James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton

James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton and 4th Earl of Arran (1589 – 2 March 1625), styled Lord Aven from 1599 to 1604, was a Scottish politician.^[1] He was the son of John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Hamilton and Margaret Lyon.

The Marquess of Hamilton
Portrait after Daniël Mijtens, 1622
Born	1589
Died	2 March 1625 Whitehall, London
Resting place	Hamilton
Title	2nd Marquess of Hamilton 4th Earl of Arran
Successor	James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton
Spouse	Lady Ann Cunningham
Children	Anne Montgomerie, Countess of Eglinton Margaret Lindsay, Countess of Crawford Mary Douglas, Countess of Queensberry James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton
Parent(s)	John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Hamilton Margaret Lyon

Career

Hamilton inherited his father's titles and estates in 1604. King James granted him the property and lands of Arbroath Abbey, or "Aberbrothwick", and on 5 May 1608 created him Lord Aberbrothwick (or Arbroath).^[2] In 1609, Aberbrothwick inherited the earldom of Arran from his insane and childless uncle James Hamilton.

He moved to England with King James, and invested in the Somers Isles Company, an offshoot of the Virginia company, buying the shares of Lucy Harrington, Countess of Bedford. The Parish of Hamilton in the Somers Isles (alias Bermuda) is named for him.^[3] He was created Earl of Cambridge and Baron of Innerdale in the peerage of England on 16 June 1619. In 1621 he served as Lord High Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland, the King's representative in the Parliament of Scotland.

Marriage and children

Arms of James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton

In 1603, he married Lady Ann Cunningham, a daughter of James Cunningham, 7th Earl of Glencairn and they had five children:

• Lady Anne Hamilton, married Hugh Montgomerie, 7th Earl of Eglinton and had issue
• Lady Margaret Hamilton, married John Lindsay, 17th Earl of Crawford, 1st Earl of Lindsay and had issue
• Lady Mary Hamilton (died 1633), married James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Queensberry, no issue
• James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton (1606–1649)
• William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton (1616–1651)

He also had an illegitimate daughter, Margaret (who married John Hamilton, 1st Lord Belhaven and Stenton and had issue) by Anne Stewart, a daughter of Walter Stewart, 1st Lord Blantyre.

Hamilton died on 2 March 1625 at Whitehall, London, from a fever and was buried in the family mausoleum at Hamilton, on 2 September of that year.

Ancestry

Ancestors of James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton

16. James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton 8. James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran 17. Mary Stewart, Countess of Arran 4. James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran 18. Sir David Betoun of Creich 9. Janet Bethune of Easter Wemyss 19. Janet Duddingston 2. John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Hamilton 20. John Douglas, 2nd Earl of Morton=30 10. James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Morton 21. Janet Crichton =31 5. Lady Margaret Douglas 22. James IV of Scotland 11. Catherine Stewart 23. Marion Boyd 1. James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton 24. John Lyon, 4th Lord Glamis 12. John Lyon, 6th Lord Glamis 25. Elizabeth Gray 6. John Lyon, 7th Lord Glamis 26. George Douglas, Master of Angus 13. Janet Douglas, Lady Glamis 27. Elizabeth Drummond 3. Margaret Lyon 28. William Keith, 2nd Earl Marischal 14. Robert Keith, Master of Marischal 29. Lady Elizabeth Gordon 7. Janet Keith 30. John Douglas, 2nd Earl of Morton =20 15. Lady Elizabeth Douglas 31. Janet Crichton =21