Lairds of Cadzow Gilbert de Hameldun is recorded as witnessing a charter confirming the gift of the church at Cragyn to the
Abbey of Paisley in 1271. His ancestry is uncertain but he may have been the son of William de Hamilton (third son of
Robert de Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Leicester) and Mary of Strathearn. Gilbert de Hameldun married Isabella Randolph, daughter of
Thomas Randolph of Strathdon,
Chamberlain of Scotland. His heir was
Walter fitz Gilbert. He was governor of
Bothwell Castle for the English Crown during the
First War of Scottish Independence. Following the
Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, he gave refuge to the
Earl of Hertford and other escapees, only to deliver them and Bothwell up to
Edward Bruce. He then became a Bruce partisan. Sometime between 1315 and 1329,
Robert the Bruce knighted him and granted him lands in
Renfrewshire and the
Lothians and Cadzow (present day
Hamilton in
Lanarkshire), including
Cadzow Castle. The lands had previously belonged to
John Comyn, who was murdered by Robert the Bruce. The 1st laird of Cadzow was succeeded as the 2nd laird by his son
Sir David fitz Walter. He was a supporter of
King David II and fought at the
Battle of Neville's Cross (Battle of Durham) where he was captured along with the King. His son
David Hamilton, the 3rd laird, was the first to establish Hamilton as the family name. David Hamilton's son
Sir John Hamilton became the 4th laird and was, in turn, succeeded as the 5th laird by his son
James Hamilton.
Lords Hamilton and Earls of Arran The 5th laird was succeeded as 6th laird by his son,
Sir James Hamilton, who was created a
Lord of Parliament as
Lord Hamilton on 3 July 1445. In early 1474, he married
Mary Stewart, Countess of Arran, daughter of
King James II and widow of
Thomas Boyd, 1st Earl of Arran. He was succeeded by his only legitimate son,
James, 2nd Lord Hamilton. In 1490, then aged 15, he married the 13-year-old Elizabeth, Lady Hay, daughter of
Alexander Home, 2nd Lord Home and widow of Sir Thomas Hay, Master of Yester, son and heir of
John Hay, 1st Lord Hay of Yester. However, it was later discovered that Sir Thomas Hay was still alive and the marriage was annulled. The 2nd Lord married secondly Janet, Lady Livingstone, daughter of Sir David Beaton of Creich and widow of Sir Robert Livingstone of Easter Wemyss and Drumry. He became a
Privy Counsellor to
King James IV, and helped to arrange his marriage to
Margaret, daughter of
King Henry VII of
England. As a reward, he was created
Earl of Arran on 8 August 1503. He was succeeded by his elder son from his second marriage,
James, 2nd Earl of Arran. He was Regent of Scotland between 1542 and 1554, and guardian of the young
Mary, Queen of Scots. He was created
Duc de Châtellerault in the
Peerage of France in 1548 for his part in arranging the marriage of Queen Mary to
Francis, Dauphin of France. This French Dukedom was forfeited when he switched allegiances in 1559.
Emperor Napoleon III "confirmed" this title for the
12th Duke of Hamilton in the 19th century, but although the 12th Duke was heir male of the 2nd Earl, the legal effect of this "confirmation" is doubtful. dinner service commissioned by the 8th Duke of Hamilton, circa 1780–90 The 2nd Earl was succeeded by his eldest son,
James, 3rd Earl of Arran, who had been proposed as a husband to Queen
Elizabeth I of England in 1561. In 1562 he was declared insane, and in 1581 he resigned the Earldom to
James Stewart of Bothwellhaugh. However, in 1586 his resignation was ruled by the
Court of Session to be the act of a madman and his honours were restored.
Marquesses and Dukes of Hamilton The 3rd Earl's younger brother
John Hamilton (who was styled Lord Hamilton as is traditional for the younger sons of Earls) was appointed to administer his brother's estates. He was created
Marquess of Hamilton,
Earl of Arran and
Lord Aven on 17 April 1599. His son,
James, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton (who had been created
Lord Aberbrothwick (or
Arbroath) on 5 May 1608, before he succeeded) moved to England with
King James VI, and invested into the
Somers Isles Company, an offshoot of the
Virginia Company, buying the shares of
Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford. The Parish of
Hamilton in the Somers Isles (now
Bermuda) is named for him. Upon the death of his uncle in 1609 he succeeded as 4th Earl of Arran (of the 1503 creation) and 5th Lord Hamilton. He was also created
Earl of Cambridge and
Baron Innerdale in the
Peerage of England on 16 June 1619. His son,
James, 3rd Marquess of Hamilton, was created
Duke of Hamilton,
Marquess of Clydesdale,
Earl of Arran and Cambridge and
Lord Aven and Innerdale on 12 April 1643, with a special remainder allowing succession through the female line should his and his brother's heirs male fail. His son, Charles, Earl of Arran, died young and the 1st Duke's titles passed to his younger brother,
William, 2nd Duke of Hamilton, who had already been created
Earl of Lanark and
Lord Machanshire and Polmont on 31 March 1639. A surrender and regrant in 1650 allowed these also to be inherited by the 1st Duke's elder daughter. Upon his death in 1651, with no further heirs in the immediate male line, the Dukedom (and the titles created with it), as well as the Earldom of Lanark (and the title created with it), passed to that daughter,
Anne, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton. The 1503 Earldom of Arran and the Lordship of Hamilton became dormant, and all the other titles (the Marquessate of Hamilton, the 1599 Earldom of Arran and the Lordships of Hamilton, Aven and Aberbrothwick in the Peerage of Scotland, and the Earldom of Cambridge and the Barony of Innerdale in the Peerage of England) became extinct. In 1656, the 3rd Duchess married
William Douglas, 1st Earl of Selkirk, third son of
William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas. He had been created
Earl of Selkirk and
Lord Daer and Shortcleuch on 4 August 1646. He changed his surname to "Hamilton", and on 20 September 1660 was created
Duke of Hamilton,
Marquess of Clydesdale,
Earl of Arran, Lanark and Selkirk and
Lord Aven, Machanshire, Polmont and Daer for life. but was wrongfully refused a summons to the
Parliament of Great Britain under that title (although he continued to sit as a
Scottish representative peer). He was killed in
a celebrated duel with
Charles Mohun, 4th Baron Mohun (who also died) in
Hyde Park in London on 15 November 1712. , the former family seat in
Hamilton, circa 1880. The 4th Duke's son
James, 5th Duke of Hamilton was succeeded by his son
James, 6th Duke of Hamilton, and he by his son
James, 7th Duke of Hamilton. In 1761, the 7th Duke's second cousin twice removed,
Archibald Douglas, 1st Duke of Douglas, died without an heir. As the Duke of Hamilton, though still using the surname "Hamilton", was patrilineally a "Douglas" (through the 3rd Duchess's husband), the 7th Duke became heir male of the
House of Douglas and inherited the Duke of Douglas's subsidiary titles (although not the Dukedom), succeeding as 4th Marquess of Douglas, 14th and 4th Earl of Angus and 4th Lord Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest. He died without issue and was succeeded by his brother
Douglas, 8th Duke of Hamilton. He left no sons and the title passed back to his uncle, the 6th Duke's brother,
Archibald, 9th Duke of Hamilton. He was succeeded by his son
Alexander, 10th Duke of Hamilton, and then by his son
William, 11th Duke of Hamilton. The 11th Duke's son
William, 12th Duke of Hamilton (who changed his surname to "Hamilton Douglas"), died without a male heir, and the Dukedom passed to his fourth cousin
Alfred, 13th Duke of Hamilton, who was descended from the 4th Duke of Hamilton and whose line of the family had adopted the surname "Douglas-Hamilton". His son was
Douglas, 14th Duke of Hamilton, who was succeeded by his son
Angus, 15th Duke of Hamilton. He died in 2010, and was succeeded by his son, the current Duke,
Alexander, 16th Duke of Hamilton.
Succession to the Dukedom of Hamilton The letters patent that created the Dukedom of Hamilton contained a special remainder. It stipulated that the Dukedom should descend to: •
heirs male of the body of the
grantee, failing which to • the grantee's
brother and heirs male of the body of the grantee's brother, failing which to • the grantee's
eldest daughter and heirs male of her body, failing which to • nearest heirs whatsoever of the grantee. As the first Duke and his brother (the second Duke) both died without surviving sons, the succession has, since 1651, been governed by the third rule given, with the dukedom going to the grantee's daughter (the third Duchess) and her heirs male. ==House of Douglas==