Alexander Hamilton, 10th Duke of Hamilton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
His Grace
The Duke of Hamilton |
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The 10th Duke of Hamilton, by Henry Raeburn
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| Born | 3 October 1767 St. James Square, London, England |
| Died | 18 August 1852 (aged 84) 12 Portman Square, London, England |
| Resting place | Bent Cemetery, Hamilton |
| Title | 10th Duke of Hamilton |
| Tenure | 1819–1852 |
| Other titles | 7th Duke of Brandon |
| Offices | Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire |
| Spouse(s) | Susan Euphemia Beckford |
| Issue | William Hamilton, 11th Duke of Hamilton Lady Susan de Beeck |
| Parents | Archibald Hamilton, 9th Duke of Hamilton Lady Harriet Stewart |
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Alexander Hamilton (born October 3, 1767 – died August 18, 1852) was a very important Scottish noble. He held the titles of the 10th Duke of Hamilton and 7th Duke of Brandon. He was also a politician and a keen art collector.
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Life of a Duke
Alexander Hamilton was born in London, England, on October 3, 1767. His father was Archibald Hamilton, 9th Duke of Hamilton. Young Alexander went to Harrow School, a famous school, and later studied at Christ Church, Oxford University. He finished his studies in 1789.
Early Political Career
Hamilton was part of the Whig political party. His career in politics began in 1802. He became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Lancaster. An MP is someone elected to represent people in the country's government.
He served in the House of Commons until 1806. Then, he was chosen to join the Privy Council. This is a group of advisors to the King or Queen. He also became an Ambassador to Russia, representing Britain in another country.
Important Roles and Honors
From 1802 until his death in 1852, he was the Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire. This is a special representative of the King or Queen in a county. When his father passed away in 1819, Alexander inherited many important titles.
He had a special role at the coronations of two British monarchs. He was the Lord High Steward at the crowning of King William IV in 1831. He also performed this duty for Queen Victoria's coronation in 1838. He is the last person to have done this job twice!
In 1836, he became a Knight of the Garter. This is one of the highest honors a person can receive in Britain. He was also the Grand Master Mason for the Freemasons of Scotland from 1820 to 1822. From 1834 to 1852, he was a Trustee of the British Museum. This meant he helped manage one of the world's most famous museums.
Family Life
On April 26, 1810, Alexander Hamilton married Susan Euphemia Beckford. They got married in London, England.
A Unique Personality
Alexander Hamilton was known for his unique style. People called him a "dandy," which meant he cared a lot about his appearance and fashion. Some people said he was very proud of his family's long history.
He was also a supporter of Napoleon Bonaparte, the famous French leader. He even asked a famous artist, Jacques-Louis David, to paint a picture of Napoleon. People who knew him described him as very tall and always dressed smartly. He wore a special military coat and had many gold rings on his fingers.
Death and Legacy
Alexander Hamilton was very interested in Ancient Egyptian mummies. He was so impressed by a mummy expert named Thomas Pettigrew that he asked Pettigrew to mummify him after he died.
He passed away on August 18, 1852, at the age of 84, in London. He was buried on September 4, 1852. Following his wishes, his body was mummified. It was then placed inside an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus. A sarcophagus is a stone coffin, often decorated. This one was from the Ptolemaic period, a time when Greek rulers governed Egypt. He had bought this sarcophagus in Paris in 1836.
In 1842, Hamilton started building the Hamilton Mausoleum. This was a grand building meant to be a special burial place for his family. He was buried there with other Dukes of Hamilton. However, in 1921, the Mausoleum had problems due to the ground sinking. The family's bodies, including Alexander's, were moved to the Bent cemetery in Hamilton. He still rests there in his sarcophagus.
After his death, his amazing collection of paintings, objects, books, and old writings was sold. It brought in a lot of money. Some of his old writings were bought by the German government. Later, the British government bought some of them back. These are now kept in the British Museum.
Marriage and Children
Alexander Hamilton and his wife, Susan Beckford, had two children:
- William Hamilton, 11th Duke of Hamilton: He later married Princess Marie Amelie of Baden.
- Lady Susan Hamilton: She married twice. First, to Henry Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle. Second, to Jean Alexis Op de Beeck.
