around 1455 they were forfeited to the crown. Finnart was given to the Hamiltons, while the western part of the barony of Finnart went to Stewart of ...

. Hamilton's new patron was the new Lord of Douglas,

George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus, Lord Douglas, Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest (c. 1427 – 12 March 1463)Alan R. Borthwick, 'Douglas, George, fourth earl of Angus (c.1417–1463)’, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University ...

, the head of the "Red line" of the House of Douglas, and a supporter of the King.

Marriage and issue

Hamilton married first, Lady Euphemia Graham, daughter of Patrick Graham, de jure

Earl of Strathearn Earl or Mormaer of Strathearn is a title of Scottish nobility, referring to the region of Strathearn in southern Perthshire. Of unknown origin, the mormaers are attested for the first time in a document perhaps dating to 1115. The first known mo ...

and

and widow of

. They had a daughter: * Elizabeth Hamilton (c. 1442 – c. 1517), who married

David Lindsay, 1st Duke of Montrose David Lindsay, 1st Duke of Montrose (144025 December 1495) was a Scottish nobleman. He was the son of Alexander Lindsay, 4th Earl of Crawford, and inherited the Earldom of Crawford on his father's death in 1453. During his political career he ...

He married secondly,

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

, daughter of King James II and widow of

Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran (died c. 1473) was a Scottish nobleman. Thomas was the son of Robert, 1st Lord Boyd, who was a regent during the minority of King James III of Scotland. His father was able to have Thomas created Earl of Arran and Ba ...

. With Mary, Hamilton had three children: *Elizabeth Hamilton, Countess of Lennox, who married

Matthew Stewart, 2nd Earl of Lennox Matthew Stewart, 2nd Earl of Lennox (14609 September 1513), was a prominent Scottish nobleman. Stewart was the son of John Stewart, 1st Earl of Lennox, and Margaret Montgomerie, daughter of Alexander Montgomerie, 1st Lord Montgomerie. He died ...

. Her descendants included James I of England & VI of Scotland. * James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran (c. 1475–1529) *Robert Hamilton, Seigneur d'Aubigny (21 March 1476 – 1543) Illegitimate children included Sir Patrick Hamilton of Kincavil, father of Master Patrick Hamilton, burnt for heresy in 1528 and a Protestant martyr. Lord Hamilton also had a daughter who married Sir John MacFarlane, 11th chief of

Clan MacFarlane Clan MacFarlane (Scottish Gaelic: Clann Phàrlain ) is a Highland Scottish clan. Descended from the medieval Earls of Lennox, the MacFarlanes occupied the land forming the western shore of Loch Lomond from Tarbet up-wards. From Loch Sloy, a s ...

.Macfarlane, p.14
/ref> John Hamilton of Broomhill (d. c. 1550), another illegitimate child of James, 1st Lord Hamilton, was by Janet Calderwood. In 1512 John's birth was legitimised. His grandson, James Hamilton, notably served as Sheriff of Perthshire, and his descendants became the Lords Belhaven and Stenton. Another illegitimate child by Janet Calderwood was David Hamilton, Bishop of Argyll and commendator of

Dryburgh Abbey Dryburgh Abbey, near Dryburgh on the banks of the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders, was nominally founded on 10 November (Martinmas) 1150 in an agreement between Hugh de Morville, Constable of Scotland, and the Premonstratensian canons regu ...

Ancestry

References

Notes

Sources

* Anderson, John, ''Historical and genealogical memoirs of the House of Hamilton; with genealogical memoirs of the several branches of the family'' Edinburgh 182

* James Balfour Paul, Balfour Paul, Sir James, ''

The Scots Peerage ''The Scots Peerage'' is a nine-volume book series of the Scottish nobility compiled and edited by Sir James Balfour Paul, published in Edinburgh from 1904 to 1914. The full title is ''The Scots Peerage: Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Rober ...

'' Vol IV. Edinburgh 190

*MacFarlane, James, ''History of Clan MacFarlane'', Glasgow 192
The Peerage.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, James, 1st Lord Hamilton People from South Lanarkshire Hamilton, James, 1st Lord Hamilton, James, 1st Lord Year of birth uncertain Hamilton, James, 1st Lord Peers created by James II of Scotland Scottish knights 15th-century Scottish judges

James James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguati ...