John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn
John James Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn KG, PC (Ire) (July 1756 – 27 January 1818) was an Irish peer and politician.
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[edit] Background
He was the son of Captain Hon. John Hamilton and grandson of James Hamilton, 7th Earl of Abercorn. He was educated at Harrow and Pembroke College, Cambridge.[1] There he became the friend of William Pitt the Younger, a connection that would serve him well in later years.
[edit] Career
He was a Tory Member of Parliament for two boroughs in Cornwall from 1783 to 1789, when he succeeded to the Earldom. He was a supporter of his friend Pitt's first ministry, and a friend of William Pitt the Younger. He was created 1st Marquess of Abercorn on 15 October 1790, doubtless due to his political connections.
He was sworn of the Privy Council of Ireland on 7 February 1794. Most of the Abercorn lands were in Ireland, and the Marquess made great efforts to build a voting bloc in the Irish Parliament from County Donegal and County Tyrone, although with relatively little success. He was invested as a Knight of the Garter on 17 January 1805.
[edit] Family
He married, firstly, Catherine Copley, daughter of Sir Joseph Copley, 1st Baronet, on 20 June 1779. They had five children:
- Lady Harriet Margaret Hamilton (1780–1803), died unmarried.
- Lady Maria Hamilton (1782–1814), died unmarried.
- Lady Catherine Elizabeth Hamilton (1784–1812), married George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen and had issue.
- James Hamilton, Viscount Hamilton (1786–1814), married Harriet Douglas, granddaughter of James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton and had issue.
- Lord Claud Hamilton (1787–1808), died unmarried.
He married, secondly, his first cousin, Lady Cecil Hamilton, daughter of Reverend The Hon. George Hamilton, on 4 March 1792, but they were divorced in 1799 by an Act of Parliament. They had one child:
- The Lady Cecil Frances Hamilton (19 July 1795 – 7 July 1860), married William Howard, 4th Earl of Wicklow and had issue.
He married, thirdly, Lady Anne Jane Gore, daughter of Arthur Gore, 2nd Earl of Arran, on 3 April 1800.
Lord Abercorn died in 1818, aged 61 at Bentley Priory, Stanmore and his titles passed to his grandson, James Hamilton.
[edit] References
- ^ Venn, J.; Venn, J. A., eds. (1922–1958). "Hamilton, John James". Alumni Cantabrigienses (10 vols) (online ed.). Cambridge University Press.
[edit] External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Marquess of Abercorn
- Abercorn papers
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Buller William Graves |
Member of Parliament for East Looe 1783–1784 With: John Buller |
Succeeded by John Buller William Graves |
| Preceded by Edward James Eliot Dudley Long |
Member of Parliament for St Germans 1784–1789 With: Abel Smith 1784–1788 Samuel Smith 1788–1790 |
Succeeded by Samuel Smith Sir Charles Hamilton |
| Peerage of Scotland | ||
| Preceded by James Hamilton |
Earl of Abercorn 1789–1818 |
Succeeded by James Hamilton |
| Peerage of Great Britain | ||
| New creation | Marquess of Abercorn 1790–1818 |
Succeeded by James Hamilton |
| This biography of a noble in the peerage of Ireland is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- 1756 births
- 1818 deaths
- Alumni of Pembroke College, Cambridge
- Knights of the Garter
- Marquesses in the Peerage of Great Britain
- Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for constituencies in Cornwall
- Members of the Privy Council of Ireland
- Old Harrovians
- British MPs 1780–1784
- British MPs 1784–1790
- Tory MPs (pre-1834)
- Peerage of Ireland stubs
