Thomas Hamilton, 6th Earl of Haddington facts for kids

The Earl of Haddington.

Thomas Hamilton, 6th Earl of Haddington (born in 1680 – died in 1735) was a Scottish nobleman and politician. He was also a Knight of the Thistle, which is a special honor. He is remembered for his efforts in planting trees and for supporting the union of Scotland and England.

Who Was Thomas Hamilton?

Thomas Hamilton was born in Scotland in 1680. His father was Charles Hamilton, 5th Earl of Haddington, and his mother was Margaret Leslie, 8th Countess of Rothes. He was christened on September 5, 1680, at Tyninghame House in East Lothian. His older brother, John, later became the Earl of Rothes.

Transforming Tyninghame Estate

After he got married to Helen Hope, Thomas Hamilton moved to his family's home, Tyninghame House. The estate was not in good shape, so he and his wife started a big project to replant trees. His wife, Helen, was very important in planning the beautiful parks you can still see today. This included long avenues of trees, new plantations, and a large forest called Binning Wood, which is about 400 acres.

Thomas Hamilton later wrote a book about his experiences called A Treatise on the Manner of Raising Forest Trees. This book was published after he passed away. In 1856, a tall stone monument called an obelisk was built in the parks to remember the great work they did.

A Supporter of the Union

Thomas Hamilton was a strong supporter of the Acts of Union 1707. These acts joined the Kingdom of Scotland with the Kingdom of England to form the Kingdom of Great Britain.

In 1715, he joined forces with John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll. They fought against the Jacobites at the Battle of Sheriffmuir. The Jacobites were people who wanted to bring back the old royal family to the throne. During the battle, Thomas Hamilton was wounded, and his horse was shot from under him.

Political Roles and Later Life

In 1716, he was made the Lord Lieutenant of Haddingtonshire. This was an important role, like a representative of the King in the area. The next year, in 1717, he became a Knight of the Thistle. This is one of Scotland's highest honors.

From 1716 to 1734, he also served as a Scottish representative peer. This meant he was one of the noblemen chosen to represent Scotland in the British Parliament.

Lord Haddington passed away on November 29, 1735, at Newhailes House in Inveresk. His grandson, Thomas Hamilton, 7th Earl of Haddington, took over his title.

Family and Legacy

Lord Haddington married his first cousin, Helen Hope, in 1696. Helen was the daughter of John Hope and Lady Margaret Hamilton. Both Thomas and Helen were grandchildren of John Hamilton, 4th Earl of Haddington.

They had several children together:

• Charles Hamilton, Lord Binning (1697-1732) who sadly passed away before his father.
• Honorable John Hamilton (died 1772)
• Lady Margaret Hamilton (died 1768)
• Lady Christian Hamilton (died 1770), who married Sir James Dalrymple, 2nd Baronet. She was the mother of David Dalrymple, Lord Hailes.

His granddaughter, Margaret Hamilton (John's daughter), married James Buchanan of Drumpellier. He was the Lord Provost of Glasgow twice, which is like being the mayor of the city.