His Grace

The Duke of Abercorn

KG CB PC (Ire)
James Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Abercorn, circa 1913
Born(1838-08-24)24 August 1838
Died3 June 1913(1913-06-03) (aged 74)
London, England
Noble familyHamilton
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1869)​
Issue
FatherJames Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn
MotherLady Louisa Jane Russell
The duke as Marquess of Hamilton by Leslie Ward, 1881

James Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Abercorn KG CB PC (Ire) (24 August 1838 – 3 June 1913),[1] styled Viscount Hamilton until 1868 and Marquess of Hamilton from 1868 to 1885, was a British nobleman, courtier, and diplomat. He was the son of James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn, and Lady Louisa Jane Russell.

Biography

Lord Hamilton was born on 24 August 1838, the eldest son of James Hamilton, second marquess and later first duke of Abercorn (1811–1885), and his wife Lady Louisa Jane Russell (1812–1905), second daughter of John Russell, sixth duke of Bedford.[2] He was educated, like his father, at Harrow and Christ Church, Oxford,[3] where he matriculated on 28 May 1857. After graduating from Oxford with a BA in 1860,[4] he entered Parliament as Conservative MP for County Donegal, a constituency he represented from 1860 to 1880. After serving as High Sheriff of Tyrone for 1863, he re-entered university and emerged with an M.A. in 1865 (he was created a Companion of the Order of the Bath the same year). That year, he also embarked upon a diplomatic mission to Denmark. He served as a Lord of the Bedchamber to the Prince of Wales from 1866 to 1885; in the latter year, he took over his father's position of Lord Lieutenant of County Donegal, and inherited his father's peerage titles. He led the Lords' reply to the Speech from the throne wearing the uniform of Lord Lieutenant of Donegal on 21 January 1886.[5] He was chosen Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1886, a post he held until his death.[6] In 1887 he was appointed to the Privy Council of Ireland.

Abercorn held several positions after acceding to that title, including Groom of the Stole to the Prince of Wales (1886–1891), and chairman of the British South Africa Company. In early 1901 he was appointed by King Edward to lead a special diplomatic mission to announce the King's accession to the governments of Denmark, Sweden and Norway, Russia, Germany and Saxony.[7]

He was created a Knight of the Garter. He died of pneumonia in London at the age of 74. He is buried in the cemetery at Baronscourt Parish Church, the traditional burial place of the Dukes of Abercorn and their families.[8]

In 1883 he held 76,500 acres in Tyrone and Donegal. He also held 2,100 acres in Scotland.[9]

Family and children

In 1869 he married Lady Mary Anna Curzon-Howe (1848–1929), daughter of Anne Gore (bef. 1832–1877), daughter of Adm. Sir John Gore (d. 1836), and Richard Curzon-Howe, 1st Earl Howe (1796–1870). Together they had two daughters and seven sons:

Honours and arms

British[3]
Foreign[11]

Ancestry

Notes

  1. ^  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Abercorn, James Hamilton". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 30 (12th ed.). 1922. p. 1.
  2. ^ Matthew, H. C. G.; Harrison, B., eds. (23 September 2004). "The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. ref:odnb/33669. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/33669. Retrieved 1 December 2019. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  3. ^ a b Cokayne 1910, pp. 9–10.
  4. ^ Foster, Joseph (1888–1892). "Hamilton, James, Viscount" . Alumni Oxonienses: the Members of the University of Oxford, 1715–1886. Oxford: Parker and Co – via Wikisource.
  5. ^ "ADDRESS IN ANSWER TO HER MAJESTY'S MOST GRACIOUS SPEECH". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 21 January 1886.
  6. ^ Waite, Arthur Edward (2007). A New Encyclopedia of Freemasonry. Vol. I. Cosimo, Inc. p. 400. ISBN 978-1-60206-641-0.
  7. ^ "The King – the special Embassies". The Times. No. 36410. London. 23 March 1901. p. 12.
  8. ^ Bishop, The Earl (30 August 2012). "The Earl-Bishop: Baronscourt Parish Church".
  9. ^ Cokayne 1910, p. 7, line 22: "On 15 Oct. 1790, he was cr. MARQUESS OF ABERCORN ..."
  10. ^ Shaw, Wm. A. (1906) The Knights of England, I, London, p. 69
  11. ^ Sir James Balfour Paul, ed. (1904). "Hamilton, Earl of Abercorn". The Scots Peerage. Vol. 1. Edinburgh: David Douglas. pp. 72–73. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Ritter-Orden: Österreichisch-kaiserlicher Leopold-orden", Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie, 1913, p. 64, retrieved 9 February 2021
  13. ^ Bille-Hansen, A. C.; Holck, Harald, eds. (1889) [1st pub.:1801]. Statshaandbog for Kongeriget Danmark for Aaret 1889 [State Manual of the Kingdom of Denmark for the Year 1889] (PDF). Kongelig Dansk Hof- og Statskalender (in Danish). Copenhagen: J.H. Schultz A.-S. Universitetsbogtrykkeri. pp. 13–14. Retrieved 7 February 2021 – via da:DIS Danmark.

References

External links

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Parliament of the United Kingdom Preceded bySir Edmund Hayes, BtThomas Conolly Member of Parliament for County Donegal 1860–1880 With: Thomas Conolly 1860–1876William Wilson 1876–1879Thomas Lea 1879–1880 Succeeded byThomas Lea John Kinnear Honorary titles Preceded byThe Duke of Abercorn Lord Lieutenant of Donegal 1885–1913 Succeeded bySir John Olphert Masonic offices Preceded byThe 1st Duke of Abercorn Grandmaster of the Grand Lodge of Ireland 1886–1913 Succeeded byThe Earl of Donoughmore Military offices Transferred to Special Reserve Honorary Colonel of the North Irish Horse 1908–1913 Succeeded byThe Earl of Shaftesbury Peerage of Ireland Preceded byJames Hamilton Duke of Abercorn 1885–1913 Succeeded byJames Hamilton
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