William Hamilton (Jacobite poet) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William Hamilton
Born	1704 Ecclesmachan, West Lothian
Died	(1754-03-25)25 March 1754 Lyon
Resting place	Abbey Church, Holyrood
Language	English
Nationality	Scottish
Citizenship	British
Genre	Poetry

William Hamilton (1704–1754) was a Scottish poet. He was known for supporting the Jacobite movement.

Life of a Scottish Poet

William Hamilton was born in 1704 at his family's home in Ecclesmachan, West Lothian, Scotland. His father, James Hamilton, was a lawyer. William became the owner of the family estate in 1750 after his older brother passed away.

William was often unwell and preferred writing poetry to social events. From a young age, he started writing poems, and his friends really liked them.

Between 1724 and 1727, he wrote songs for a collection called Tea Table Miscellany by Allan Ramsay. He also helped promote Ramsay's poem, The Gentle Shepherd. This poem was dedicated to Susanna Montgomery, Countess of Eglinton.

Supporting the Jacobites

William Hamilton strongly supported the Stuarts, a royal family who wanted to reclaim the British throne. These supporters were called Jacobites. In his poem Gladsmuir, Hamilton celebrated the Jacobite victory at the Battle of Prestonpans.

After the Battle of Culloden, which the Jacobites lost, William had to hide in the Scottish Highlands. He wrote a poem called A Soliloquy wrote in June 1746, which showed how sad and troubled he felt.

Eventually, he managed to escape to France. Later, with help from powerful friends, he was allowed to return to Scotland. However, the stress of his experiences had weakened him. He could not stay in Scotland and spent his last days in Lyon, France. He died there from a lung illness on March 25, 1754. His body was brought back to Scotland and buried in the Abbey Church, Holyrood.

William Hamilton's Family

William Hamilton was married twice. His son, James, from his first marriage, inherited the family estate. James's mother was a daughter of Sir James Hall.