James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids James Hamilton
1st Lord Hamilton
Arms of Hamilton
Predecessor	New creation
Successor	James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran, 2nd Lord Hamilton
Born	c. 1415 Cadzow Castle
Died	6 November 1479
Noble family	Hamilton
Father	James Hamilton of Cadzow

James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton (born around 1415, died November 6, 1479) was an important Scottish nobleman. He was also a respected scholar and a clever politician. He held the title of the 6th Laird of Cadzow before becoming a Lord.

Early Life of James Hamilton

James Hamilton was born at Cadzow Castle in Lanarkshire, Scotland. His father was James Hamilton of Cadzow, who was the 5th Laird of Cadzow. James first appears in official records in 1426. This record was a special document called a charter. It gave him rights to land in a place called Dalserf.

Family Ties to the Douglas Clan

James Hamilton had strong connections to the powerful House of Douglas family. His grandmother on his father's side was a daughter of James Douglas, Lord of Dalkeith.

He also married Lady Euphemia Graham around 1439 or 1440. She was the young widow of Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas. This marriage made James Hamilton the stepfather to two important young boys. They were William Douglas, 6th Earl of Douglas and his brother David. Sadly, both boys were killed in November 1440 at a famous event called the 'Black Dinner'. This happened at Edinburgh Castle while King James II was present.

James was also the stepfather of Margaret Douglas, known as the "Fair Maid of Galloway". She later married her cousins, William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas and James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas.

From Laird to Lord Hamilton

Before 1440, James Hamilton became a knight. Around 1440 or 1441, he took over his father's large estates.

In 1445, James Hamilton received a special document called "letters patent". This document made him a Lord of Parliament. This meant he became a very important noble with a seat in the Scottish Parliament. The charter also changed the name of his lands. They were now known as Hamilton, which is still their name today. His main home, the Orchard, later became Hamilton Palace.

In 1450, Lord Hamilton traveled to Rome with his stepson-in-law, the 8th Earl of Douglas. While there, he got permission from the Holy See (the Pope) to change the local church in Hamilton. It became a "Collegiate Establishment". This meant it had a special group of priests, a Provost, and six Canons.

Facing Royal Displeasure

Lord Hamilton was with the 9th Earl of Douglas when the Earl burned the town of Stirling. This happened a month after the murder of the 8th Earl. This led to open fighting between King James II and the Douglas family. The King attacked Douglas lands, and Lord Hamilton's lands were also badly damaged because he supported the Douglases.

In 1453, Lord Hamilton went to England with the 9th Earl of Douglas. They were trying to arrange the release of his brother-in-law, Malise Graham, Earl of Strathearn. For this help, Strathearn gave Hamilton some land. Hamilton was in London again the next year. He was trying to arrange a secret agreement where Douglas would promise loyalty to King Henry VI of England. In return, Henry would support Douglas against King James II. But these talks did not lead to anything.

By February 1455, Hamilton was back in Scotland. He and the Earl of Douglas's brothers caused a lot of damage in Lanarkshire.

The Fall of the Black Douglas

In March 1455, King James II fought against the Douglas family. He destroyed their properties and burned their crops. Lord Hamilton's lands were also severely damaged. The King then surrounded Abercorn Castle, a strong Douglas fortress. He used cannons to destroy it.

The Earl of Douglas gathered his soldiers, and Lord Hamilton gathered his own men. They marched to help Abercorn Castle. However, the Earl of Douglas could not decide on a plan of attack. This made Lord Hamilton confused, and he decided to stop supporting the Douglas family.

Lord Hamilton changed sides and joined the King's party. His uncle, James Livingstone, 1st Lord Livingston, may have helped him make this decision. The Earl of Douglas fled to England. His castle of Abercorn was destroyed on purpose. Two of his brothers died during or after the Battle of Arkinholm. Finally, Douglas's great castle of Threave Castle fell. Douglas lost all his enormous wealth and lands.

Returning to Royal Favor

After the Douglas rebellion ended, Lord Hamilton was held for a short time at Roslin Castle. As a reward for changing sides, he was made Sheriff of Lanark in July 1455. Some of the lands that the Earl of Douglas had lost were given to Lord Hamilton. The King officially confirmed these lands, along with his existing ones, in October of that year.

The area known as the Barony of Hamilton grew larger. It now included lands like Drumsergard, Cessford, and Kinneil. These lands were carefully passed down to future family members who carried the Hamilton name. Lord Hamilton was also made the Bailie (a type of manager) of the Lesmahagow Priory, which was started by the Douglas family. He also received special rights to the lands of Finnart. Lord Hamilton's new supporter was George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus. He was the head of the "Red line" of the House of Douglas, and he supported the King.

Family and Children

Lord Hamilton married Lady Euphemia Graham first, around 1406. She passed away in 1468. They had one daughter:

• Elizabeth Hamilton (born around 1442, died around 1517), who married David Lindsay, 1st Duke of Montrose.

He then married Mary, who was the daughter of King James II. Mary was also the widow of Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran. With Mary, Lord Hamilton had three children:

• Elizabeth Hamilton, Countess of Lennox, who married Matthew Stewart, 2nd Earl of Lennox. Her family line later included King James I of England and VI of Scotland.
• James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran (born around 1475, died 1529).
• Robert Hamilton, Seigneur d'Aubigny (born March 21, 1476, died 1543).