Biography of James Hamilton Duke Hamilton, 1st Duke Brandon 1658-1712

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 21st February 1668. Thence with Brouncker and T. Harvey to Westminster Hall [Map], and there met with Colonel Birch [aged 52] and Sir John Lowther, and did there in the lobby read over what I have drawn up for our defence, wherein they own themselves mightily satisfied; and Birch, like a particular friend, do take it upon him to defend us, and do mightily do me right in all his discourse. Here walked in the Hall with him a great while, and discoursed with several members, to prepare them in our business against to-morrow, and meeting my cozen Roger Pepys [aged 50], he showed me Granger's written confession¹, of his being forced by imprisonment, &c., by my Lord Gerard [aged 50], most barbarously to confess his forging of a deed in behalf of Fitton [aged 38], in the great case between him [Fitton] and my Lord Gerard; which business is under examination, and is the foulest against my Lord Gerard that ever any thing in the world was, and will, all do believe, ruine him; and I shall be glad of it.

Note 1. Pepys here refers to the extraordinary proceedings which occurred between Charles, Lord Gerard, and Alexander Fitton, of which a narrative was published at the Hague in 1665. Granger was a witness in the cause, and was afterwards said to be conscience-stricken from his perjury. Some notice of this case will be found in North's "Examen", p. 558; but the copious and interesting note in Ormerod's "History of Cheshire", Vol. iii., p. 291, will best satisfy the reader, who will not fail to be struck by the paragraph with which it is closed-viz., "It is not improbable that Alexander Fitton, who, in the first instance, gained rightful possession of Gawsworth [Map] under an acknowledged settlement, was driven headlong into unpremeditated guilt by the production of a revocation by will which Lord Gerard had so long concealed. Having lost his own fortune in the prosecution of his claims, he remained in gaol till taken out by James II to be made Chancellor of Ireland (under which character Hume first notices him), was knighted, and subsequently created Lord Gawsworth after the abdication of James, sat in his parliament in Dublin in 1689, and then is supposed to have accompanied his fallen master to France. Whether the conduct of Fitton was met, as he alleges, by similar guilt on the part of Lord Gerard, God only can judge; but his hand fell heavily on the representatives of that noble house. In less than half a century the husbands of its two co-heiresses, James, Duke of Hamilton [aged 9], and Charles, Lord Mohun, were slain by each other's hands in a murderous duel arising out of a dispute relative to the partition of the Fitton estates, and Gawsworth itself passed to an unlineal hand, by a series of alienations complicated beyond example in the annals of this country". B.

John Evelyn's Diary. 18th August 1688. The house, or rather palace, at Althorpe [Map], is a noble uniform pile in form of a half H, built of brick and freestone, balustered and à la moderne; the hall is well, the staircase excellent; the rooms of state, galleries, offices and furniture, such as may become a great prince. It is situated in the midst of a garden, exquisitely planted and kept, and all this in a park walled in with hewn stone, planted with rows and walks of trees, canals and fish ponds, and stored with game. And, what is above all this, governed by a [his mother-in-law] lady [aged 42], who without any show of solicitude, keeps everything in such admirable order, both within and without, from the garret to the cellar, that I do not believe there is any in this nation, or in any other, that exceeds her in such exact order, without ostentation, but substantially great and noble. The meanest servant is lodged so neat and cleanly; the service at the several tables, the good order and decency-in a word, the entire economy is perfectly becoming a wise and noble person. She is one who for her distinguished esteem of me from a long and worthy friendship, I must ever honor and celebrate. I wish from my soul the [his father-in-law] Lord [aged 46], her husband (whose parts and abilities are otherwise conspicuous), was as worthy of her, as by a fatal apostasy and court-ambition he has made himself unworthy! This is what she deplores, and it renders her as much affliction as a lady of great soul and much prudence is capable of. The Countess of Bristol [aged 68], her mother, a grave and honorable lady, has the comfort of seeing her daughter and grandchildren under the same economy, especially [his brother-in-law] Mr. Charles Spencer [aged 13], a youth of extraordinary hopes, very learned for his age, and ingenious, and under a Governor of great worth. Happy were it, could as much be said of the elder brother, the Lord Spencer, who, rambling about the world, dishonors both his name and his family, adding sorrow to sorrow to a mother, who has taken all imaginable care of his education. There is a daughter [aged 17] very young married to the Earl of Clancarty [aged 20], who has a great and fair estate in Ireland, but who yet gives no great presage of worth,-so universally contaminated is the youth of this corrupt and abandoned age! But this is again recompensed by my Lord Arran [aged 30], a sober and worthy gentleman, who has espoused the Lady Ann Spencer [aged 21], a young lady of admirable accomplishments and virtue.

In 1712 Queen Anne of England Scotland and Ireland [aged 46] appointed Knights of the Garter:

518th Henry Somerset 2nd Duke Beaufort [aged 27].

519th James Hamilton Duke Hamilton, 1st Duke Brandon [aged 53].

520th Henry Grey 1st Duke Kent [aged 41].

521st John Paulett 1st Earl Paulett [aged 44].

522nd Robert Harley 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer [aged 50].

523rd Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl Strafford [aged 39].

On 28th June 1853 Francis Charteris 8th Earl of Wemyss Douglas 4th Earl March [aged 81] died. His son Francis [aged 56] succeeded 9th Earl Wemyss, 2nd Baron Wemyss of Wemyss in Fife. Louisa Bingham Countess Wemyss [aged 55] by marriage Countess Wemyss.

His obituary in the Gentleman's Magazine by Sylvanus Urban Volume XL reads as follows:

THE EARL OF WEMYSS AND MARCH June 28 At Gosford House East Lothian in his 81st year the Right Hon Francis Wemyss Charteris Wemyss sixth Earl of Wemyss and Lord Elcho and Methel 1633 Baron Wemyss of Elcho 1628 Earl of March Viscount of Peebles and Lord Niedpath, Lyne and Munard 1697 all dignities in the peerage of Scotland Baron Wemyss of Wemyss co Fife 1821 and Lord Lieutenant of Peebleshire.

He was born on the 15th April 1772 the only son of Francis Lord Elcho son and heir apparent of the fifth Earl by Miss [his granddaughter] Susan Tracy Keck one of the Maids of Honour to Queen Charlotte the second daughter of [his former son-in-law] Anthony Tracy Keck esq of Great Tew co Oxford by Lady Susan Hamilton fourth daughter of James fourth Duke of Hamilton and first Duke of Brandon KG and KT.

In early life his lordship had a commission in the army and from 1793 to 1797 was aide de camp to his grand uncle Lord Adam Gordon Commander in chief of the forces in Scotland He quitted the army in 1797.

His father Lord Elcho died on the 20th June 1808 and his grandfather on the 24th August following whereupon he succeeded to the Earldom of Wemyss and its attendant titles. On the death of William fourth Duke of Queensberry [aged 83] in Dec 1810 he inherited the barony of Niedpath and the extensive property which had belonged to his Grace in the county of Peebles in pursuance of the terms of the marriage contract of the first Earl of March his Grace's grandfather. He also succeeded to the dignities of Earl of March, Viscount of Peebles and Lord Douglas of Niedpath, Lyne and Munard the patent of creation being to Lord William Douglas et heredes masculos de ejus corpore quibus deficientibus alios ejus hæredes masin culos et talliæ contentos in ejus infeofa mentis terrarum et dominii de Niedpath.

His Lordship was created a peer of the united kingdom by the title of Baron Wemyss at the Coronation of King George IV by patent dated 17th July 1821. He supported the Conservative party in parliament but took but little interest in politics.

He married May 31 1794 Margaret [aged 16] fourth daughter of Walter Campbell esq of Shawfield [aged 54] by his first wife Eleanor daughter of Robert Kerr of Newfield eldest son of Lord Charles Kerr second son of Robert first Marquess of Lothian. By that lady who died in 1850 he had issue two sons and nine daughters 1 Francis his successor 2 Lady Eleanor [aged 1] married in 1820 to Walter Frederick Campbell of Woodhall co Lanark esq eldest son of Colonel John Campbell [aged 26] by Lady Charlotte [aged 21] daughter of John fifth Duke of Argyle [aged 73] and died in 1832 3 the Hon Walter died 1818 4 Susan who died in infancy 5 Lady Margaret married in 1824 to Lieut Colonel John Wildman and died in 1825 6 Lady Katharine married in 1824 to her cousin George Harry Lord Grey of Groby who died in 1835 and she died in 1844 leaving issue the present Earl of Stamford and Warrington and Lady Margaret Milbanke 7 Lady Charlotte [aged 1] married in 1825 to Andrew Fletcher esq of Salton Castle East Lothian 8 Lady Louisa Antoinetta [aged 1] married in 1832 to William Forbes esq of Callendar co Stirling late MP for Stirlingshire 9 Lady Harriet [aged 1] married in 1829 to Sir George Grant Suttie Bart 10 Lady Jane and 11 Lady Caroline. The present Earls in 1796 married in 1817 Lady Louisa Bingham fourth daughter of Richard 2d Earl Lucan [aged 31] by whom he has issue Francis Lord Elcho four other sons and daughters.