The peerage of Scotland: containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom, ... collected from the public records, and ancient chartularies of this nation, ... Illustrated with copper-plates. By Robert Douglas, Esq;.

HAMILTON Lord BELHAVEN.

THE immediate ancestor of this noble branch of the great and illustrious fa∣mily of Hamilton was,

JAMES, first lord Hamilton, who flou∣rished in the reigns of king James I. and II. was the seventh generation of that antient house, in a direct male-line, and married Ja∣net, daughter of sir Alexander Livingston, an∣cestor of the earls of Linlithgow, by whom he had issue several sons.

1. James, second lord Hamilton, his suc∣cessor.

2. Andrew, of whom the family of Bel∣haven is lineally descended.

I. ANDREW, second son of James, first lord Hamilton,* 1.1 acquired the lands of Broom∣hill, which continued to be the chief title of the family till they were nobilitate.

He left issue three sons.

1. John, his heir.

2. Robert, who carried on the line of this family.

3. James Hamilton of Greenhill.

He died about 1480, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

II. JOHN HAMILTON of Broomhill, who married a daughter of—Hamilton of Torrence,* 1.2 by whom he had only two daughters; and having no male-issue, dis∣poned his estate to James, second lord Ha∣milton, who generously gave it back to his brother,

II. ROBERT HAMILTON of Broomhill, second son of Andrew,* 1.3 who married Isabel, daughter of—Hamilton of Dalserf, by whom he had a son and successor,

III. JOHN HAMILTON of Broomhill, who married, 1st, Elizabeth, daughter of— Hamilton of Udston, by whom he had a son,

John, his heir.

He married,* 1.4 2dly, Margaret, daughter of —Dalziel of that ilk, by whom he had another son,

Robert Hamilton of Alanshaw.

And dying about 1550, was succeded by his eldest son,

IV. JOHN, who got charters, under the great seal,* 1.5 Johanni Hamilton de Broomhill ter∣rarum ecclesiasticarum de Stenhouse, &c.

He married Anne daughter of—Ha∣milton of Kilbrachmont,* 1.6 in vicecom. de Fife, by whom he had a son and successor,

V. Sir JAMES HAMILTON of Broomhill, who married a daughter of—Hamilton of Udston,* 1.7 by whom he had a son,

VI. Sir JOHN HAMILTON of Broomhill, who succeeded him; and being a man of fine parts, was in great favour and esteem with king Charles I.

He was a great loyalist, and adhered firmly to the king's interest during all the time of the civil war, for which his majesty was pleased to raise him to the dignity of the peerage,* 1.8 by the title of lord Belhaven and Stenton, by letters patent, dated 18th December 1647.

In July 1648, he marched into England with the Scotch army under the conduct of duke Hamilton, and behaved with the utmost resolution at Preston, where the Scots were routed, but he had the good fortune to escape, and got safe back to Scotland.

He married Margaret,* 1.9 natural daughter of James second marquis of Hamilton, by whom he had three daughters.

1. Margaret, married to sir Samuel Baillie of Lamington, and had issue.

2. Anne, who carried on the line of this family, of whom afterwards.

3. Elizabeth, married to Alexander first viscount of Kingston.

John, first lord Belhaven, having no male-issue, made a resignation of his estate and ho∣nours, in the king's hands, in favours of his cousin, sir John Hamilton of Biel, who mar∣ried his grandchild;* 1.10 upon which he got a new patent and charter, under the great seal of king Charles II.

"to the said sir John, and the heirs-male of his body; which failing, to his heirs-male whatsoever."

The patent is dated at Whitehall, the 10th day of Feb∣ruary 1675.

The lord Belhaven died anno 1679, and, according to the above-mentioned patent, his estate and honours devolved upon the said sir John, who being married to his grandchild by his daughter Anne, to her we now return.

VII. ANNE, second daughter of John first lord Belhaven, married sir Robert Hamil∣ton of Silvertounhill, a cadet of his own fa∣mily, by whom she had an only child,

VIII. MARGARET, married to the said sir John Hamilton of Biel, who, upon the

death of the first lord, succeeded to his estate and honours as before observed.

John, second lord Belhaven, was eldest son and heir of sir Robert Hamilton of Pressmanan, one of the senators of the college of justice, descended from the family of Udston, whose lineal ancestor was Andrew Hamilton,* 1.11 third son of sir David lord of Cadzow, who flou∣rished in the reigns of king Robert II. and III.

, This lord was a man of great honour, and integrity, and his behaviour in the parliaments 1681 and 1685 showed him to be a strenu∣ous defender of the Pr••testant religion.

He was a great promoter of the revolution in 1688, and was very active, at the conven∣tion of estates of Scotland, to get the crown settled upon the prince and princess of Orange, and had the command of a troop of horse in their service at the battle of Killiecrankie in 1689.

Upon the accession of king William and queen Mary to the crown, he was appointed one of their privy-council, and soon after one of the commissioners for executing the office of lord-register.

He was likewise, by queen Anne, consti∣tuted one of the lords of her privy-council, and one of the commissioners of the treasury, all which offices he executed with honour and integrity.

In the parliament 1706, he strenuously opposed the union of the two kingdoms, con∣ceiving it derogatory to the honour of his country.

Upon that great occasion he made several learned and ••laborate speeches, which are still preserved, and show the uprightness of his heart, that nothing could prevail with him to concur with the court in a measure that he judged to be inconsistent with the interest and independency of his country, for which posterity do him the justice to celebrate his name with honour, as a patriot, as well as an orator.

He died soon thereafter, anno 1708, and, by the said Margaret Hamilton, left issue two sons.

1. John, his heir.

2. James Hamilton, Esq; advocate, assist∣ant solicitor to the two boards of customs and excise. This gentleman married Anne, daugh∣ter of John Walkingshaw of that ilk, who died without issue in 1732.

John, second lord Belhaven, was succccd∣ed by his eldest son,

IX. JOHN, third lord Belhaven, who was a man of good parts, great, worth and merit.

He was chosen one of the sixteen peers for Scotland, anno 1715, and a lord of the bed-chamber to George then prince of Wales, afterwards king George II.

He had the command of a troop of horse, raised by the county of Haddington, in the time of the rebellion 1715, and served as a volunteer at the battle of Dumblain, where he gave distinguishing proofs of his valour and intrepidity.

In 1721 he was appointed governor of Bar∣badoes, but unfortunately perished at sea, in the beginning of his voyage thither, in the Royal Anne galley, near the Lizard Point, where the ship having struck on the Stag rocks, about midnight, was staved in pieces, and, of two hundred and forty persons, only two men and a boy were saved, being drove ashore on pieces of the wreck.

He married Mary, daughter of Andrew Bruce, merchant in Edinburgh, a cadet o•• the family of Earlshall, by whom. he had four sons and one daughter.

1. John, now lord Belhaven.

2. Andrew Hamilton, Esq; an officer in the army, who died unmarried.

3. James Hamilton, Esq; advocate, de∣pute-sheriff of the county of Haddington, and assistant-solicitor to the boards of excise and customs.

4. Robert Hamilton, Esq; who, betaking himself to a military life, was a major in the expedition to America, under the late lord Cathcart, and died a batchelor soon after his return from Carthagena.

His daughter Margaret, was married to Alexander Baird, Esq; son to sir William Baird of Newbeath.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

X. JOHN, fourth lord Belhaven, who is high sheriff of the county of Haddington, ge∣neral of the mint, and one of the commissio∣ners and trustees appointed for the encourage∣ment and improvement of trade, manufactures, and fisheries, in Scotland.

ARMS.

Gules, a sword erect; in pale, proper, the pommel and hilt, or, between three cinque-foils, argent.

CREST; on a wreath, a nag's head, coup∣ed of the last, and bridled of the first.

SUPPORTERS; two horses, argent, bridled as the crest.

MOTTO; Ride through.

CHIEF SEATS.

At Biel, near Dunbar, in East-Lothian, and Pressmanan, in the same county.

Notes

• * 1.1

  M. S. hist. of this family, penes dom. Belhaven.
• * 1.2

  Writs of the family penes dom. Belha∣ven.
• * 1.3

  Ibidem.
• * 1.4

  Ibidem.
• * 1.5

  Chart. in pub. archiv. inter 1555 & 1570.
• * 1.6

  Chart. penes dom. Belha∣ven.
• * 1.7

  Ibidem.
• * 1.8

  Chart. in pub. archiv.
• * 1.9

  Writs of the family of Bel∣haven.
• * 1.10

  Chart. in pub. archiv. ••o∣hanni Hamil∣ton de Bi••l, militi, baro∣netto, et haere∣dibus mascu∣lis quibus∣cunque, &c.
• * 1.11

  Writs of the family of Bel∣haven, and Nisbet, vol. I. page 176.