James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Hamilton
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| Earl of Arran, 2nd Lord Hamilton | |
Arms of James Hamilton, as Earl of Arran
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| Predecessor | New creation |
| Successor | James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran |
| Born | c. 1475 |
| Died | 1529 Kinneil House, West Lothian |
| Buried | Hamilton, South Lanarkshire |
| Noble family | Hamilton |
| Spouse(s) | 1st Elizabeth Home 2nd Janet Bethune of Creich |
| Issue | Helen Hamilton James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran Janet Hamilton Elizabeth Hamilton (illegitimate) Margaret Hamilton (illegitimate) James Hamilton of Finnart (illegitimate) |
| Father | James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton |
| Mother | Mary Stewart, Countess of Arran |
James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran (born around 1475, died 1529) was an important Scottish nobleman. He was also known as the 2nd Lord Hamilton. James was a first cousin to James IV of Scotland, the king at the time. He also held the high position of Lord High Admiral of Scotland, leading the country's navy.
Contents
Early Life and Family Connections
James Hamilton was the older of two sons. His parents were James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton, and Mary Stewart, Countess of Arran. His mother, Mary, was a daughter of King James II of Scotland. This made her the sister of King James III of Scotland.
When his father passed away in 1479, James inherited his father's lands and title. In 1489, his cousin, King James IV of Scotland, gave him an important job. He became the Sheriff of Lanark, a role his father had held before him. He also joined the Privy Council, a group of advisors to the King. Around 1490, he married Elizabeth Home.
James Hamilton was a skilled naval commander. From April to August 1502, he led a Scottish fleet. This fleet helped King Hans of Denmark fight a rebellion in Sweden and Norway.
He played a key role in arranging King James IV's marriage to Margaret Tudor. This was an important event for Scotland. James Hamilton was present at the wedding on August 8, 1503. On that same day, he was given the title of Earl of Arran. This was because of his close family ties to the King and his loyal service.
He was also made Lieutenant General of Scotland. In May 1504, he led another naval trip. This time, his mission was to stop an uprising in the Western Isles of Scotland.
In 1507, King James IV sent Hamilton to France as an ambassador. He was on a diplomatic mission to the court of King Louis XII of France. On his way back in 1508, he was briefly held in England. King Henry VII of England was worried that Scotland and France were becoming too close.
In 1513, Henry VIII of England attacked France. Scotland, being allied with France, had to help. Hamilton was put in charge of the Scottish navy. He first sailed to Ulster and attacked Carrickfergus, an English stronghold. His fleet then went to France in September 1513. However, they arrived too late. The Scottish army had already been defeated at the Battle of Flodden, and King James IV had died.
Political Influence
After King James IV's death, his son James V of Scotland was too young to rule. During this time, James Hamilton was a key political figure. He often disagreed with Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus, who was supported by England.
Hamilton also opposed John Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany, who was the Regent (the person ruling for the young king). From 1517 to 1520, when Albany was in France, Hamilton was the head of the council that governed Scotland. He even led a group to the border to punish those who had killed a French knight.
In 1520, he tried to take power from Angus in Edinburgh. This led to a street fight known as "Cleanse the Causeway", where Hamilton was defeated. He continued to be involved in the government. In 1522, he was again part of the council that ruled for the young king.
In 1524, he joined with the Queen Dowager Margaret Tudor. Together, they worked to remove Albany from power. They then declared James V as the ruling king. Later that year, King Henry VIII of England forced Hamilton to allow Angus back into the council.
Hamilton supported Angus in 1526 at the Battle of Linlithgow Bridge. This battle was against John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox. However, when King James V escaped from the Douglas family (Angus's clan), Hamilton received lands from Angus's forfeited estates.
Family Life and Legacy
James Hamilton was married twice. His first marriage was around 1490 to Elizabeth Home. This marriage was later ended in 1506. It was discovered that Elizabeth's first husband, Thomas Hay, was still alive when she married Hamilton. This caused some legal issues.
In 1504, Hamilton was granted a divorce from Elizabeth. However, he may have continued to live with her. The main reason for the divorce was likely that Elizabeth had not had any children. Hamilton wanted a legitimate heir to pass on his titles and lands. He already had several children born outside of marriage, including his eldest son, James Hamilton of Finnart. The legal questions about his first marriage continued to affect his heir. His son's right to inherit was questioned in 1543.
In November 1516, James Hamilton married his second wife, Janet Bethune. Janet was the daughter of Sir David Betoun of Creich. She was also the widow of Sir Robert Livingstone, who had died at the Battle of Flodden.
James and Janet had at least four children:
- Lady Helen Hamilton, who married Archibald Campbell, 4th Earl of Argyll.
- James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran. He later became the Duke of Châtelherault and governed Scotland when Mary, Queen of Scots was a child.
- Lady Janet Hamilton, who married Alexander Cunningham, 5th Earl of Glencairn.
- A son whose name is not known.
James Hamilton also had other children born outside of marriage, including:
- James Hamilton of Finnart
- Elizabeth Hamilton
- John Hamilton, who became an Archbishop and treasurer of Scotland.
He also had children with Beatrix Drummond:
- Margaret Hamilton, who married Andrew Stewart, 2nd Lord Avondale.
- Sir John Hamilton of Samuelston.
