James Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Abercorn

2nd Duke of Abercorn circa 1913

The duke as Marquess of Hamilton by Leslie Ward, 1881

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

Biography

Lord Hamilton was educated, like his father, at Harrow and Christ Church, Oxford. After graduating from Oxford with a B.A., 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 was chosen Grandmaster of the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1886, a post he held until his death. In 1887 he was appointed to the Privy Council of Ireland.

Abercorn held several positions after acceding to that title: Groom of the Stole (1886–1891), Chairman of the British South Africa Company, and announced Edward VII's accession to the throne in 1901 to several countries as a Special Envoy. He was also created a Knight of the Garter, and died of pneumonia in London at the age of seventy-three.

Family and children

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

• James Albert Edward Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Abercorn (1869–1953)
• Lord Claud Penn Alexander Hamilton 18 October 1871 – 18 October 1871 (same day)
• Lord Charlie Hamilton 10 April 1874 – 10 April 1874 (same day)
• Lady Alexandra Phyllis Hamilton (1876–1918), who had HRH Princess Alexandra of Wales as sponsor at her baptism, she was lost at sea aboard RMS Leinster, unmarried.
• Lord Claud Francis Hamilton 25 October 1878 – 25 December 1878 (aged 2 months)
• Lady Gladys Mary Hamilton (1880–1917), who in 1902 married Ralph Francis Forward-Howard, 7th Earl of Wicklow (1877–1946) She was his first wife; and they had one son.
• Lord Arthur John Hamilton (1883–1914), who was Deputy Master of the Household from 1913, Captain in the Irish Guards and was killed in action at the First Battle of Ypres.
• Lord (unnamed) Hamilton 31 October 1886 – 31 October 1886 (same day)
• Lord Claud Nigel Hamilton (1889–1975), Captain in the Grenadier Guards, fought in the First World War and served in the household of King George V, his widow and Queen Elizabeth II as Deputy Master of the Household, as Extra Equerry, as Equerry in Ordinary and as Comptroller, Treasurer. In 1933 he married Violet Ruby Ashton. They had no issue.

External links

• The Peerage
• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Duke of Abercorn

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