Earl of Haddington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Earldom of Haddington |
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Blazon
Arms: Quarterly: 1st and 4th grandquarters, quarterly: 1st and 4th, Gules on a Chevron between three Cinquefoils Argent a Buckle Azure between two Ermine Spots all within a Bordure Or charged with eight Thistles Vert (Hamilton of Byres); 2nd and 3rd, Argent a Fess wavy between three Roses Gules barbed and seeded proper (Melrose); 2nd and 3rd grandquarters, Sable the Sun in his Glory between nine Stars three two three and one Argent (Baillie of Jerviswoode)
Crest: 1st: Two dexter Hands issuing out of Clouds conjoined fesswise and holding betwixt them a Branch of Laurel erect all proper (Hamilton); 2nd: A Crescent Or (Baillie) Supporters: On either side a Talbot Argent plain collared Gules |
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| Creation date | 1627 |
| Monarch | James VI and I |
| Peerage | Peerage of Scotland |
| First holder | Thomas Hamilton, 1st Earl of Haddington |
| Present holder | George Baillie-Hamilton, 14th Earl of Haddington |
| Heir presumptive | Thomas Richard Baillie-Hamilton |
| Subsidiary titles | Lord Binning Viscount Maitland Lord Byres and Binning |
| Status | extant |
| Seat(s) | Mellerstain House |
| Former seat(s) | Tyninghame House |
The Earl of Haddington is a special title in the Peerage of Scotland. A "peerage" is a system of titles for nobles, like dukes, marquesses, earls, viscounts, and barons. These titles are usually passed down through families.
This title was first created in 1627 for a famous Scottish lawyer and judge named Thomas Hamilton. He was a very important person in the legal system, serving as the main judge of a high court from 1616 to 1625.
Contents
How the Title Began
Thomas Hamilton already had other titles before becoming Earl of Haddington. He was made Lord Binning in 1613. Then, in 1619, he became Lord Binning and Byres and Earl of Melrose. These titles were also part of the Scottish peerage. The "Earl of Melrose" title came from the fact that he owned a lot of land that used to belong to Melrose Abbey.
However, Thomas Hamilton wasn't very happy with the "Melrose" title. He wanted a title connected to a county, which he felt was a greater honor than a title from an abbey. So, in 1627, he gave up the Earl of Melrose title. Instead, he was given the new title of Earl of Haddington. This new title kept the same importance and ranking as his old one from 1619. It was also decided that only his male descendants with the Hamilton surname could inherit it.
Thomas Hamilton was part of a very important Scottish family. His family was connected to the Dukes of Hamilton and Dukes of Abercorn.
Early Earls of Haddington
The first Earl, Thomas Hamilton, was followed by his oldest son, who became the second Earl. This second Earl was a strong supporter of the Covenanter movement. The Covenanters were a group in Scotland who wanted to protect their Presbyterian church from changes made by the King.
Sadly, the second Earl was killed in 1640 by a huge explosion at Dunglass Castle, where he was in charge. His oldest son became the third Earl but died young without having children. So, his younger brother became the fourth Earl.
When the fourth Earl died, his son became the fifth Earl. He married Margaret Leslie, 8th Countess of Rothes. Her family also had an important title, the Earldom of Rothes. There was a special rule that the Earldom of Rothes and the Earldom of Haddington could not be held by the same person. Because of this, it was decided that their oldest son, John, would inherit the Rothes title, and their second son, Thomas, would inherit the Haddington title.
Later Generations and New Connections
Following the family agreement, Thomas, the second son, became the sixth Earl of Haddington. He was a Scottish Representative Peer in the House of Lords (the upper house of the UK Parliament) from 1716 to 1735. This meant he represented Scotland's nobility in Parliament. He also served as the Lord-Lieutenant of Haddingtonshire, a royal representative in the county. He was also given the special job of being the Hereditary Keeper of Holyrood Palace, a royal residence in Scotland.
The sixth Earl's oldest son, Charles Hamilton, Lord Binning, married Rachel Baillie. Through this marriage, the family gained two important estates: Mellerstain House and Jerviswood. Charles, Lord Binning, died before his father. So, when the sixth Earl passed away, his grandson, Thomas, became the seventh Earl.
The titles continued to be passed down through the family. The ninth Earl, Thomas Hamilton, was a Tory politician. He held important government jobs, including being the King's representative in Ireland (called Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland) and the head of the navy (called First Lord of the Admiralty). In 1827, he was also given a new title, Baron Melros, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. This was a different type of peerage that allowed him to sit in the House of Lords automatically, not just as a representative.
The ninth Earl had no children. When he died in 1859, the Baron Melros title ended because it could only be passed down to his children. However, the Scottish titles continued.
The Baillie-Hamilton Family
The ninth Earl was succeeded by his second cousin, George Baillie. This George was the grandson of the seventh Earl's younger brother. In 1859, George added "Hamilton" to his last name, becoming Baillie-Hamilton. He became the tenth Earl of Haddington. He also served as a Scottish Representative Peer and worked in the government.
His son became the eleventh Earl. He also added another surname, "Arden," to his name. His oldest son, George Baillie-Hamilton, Lord Binning, was a high-ranking army officer, a brigadier-general. However, he died before his father. So, his son, George, became the twelfth Earl.
The twelfth Earl was a Scottish Representative Peer for many years. He also served as the Lord-Lieutenant of Berwickshire. His only son became the thirteenth Earl in 1986.
As of 2017, the current holder of the title is the fourteenth Earl, George Baillie-Hamilton, 14th Earl of Haddington, who inherited the title in 2016. His son, Sullivan Simon Baillie-Hamilton, is the heir apparent, meaning he is next in line to inherit the title.
Notable Family Members
Many other members of the Baillie-Hamilton family have also achieved important things.
- George Baillie, a younger brother of the seventh Earl, was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Berwickshire.
- His sons included Charles Baillie, Lord Jerviswoode, who was a politician and a judge, and Reverend John Baillie, who was a high-ranking church official.
- Another family member, Charles John Baillie-Hamilton, was also a Member of Parliament.
- William Alexander Baillie-Hamilton was an admiral in the Royal Navy.
The main family home today is Mellerstain House, located near Kelso in Berwickshire. The family's previous home was Tyninghame House, near Tyninghame in East Lothian.
Earls of Haddington (1627)
- Thomas Hamilton, 1st Earl of Haddington (1563–1637)
- Thomas Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Haddington (1600–1640)
- Thomas Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Haddington (1626–1645)
- John Hamilton, 4th Earl of Haddington (1626–1669)
- Charles Hamilton, 5th Earl of Haddington (c. 1650 – 1685)
- Thomas Hamilton, 6th Earl of Haddington (1680–1735)
- Thomas Hamilton, 7th Earl of Haddington (1721–1794)
- Charles Hamilton, 8th Earl of Haddington (1753–1828)
- Thomas Hamilton, 9th Earl of Haddington (1780–1858) (created Baron Melrose in 1827)
- George Baillie-Hamilton, 10th Earl of Haddington (1802–1870)
- George Baillie-Hamilton-Arden, 11th Earl of Haddington (1827–1917)
- George Baillie-Hamilton, 12th Earl of Haddington (1894–1986)
- John Baillie-Hamilton, 13th Earl of Haddington (1941–2016)
- George Baillie-Hamilton, 14th Earl of Haddington (born 1985)
The heir apparent is the present holder's son, Sullivan Simon Baillie-Hamilton, Lord Binning (born 2022).
See also
