Arms: Quarterly:
1st and 4th grand quarters counterquartered,
1st and 4th Gules, three cinquefoils Ermine;
2nd and 3rd Argent a lymphad Sable sails furled Proper flagged Gules;
2nd and 3rd grand quarters, Argent a man’s heart Gules ensigned with an
Imperial crown Proper, on a chief Azure three Stars Argent
SOURCES/NOTES & CREDITS: “The Scots Peerage”, Vol. IV, Paul, 1907,
pp 340-397; illustration for background, page 340; blazon page 397; text adapted from
The Scots Peerage and the internet Wikipedia Article.
The Duke of Hamilton is the Premier ( non royal ) Duke in the Peerage of Scotland
James Hamilton, 3rd Marquess of Hamilton, KG, was born on 19 June 1606 at Hamilton, Educated in Scotland and Latterly at Oxford. He tended to live on his estates but was called by King Charles I to raise forces twice and go to the aid of the Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus fighting in Germany. Gustavus Adolphus died at Lutzen on 6 Nov 1632. King Charles I visited Scotland in 1633 and was attended by Hamilton after which Hamilton again retired. He received another commission to in 1637 and again in 1638 to negotiate with Covenanters. He was obliged to hold a General Assembly of the Church of Scotland on 21 Nov 1638. Again Hamilton returned to private life. On 12 April 1643, the King Charles I by a charter dated at Oxford created James Hamilton, the 3rd Marquess of Hamilton:
Duke of Hamilton, Marquess of Clydesdale, Earl of Arran, Lord Avon and Innerdale:
with remainder to himself and heirs-male of his body, whom failing,
to his brother William and the heirs-male of his body; whom failing ,
to the eldest heir-female of the Duke’s body, without division, and the heirs-male of such heir-female, whom failing;
to the nearest lawful heirs whatsoever of the grantee.
Duke James supported King Charles I all too well, being executed by beheading on 9 March 1649 ! His remains were sent to Scotland to his house at Kinneil, and then to Hamilton where he was buried.
The Duke had married on in 1620 Margaret, daughter of William Fielding, Earl of Denbigh. They had issue, two boys and one girl who died young and two more daughters: Anne who later became Duchess of Hamilton and Susanna who married the Earl of Cassillis and had issue.
James Hamilton, Duke of Hamilton, KG was succeeded by his brother William, as the 2nd Duke of Hamilton.
The current duke is Alexander Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 16th Duke of Hamilton and the 13th Duke of Brandon. He was born in 1978, the son of Angus Douglas-Hamilton, 15th Duke of Hamilton and his first wife Sarah Scott. He succeeded on 5 June 2010.
He is the Premier ( non- royal ) Peer of Scotland, the Hereditary Keeper of the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Chief of Clan Hamilton.
The duke married in 2011 Sophie Ann Rutherford, daughter of Hubert A. J. Rutherford of Roxburghshire and Isabel W. Taylor of Edinburgh. They have issue: three sons, the eldest being Douglas Charles Douglas-Hamilton, Marquess of Douglas and Clydesdale born in 2012.
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