Thomas Hamilton, 9th Earl of Haddington
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Thomas Hamilton, 9th Earl of Haddington KT PC (21 June 1780 – 1 December 1858) was a British Conservative politician and statesman.
Lord Haddington was the only son of Charles Hamilton, 8th Earl of Haddington and Lady Sophia Hope, the daughter of John Hope, 2nd Earl of Hopetoun. He was educated at Edinburgh University and Christ Church, Oxford. In 1802 he married Lady Maria Parker, heir of George Parker, 4th Earl of Macclesfield, however, they had no surviving children.
At the beginning of the 19th century, Lord Haddington was a supporter of George Canning. He was elected as a Member of Parliament for St Germans in 1802, but did not stand for re-election in 1806. He served sporadically in the House of Commons until 1827 when he was elevated to the House of Lords by the new Prime Minister, George Canning, who had him created Baron Melros. He had previously been created a Privy Counsellor in 1814 and in 1828 he succeeded to his family's Scottish Earldom.
Lord Haddington went onto vote against the Reform Bill in 1831, but later changed his mind and voted for it in 1832, possibly due to the political crises surrounding its passage. Upon the rise of Sir Robert Peel to the premiership in 1834, Lord Haddington was made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, however the government collapsed within six months, and the Whigs were once again in power.
Lord Haddington was able to return to government in 1841 with the return of Sir Robert Peel to the premiership - he declined the post of Governor General of India, instead opting to become First Lord of the Admiralty and a member of the Cabinet. He held that post until January 1846 when he was shuffled to become Lord Privy Seal, a post he held until the death of the government in July.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Lord Grey Hon. William Eliot |
Member of Parliament for St Germans with James Langham 1802–1806 |
Succeeded by Sir Joseph Yorke Matthew Montagu |
| Preceded by James Graham John Lowther |
Member of Parliament for Cockermouth with James Graham 1807 |
Succeeded by James Graham John Lowther |
| Preceded by William Wickham William Garrow |
Member of Parliament for Callington with Thomas Carter 1807-1810 William Stephen Poyntz 1810-1812 1807–1812 |
Succeeded by William Stephen Poyntz Sir John Leman Rogers |
| Preceded by Charles Trelawny-Brereton |
Member of Parliament for Mitchell (or St Michael's) with 1814–1818 |
Succeeded by Sir George Staunton William Leake |
| Preceded by James Barnett Sir Thomas Boulden Thompson |
Member of Parliament for Rochester with James Barnett 1818-1820 Ralph Bernal 1820-1826 1818–1826 |
Succeeded by Ralph Bernal Henry Dundas |
| Preceded by Sir Peter Pole Theodore Henry Lavington Broadhead |
Member of Parliament for Yarmouth (Isle of Wight) with Joseph Phillimore 1826–1827 |
Succeeded by Joseph Phillimore Thomas Wallace |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by The Marquess Wellesley |
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1834–1835 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Mulgrave |
| Preceded by The Earl of Minto |
First Lord of the Admiralty 1841–1846 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Ellenborough |
| Preceded by The Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry |
Lord Privy Seal 1846 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Minto |
| Peerage of Scotland | ||
| Preceded by Charles Hamilton |
Earl of Haddington 1828–1858 |
Succeeded by George Baillie-Hamilton |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by New Creation |
Baron Melros 1827–1858 |
Succeeded by Title Extinct |
