| His Grace The Duke of Abercorn KG, PC |
|
|---|---|
| Lord Lieutenant of Ireland | |
| In office 13 July 1866 – 1 December 1868 |
|
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Prime Minister | The Earl of Derby Benjamin Disraeli |
| Preceded by | The Lord Wodehouse |
| Succeeded by | The Earl Spencer |
| In office 2 March 1874 – 11 December 1876 |
|
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Prime Minister | Benjamin Disraeli |
| Preceded by | The Earl Spencer |
| Succeeded by | The Duke of Marlborough |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 January 1811 Westminster, Middlesex, United Kingdom |
| Died | 31 October 1885 (aged 74) Baronscourt, Tyrone, United Kingdom |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Lady Louisa Russell (1812-1905) |
| Alma mater | Christ Church, Oxford |
James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn KG PC (21 January 1811 – 31 October 1885), styled Viscount Hamilton from 1814 to 1818 and the Marquess of Abercorn from 1818 to 1868, was a British Conservative politician and statesman who twice served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.
In 1860, The Times noted that Hamilton was one of only three to hold peerages in all three Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland.[1]
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Born at Seymour Place, Mayfair, Abercorn was the son of James Hamilton, Viscount Hamilton, who died when his son was only three, eldest son of John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn. His mother was Harriet Douglas, second daughter of the Hon. John Douglas, himself the son of James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton. He was educated at Harrow School and Christ Church, Oxford. In 1818 he succeeded his grandfather in his titles.[2] He received a Honorary Doctorate of Civil Laws by the University of Oxford in 1856.[2]
In 1844, Lord Abercorn was made a Knight of the Garter at the relatively young age of 33, becoming that same year Lord Lieutenant of Donegal. Two years later he was appointed a Privy Counsellor and Groom of the Stole to Prince Albert, and remained a prominent figure in the royal court for the next two decades. In 1866, he was appointed Viceroy of Ireland, and two years later was created Marquess of Hamilton (in the Peerage of the United Kingdom) and Duke of Abercorn (in the Peerage of Ireland), resigning shortly after Gladstone won the 1868 general election. He was reappointed to the post in 1874, and the Duke served as Viceroy until his resignation in 1876, partly on account of his wife's ill health. In 1874, he was chosen Grandmaster of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, a post hel held until his death.[3] Abercorn was Envoy-Extraordinary for the investiture of King Umberto I of Italy with the Order of the Garter on 2 March 1878. He was elected Chancellor of the University of Ireland in 1881, and died four years later at his home of Baronscourt, County Tyrone.
Abercorn married Lady Louisa, second daughter of John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford, in 1832.[2] They had fourteen children, thirteen of whom survived infancy:
Abercorn died in October 1885, aged 74, and was succeeded by his eldest son, James. The Duchess of Abercorn died in March 1905, aged 92. Through his son, the 2nd Duke, Abercorn is a great-great-great grandfather of Diana, Princess of Wales. Through his daughter, Lady Louisa, Abercorn is a great-grandfather of HRH Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester and a great-great grandfather of Sarah, Duchess of York.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by The Earl of Kimberley |
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1866 – 1868 |
Succeeded by The Earl Spencer |
| Preceded by The Earl Spencer |
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1874 – 1876 |
Succeeded by The Duke of Marlborough |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by The Marquess of Donegall |
Lord Lieutenant of Donegal 1844 – 1885 |
Succeeded by The Duke of Abercorn |
| Court offices | ||
| Preceded by The Marquess of Exeter |
Groom of the Stole to Prince Albert 1846 – 1859 |
Succeeded by The Earl Spencer |
| Masonic offices | ||
| Preceded by The Duke of Leinster |
Grandmaster of the Grand Lodge of Ireland 1874 – 1885 |
Succeeded by The 2nd Duke of Abercorn |
| Peerage of Great Britain | ||
| Preceded by John Hamilton |
Marquess of Abercorn 1818 – 1885 |
Succeeded by James Hamilton |
| Peerage of Ireland | ||
| New creation | Duke of Abercorn 1868 – 1885 |
Succeeded by James Hamilton |