James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Abercorn

James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Abercorn PC (S) (1575–1618), was a Scottish diplomat for James VI and an undertaker (a term for a British colonist) in the Plantation of Ulster in the north of Ireland.

James Hamilton
Earl of Abercorn
Tenure	1606–1618
Successor	James, 2nd Earl of Abercorn
Born	12 August 1575
Died	23 March 1618 (aged 42) Monkton, Ayrshire, Scotland
Buried	Paisley Abbey
Spouse(s)	Marion Boyd
Issue Detail	James, Claud, George, & others
Father	Claud Hamilton, 1st Lord Paisley
Mother	Margaret Seton

Birth and origins

James was born on 12 August 1575, probably at Paisley, Scotland, the eldest son of Claud Hamilton and his wife Margaret Seton.^[1] His father was a younger brother of the 3rd Earl of Arran, and would be created Lord Paisley on 24 July 1587.^[2][3] His paternal grandfather was the 2nd Earl of Arran in the Peerage of Scotland and the Duke of Châtellerault in the Kingdom of France. His father's family descended from Walter FitzGilbert, the founder of the House of Hamilton,^[4] who had received the barony of Cadzow from Robert the Bruce.^[5]

James's mother was a daughter of George Seton, 7th Lord Seton.^[6][a] His parents had married in 1574 at Niddry Castle, West Lothian, Scotland.^[6][8] Both sides of the family were Scottish, Catholic, and supporters of Mary, Queen of Scots. His father and his father-in-law had both fought for her at Langside in 1568.

As eldest son he was given the courtesy title of Master of Paisley after the Scottish habit.^[9] George had four brothers and one sister, who are listed in his father's article.

Marriage and children

Shortly before or in 1592, Master Paisley married Marion, daughter of Thomas Boyd, 6th Lord Boyd.^[10] Marion was a prominent Roman Catholic and would in 1628 be excommunicated by the synod of the Church of Scotland in Glasgow^[11] after his death.

James and Marion had nine children, five boys:

1. James (c. 1603 – c. 1670), succeeded as the 2nd Earl of Abercorn^[12]
2. Claud (died 1638), established himself in Ireland^[13]
3. William (died 1681), was created Baronet Hamilton of Westport and represented Henrietta Maria, Charles I's widow, at the pope^[14][15][16]
4. George (c. 1608 – 1679), was created Baronet Hamilton of Donalong^[17]
5. Alexander (died before 4 May 1669), founded the German branch of the family^[18]

—and four girls:

1. Anne (1592–1620), married Hugh Sempill, 5th Lord Sempill in 1611^[19]
2. Margaret (died 1642), married Sir William Cunninghame of Caprington^[20]
3. Isobel (1600–1620)^[21]
4. Lucy (born before 1618), for whom a marriage was arranged with Randal MacDonnell, 1st Marquess of Antrim, but the wedding never took place^[22]

Family tree

Lord Abercorn with his wife, parents, and other selected relatives.[b] James 2nd Earl c. 1516 – 1575 Châtellerault Margaret Douglas George 7th Lord Seton 1531–1586 James 3rd Earl 1537–1609 John 1st Marquess Hamilton 1540–1604 Claud 1st Lord Paisley 1546–1621 Margaret Seton d. 1616 James 1st Earl 1575–1618 Marion Boyd d. 1632 Recusant George of Greenlaw & Roscrea d. bef. 1657 Frederick 1590–1647 James 2nd Earl d. c. 1670 Katherine 2nd Baroness Clifton c. 1590 – 1637 Claud 2nd Baron Hamilton of Strabane d. 1638 George 1st Baronet Donalong c. 1608 – 1679 George 3rd Earl c. 1636 – bef. 1683 James 3rd Baron H. of Strabane 1633–1655 George 4th Baron H. of Strabane 1636/7 – 1668 James c. 1630 – 1673 Courtier Claud 4th Earl 1659–1691 Charles 5th Earl d. 1701 James 6th Earl c. 1661 – 1734 Legend XXX Subject of the article XXX Earls of Abercorn XXX Earls of Arran XXX Lords of Seton

Life in Scotland

In 1597, the Master of Paisley sat for Linlithgow in the Parliament of Scotland. He was also made a Gentleman of the Bedchamber and a member of the Privy Council to James VI of Scotland. In 1600, the King created him hereditary Sheriff of Linlithgow. ^[24] On 2 May 1602, the Master of Paisley carried the basin at the baptism of Robert Stuart, Duke of Kintyre and Lorne at Dunfermline Abbey.^[25]

On 24 March 1603, at the Union of the Crowns James VI also became King of England and reigned on both kingdoms in personal union. On 5 April 1603, the Master of Paisley was created Lord Abercorn, of Linlithgowshire.^[26] This made him the first of the long line of earls, then marquesses, and finally dukes of Abercorn.

His wife was a close friend of Anne of Denmark. In May 1603 Anne of Denmark came to Stirling Castle hoping to collect her son Prince Henry, who was in the keeping of the Earl of Mar. Anne fainted at dinner and when Jean Drummond and Marion Boyd, Mistress of Paisley, carried her to bed she had a miscarriage. The lawyer Thomas Haddington wrote an account of these events, and said the queen had told her physician Martin Schöner and the Mistress of Paisley that she had taken "some balm water that hastened her abort".^[27][28]

In 1604, Lord Abercorn, as he now was, served on a royal commission established to consider the union of the crowns of England and Scotland.^[29] Though the project failed, the king was content with his services. He received large grants of lands in Scotland.

On 10 July 1606 he was further honoured by being created Earl of Abercorn,^[30] Baron Paisley, Baron Hamilton, Baron Mountcastell, and Baron Kilpatrick.^[31][32] The family tree shows how the Abercorn title was inherited moving at the death of the 3rd Earl to the descendants of the 2nd son, Claud, and then at the death of the 5th Earl to the descendants of his 4th son, George.

Plantation of Ulster

Lord Abercorn, as he was now, and his brothers Claud Hamilton of Shawfield and George Hamilton of Greenlaw and Roscrea were undertakers in James I's Plantation of Ulster. He appears on the list of undertakers of 1611 and was granted the great proportion of Donalong (2000 acres) and the small proportion of Strabane (1000 acres). He acquired the middle (medium-sized) proportion of Shean from Boyd at a later time. He was given pieces of land called Strabane, Donnalonge and Shean in County Tyrone that had been confiscated from the O'Neill clan. He built a castle at Strabane. His brother Claude Hamilton was given land in County Cavan.^[33][34][35]

On 11 March 1614, Abercorn was summoned to attend the Parliament of Ireland and was granted the precedence of an earl in Ireland (confirmed by royal warrant on 31 March), although he was not an Irish peer. He was appointed to the Council of Munster on 20 May 1615.^[2]

Death, succession, and timeline

The court physician Théodore de Mayerne treated Hamilton for sleeplessness and melancholy caused by overwork in September 1616. He noted that Hamilton had smallpox at the age of two and measles at the age of fifteen.^[36]

Lord Abercorn died on 23 March 1618, at Monkton, Ayrshire, Scotland, predeceasing his father and was buried on 29 April 1618 in Paisley Abbey church.^[c]

He predeceased his father by three years and therefore never became Lord Paisley, but, having been created Earl of Abercorn, he did not miss this title. His eldest son, James, aged 14, succeeded him as the 2nd Earl of Abercorn. His widow died in Edinburgh in 1632.^[42] His brother, Sir George Hamilton of Greenlaw and Roscrea, helped to bring up the children and to convert them to the Catholic religion.^[43]

Timeline
Age	Date	Event
0	1575, 12 Aug	Born, probably at Paisley[37]
16–17	1592, about	Married Marion Boyd[10]
27–28	1603, 24 Mar	Accession of King James I, succeeding Queen Elizabeth I[44]
27	1603, 5 Apr	Created Lord Abercorn, of Linlithgowshire[26]
30	1606, 10 Jul	Created Earl of Abercorn[32]
35–36	1611	Undertaker in James's Plantation of Ulster[33]
42	1618, 23 Mar	Died in Monkton, Ayrshire, Scotland[c] predeceasing his father