James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton

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James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton, 4th Earl of Arran KG PC (1589–2 March 1625), styled Lord Aven from 1599 to 1604, was a Scottish politician. He was the son of John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Hamilton.

He inherited his father's titles and estates in 1604. In 1608 he was created Lord Aberbrothwick, and the following year he inherited the earldom of Arran from his insane and childless uncle James Hamilton. He moved to England with King James VI, and invested into the Somers Isles Company, an offshoot of the Virginia company, buying the shares of Lucy Harrington, Countess of Bedford. The Parish of Hamilton in the Somers Isles (alias Bermuda) is named for him. He was created Earl of Cambridge and Baron of Innerdale in the peerage of England on 16 June 1619. In 1621 he served as Lord High Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland, the King's representative in the Parliament of Scotland.

In 1603, he married Anne Cunningham, a daughter of James Cunningham, 7th Earl of Glencairn and they had five children:

• Lady Anne Hamilton, married Hugh Montgomerie, 7th Earl of Eglinton and had issue
• Lady Margaret Hamilton, married John Lindsay, 17th Earl of Crawford and had issue
• Lady Mary Hamilton (d. 1633), married James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Queensberry, no issue
• James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton (1606–1649)
• William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton (1616–1651)

He also had an illegitimate daughter, Margaret (who married John Hamilton, 1st Lord Belhaven and Stenton and had issue) by Anne Stewart, a daughter of Walter Stewart, 1st Lord Blantyre.

Hamilton died on 2 March 1625 at Whitehall, London, from a fever and was buried in the family mausoleum at Hamilton, on 2 September of that year.

Court offices
Preceded by The Duke of Lennox	Lord Steward 1623 – 1625	Succeeded by The Earl of Pembroke
Peerage of Scotland
Preceded by John Hamilton	Marquess of Hamilton 1604 – 1625	Succeeded by James Hamilton
New title New creation	Lord Aberbrothwick 1608 – 625
Preceded by James Hamilton	Earl of Arran 1609 – 1625
Peerage of England
New title New creation	Earl of Cambridge 1619 – 1625	Succeeded by James Hamilton