John James Hamilton FitzJames

Wikipedia Biographical Summary

John James Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn KG, PC (Ire) (July 1756 – 27 January 1818) was an Irish peer and politician.

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. There he became the friend of William Pitt the Younger, a connection that would serve him well in later years.

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.

George W. E. Russell provided the following sketch of his aristocratic character:

This admirable nobleman always went out shooting in his Blue Ribbon, and required his housemaids to wear white kid gloves when they made his bed. Before he married his first cousin, Miss Cecil Hamilton, he induced the Crown to confer on her the titular rank of an Earl's daughter, that he might not marry beneath his position; and, when he discovered that she contemplated eloping, he sent a message begging her to take the family coach, as it ought never to be said that Lady Abercorn left her husband's roof in a hack chaise.
=== 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, 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.

SOURCE: Wikipedia contributors, 'John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 18 December 2014, 12:58 UTC, <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Hamilton,_1st_Marque...> [accessed 13 February 2015]

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He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) (Tory) for East Looe between 1783 and 1784. He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) (Tory) for St. Germans between 1784 and 1789. He succeeded to the title of 9th Lord Paisley, co. Renfrew [S., 1587] on 9 October 1789. He succeeded to the title of 5th Baronet Hamilton, of Donalong, co. Tyrone and of Nenagh, co. Tipperary [I., 1660] on 9 October 1789. He succeeded to the title of 9th Lord Paisley, Hamilton, Mountcashell and Kirkpatrick [S., 1606] on 9 October 1789. He succeeded to the title of 4th Viscount Strabane [I., 1701] on 9 October 1789. He succeeded to the title of 10th Lord Hamilton, Baron of Strabane, co. Tyrone [I., 1617] on 9 October 1789. He succeeded to the title of 9th Earl of Abercorn [S., 1606] on 9 October 1789. He succeeded to the title of 2nd Viscount Hamilton [G.B., 1786] on 9 October 1789. He succeeded to the title of 9th Lord Abercorn, co. Linlithgow [S., 1603] on 9 October 1789. He succeeded to the title of 4th Baron Mountcastle, co. Tyrone [I., 1701] on 9 October 1789. He was created 1st Marquess of Abercorn [Great Britain] on 15 October 1790. He was invested as a Privy Counsellor (P.C.) [Ireland] on 7 February 1794. He was invested as a Knight, Order of the Garter (K.G.) on 17 January 1805. His last will was dated 18 March 1809.

    Gibbs quotes from G.E. Russell, "He is stated to have always gone out shooting in his Blue Ribbon, and to have required his housemaids to wear white kid gloves when they made his bed. It is also alleged that having learnt of his second wife's contemplated elopement, he sent her a message begging her to take the family coach, as it ought never to be said that Lady Abercorn left her husband's roof in a hackchaise.