Hamilton

Crest: In a ducal coronet an oak tree fructed and penetrated transversely in the main stem by a frame saw Proper, the frame Or

The Hamiltons are descended from a Norman, Walter Fitz Gilbert of Hambledon, whose name is recorded in a Monastic charter dating to 1294.

Originally holding lands in Renfrewshire, he was awarded territory in Lanarkshire and the Lothians for his support of Robert the Bruce. This included Cadzow which later became the town of Hamilton.

Walter’s first son, David, fought for King David II at the battle of Neville’s Cross in 1346.

James, the first Lord Hamilton, was married to Princess Mary, daughter of James III in 1474. Mary’s son was created earl of Arran and the second Earl was officially the heir to the thrones of both James IV and Mary, Queen of Scots. He was appointed Regent of Scotland while Mary was still a child. He also proposed that she marry his son, which would have cemented the Hamilton claim. However, Mary married the Dauphin of France, who later died. Arran suffered a five year exile for his opposition to Mary’s next groom, Lord Darnley.  But in the end, he remained loyal to Mary and sheltered her in Cadzow after her escape from Lochleven.

The fourth earl of Arran rose to be Chancellor of Scotland and keeper of both Edinburgh and Stirling castles. In 1599, he was made a Marquess. His brother, Claud, was made Lord Paisley in 1587 and then Lord Abercorn. Abercorn eventually became a Dukedom in 1868 and the family still holds their seat in Ulster with a manor house at Baronscourt.

Like many Scottish lairds, the third Marquess supported Charles I during the Civil War. In 1643 he was awarded a Scottish dukedom. This made Hamilton the premier peer of the realm. After Scottish forces handed Charles over to Parliament, Hamilton led an army into England. However, he was defeated at Preston in 1648 and beheaded at Whitehall the following year. His brother the second Duke was also killed. So the title went to Anne, daughter of the first duke.

Anne held together the family as well as its finances (mired in debt) and married William Douglas, Earl of Selkirk. She laid foundations for a new palace to reestablish the family seat. Her son, the fourth Duke was killed in a duel in London in 1712 -- he won the duel itself, but the seconds of his opponent murdered him.

By the time of the tenth duke, Hamilton Palace was a grand estate filled with spectacular artwork from around the world. This Duke was nicknamed ‘Il Magnifico’ and led a regal lifestyle. He married his son, William, to Princess Marie of Baden, cousin of Napoleon III.  In 1933, the fourteenth duke became the first man to pilot an aeroplane over Mt. Everest. The fifteenth duke was an RAF test pilot.

Sadly, Hamilton Palace was demolished due to structural issues. The seat is now at Lennoxlove, near Haddington.