View source for William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton

{{short description|17th-century Scottish politician and peer}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox noble
| honorific-prefix = [[His Grace]]
| honorific-suffix = [[Order of the Garter|KG]]
| name            = The Duke of Hamilton
| title           =
| image           =William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton.jpg
| caption         =after [[Adriaen Hanneman]], 1625–1650
| reign           =
| coronation      =
| other_titles    =Earl of Lanark, Earl of Cambridge, Lord Machanshyre, Lord Polmont
| predecessor     =[[James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton]]
| successor       =[[Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton]]
| spouse          =Lady Elizabeth Maxwell
| issue           = {{plainlist|
* James Hamilton, Lord Polmont
* Anne Carnegie, Countess of Southesk
* Lady Elizabeth Cunningham
* Mary Ogilvy, Countess of Findlater
* Lady Margaret Blair
* Lady Diana Hamilton
}}
| noble family    =Hamilton
| father          =[[James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton]]
| mother          =[[Lady Ann Cunningham]]
| birth_date      =14 December 1616
| birth_place     =[[Hamilton, South Lanarkshire]]
| death_date      = {{death date and age|1651|9|12|1616|12|14|df=yes}}
| death_place     =[[The Commandery]], [[Worcester, England|Worcester]]
| date of burial  =
| place of burial =[[Worcester Cathedral]]
}}
[[File:Coat of arms of William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton, KG.png|thumb|Quartered arms of William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton, KG]]
'''William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton''' (14 December 1616{{snd}}12 September 1651) was a [[Kingdom of Scotland|Scottish]] nobleman who supported both [[Cavalier|Royalist]] and [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]] causes during the [[Wars of the Three Kingdoms]].

==Life==
Hamilton was born at [[Hamilton Palace]] in on 14 December 1616, the younger son of [[James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton]] and [[Lady Ann Cunningham]]. Hamilton was educated at the [[University of Glasgow]], and from there travelled to [[Continental Europe]], where he spent time at the court of [[Louis XIII]] of France, on his return aged 21 he established himself as a favourite at the court of [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] in London.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/historicalgeneal00ande#page/144/mode/2up Anderson, p 144]</ref>

Hamilton was created '''Earl of Lanark, Lord Machanshyre and Polmont''' in the [[Peerage of Scotland]] in 1639, and in April 1640 was elected Member of Parliament for [[Portsmouth (UK Parliament constituency)|Portsmouth]] in the [[House of Commons of England]] for the [[Short Parliament]].<ref name=Willis>{{Cite Notitia Parliamentaria|converted=1|part=2|pages=229–239}}</ref> He became [[Secretary of State, Scotland|Secretary of State for Scotland]]. In 1643, he was arrested at [[Oxford]] on the orders of [[Charles I of England|King Charles I]] for "concurrence" with his brother the [[James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton|Duke of Hamilton]]. He escaped and was temporarily reconciled with the Presbyterian party.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=879}}

After taking part in the [[Battle of Kilsyth]] on the [[covenanter]] side, Hamilton was sent by the Scottish [[Parliament of Scotland|Estates of the Realm]] to treat with Charles I at Newcastle in 1646, when he sought in vain to persuade the king to consent to the establishment of [[Presbyterianism]] in England. On 26 September 1647 he signed, on behalf of the Scots, the treaty with Charles known as the "[[Engagers|Engagement]]", at [[Carisbrooke Castle]], and helped to organise the [[Second English Civil War]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=879}}
[[File:Robert Dunkarton, mezzotint of William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton.jpeg|thumb|180px|Mezzotint of Hamilton<br />by [[Robert Dunkarton]]]]
In 1648 Hamilton fled to [[Holland]] to the court in exile of the [[Charles II of England|Prince of Wales]] at [[The Hague]]. The following year he succeeded to the '''[[Duke of Hamilton|Dukedom of Hamilton]], the Marquisate of Hamilton, the Earldoms of Arran and Cambridge and Lordships of Aven and Innerdale''' following his brother's execution, making him the most senior figure among the Scots Royalist exiles. In 1650, the insignia of the [[Order of the Garter]] were conferred upon him. He returned to Scotland with [[Charles II of England|King Charles II]] in 1650, but, finding a reconciliation with the [[Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll|Marquess of Argyll]] impossible, he refused to prejudice Charles's cause by pushing his claims.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=879}}

Hamilton retired to his estates on the [[Isle of Arran]] until the Scottish invasion of England during the 1650 to 1652 [[Anglo-Scottish war (1650–1652)|Anglo-Scottish War]], when he acted as colonel of a regiment drawn mainly from his tenantry.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=879}}

== Death and burial ==
At the [[Battle of Worcester]] on 3 September 1651, Hamilton was shot in the leg with a musket and he was taken back to his lodgings at [[The Commandery]], [[Charles II of England|Charles II]]'s headquarters in that city, which had since been taken over by [[Roundhead]] soldiers.

At The Commandery, his leg was examined by both a [[Cavalier]] surgeon, who believed the leg should be amputated, and a Roundhead surgeon sent by [[Oliver Cromwell]], who believed the leg did not need to be amputated – Hamilton refused to have his leg amputated by the Roundhead surgeon as he perceived all Roundheads to be traitors.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=13 October 2016 |title=Worcester Cathedral |url=https://cryssabazos.com/2016/11/03/worcester-cathedral/ |website=cryssabazos.com}}</ref>

On his deathbed on 8 September, Hamilton had just enough energy to write the following farewell letter to his wife:

''"Dear Heart,''

''YOV know I have been long labouring, though in great weakness, to be prepared against this expected Change, and I thank my God I find Comfort in it, in this my day of Tryal; for my Body is not more weakned by my Wounds, then I find my Spirit Comforted and Supported by the infinite Mercies and great Love of my Blessed Redeemer, who will be with me to the end and in the end.''

''I am not able to say much more to you, the Lord preserve you under your Tryals, and sanctifie the use of them to the Comfort of your Soul.''

''I will not so much as in a Letter divide my dear Neeces and you; the Lord grant you may be constant Comforts to one another in this Life, and send you all Eternal Happiness with your Saviour in the Life to come: to both of your Cares I recommend my poor Children, let your great Work be to make them early accquainted with God, and their Duties to him; and though they may suffer many wants here before their Removal from hence, yet they will find an inexhaustible Treasure in the Love of Christ. May the Comforts of the Blessed Spirit be ever near you in all your Straits and Difficulties, and suffer not the least repining to enter into any of your Hearts for his Dispensations towards me, for his Mercies have been infinitely above his Iustice in the whole Pilgrimage of,''

''Dear Heart, Your Own, HAMILTON.''

''Worcester, Sept. 8. 1651."''

He died from [[Exhaustion disorder|exhaustion]] linked to his injuries four days later on 12 September 1651 and he was buried in [[Worcester Cathedral]] against his wishes as he wished to be buried in [[Scotland]].<ref name=":0" />

A neighbouring street, Hamilton Road, is named in his honour.

==Family==

[[File:William Hamilton.jpg|thumb|200px|17th-century portrait of Hamilton<br />(artist unknown)]]

Hamilton married Lady Elizabeth Maxwell, daughter of [[James Maxwell, 1st Earl of Dirletoun]] on 26 May 1638, and had issue:<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/scotspeeragefoun04pauluoft#page/380/mode/2up Balfour Paul, vol iv, p 380]</ref>
* James Hamilton, Lord Polmont (died in infancy, buried at [[Westminster Abbey]])
* Lady Anne Hamilton, married [[Robert Carnegie, 3rd Earl of Southesk]]
* Lady Elizabeth Hamilton, married 1st [[Lord Kilmaurs]], 2nd Sir David Cunningham of [[Robertland]]
* Lady Mary Hamilton, married 1st Alexander Livingston, 2nd Earl of Callendar, 2nd Sir James Livingstone of [[Westquarter]], 3rd James Ogilvy, 3rd Earl of Findlater
* Lady Margaret Hamilton, married William Blair of that ilk.
* Lady Diana Hamilton, (died in infancy)

Leaving four daughters but no male heirs, according to the remainder, the dukedom of Hamilton devolved on Hamilton's eldest surviving niece, [[Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton|Anne]], who became Duchess of Hamilton in her own right.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=879}}

==In literature==
A highly fictionalised Hamilton is depicted in [[Nigel Tranter]]'s ''Montrose trilogy''.

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* [[John Anderson (genealogist, 1789–1832)|Anderson, John]], ''Historical and genealogical memoirs of the House of Hamilton; with genealogical memoirs of the several branches of the family''. Edinburgh 1825 [https://archive.org/details/historicalgeneal00ande]
* [[James Balfour Paul|Balfour Paul, Sir James]]''The Scots Peerage Vols IX.'' Edinburgh 1907 [http://www.openlibrary.org/details/scotspeeragefoun04pauluoft] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927215936/http://www.openlibrary.org/details/scotspeeragefoun04pauluoft |date=27 September 2007 }}
* {{EB1911|wstitle=Hamilton, Marquesses and Dukes of |display=Hamilton, Marquesses and Dukes of s.v. William, 2nd duke of Hamilton |volume=12|pages=879–880}}

==External links==
* [http://www.worcestercitymuseums.org.uk/comm/combuld/comcva.htm Hamilton's last letter to his wife]

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|en}}
|-
{{s-non| reason= [[Personal Rule|Parliament suspended since 1629]]}}
{{s-ttl
| title=Member of Parliament for [[Portsmouth (UK Parliament constituency)|Portsmouth]]
| with= [[Henry Percy, 1st Baron Percy of Alnwick|Henry Percy]]
| years=1640
}}
{{s-aft
| after= [[George Goring, Lord Goring|George Goring]]
| after2= [[Henry Percy, Baron Percy of Alnwick|Henry Percy]]
}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=[[William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling|The Earl of Stirling]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Secretary of State, Scotland |years=1641–1649|with=[[Sir Robert Spottiswood of New Abbey|Sir Robert Spottiswood]] 1644}}
{{s-aft|after=[[William Kerr, 1st Earl of Lothian|The Earl of Lothian]]}}
{{s-reg|sct}}
{{s-bef|rows=1|before=[[James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton|James Hamilton]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Duke of Hamilton]]|years=1649–1651}}
{{s-aft|rows=2|after=[[Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton|Anne Hamilton]]}}
{{s-new|creation}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Earl of Lanark]]|years=1639–1651}}
{{s-reg|en}}
{{s-bef|before=[[James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton|James Hamilton]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Earl of Cambridge]]|creation=4th creation|years=1649–1651}}
{{s-non|reason=Extinct}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton}}
[[Category:1616 births]]
[[Category:1651 deaths]]
[[Category:Nobility from South Lanarkshire]]
[[Category:Dukes of Hamilton|102]]
[[Category:Knights of the Garter]]
[[Category:Cavaliers]]
[[Category:Members of the Privy Council of Scotland]]
[[Category:English MPs 1640 (April)]]
[[Category:Politics of Portsmouth]]
[[Category:17th-century Scottish peers]]
[[Category:17th-century Scottish politicians]]
[[Category:Place of birth missing]]
[[Category:Earls of Cambridge]]
[[Category:House of Hamilton|William]]
[[Category:Peers of Scotland created by Charles I]]<!--as Earl of Lanark-->