John James Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn KG, PC (Ire) (July 1756 – 27 January 1818) was an Irish peer and politician.
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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.[1] There he became the friend of William Pitt the Younger, a connection that would serve him well in later years.
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.
He married, firstly, Catherine Copley, daughter of Sir Joseph Copley, 1st Baronet, on 20 June 1779. They had five children:
He married, secondly, his first cousin, Lady 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:
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.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Buller William Graves |
Member of Parliament for East Looe 1783–1784 With: John Buller |
Succeeded by John Buller William Graves |
| Preceded by Edward James Eliot Dudley Long |
Member of Parliament for St Germans 1784–1789 With: Abel Smith 1784–1788 Samuel Smith 1788–1790 |
Succeeded by Samuel Smith Sir Charles Hamilton |
| Peerage of Scotland | ||
| Preceded by James Hamilton |
Earl of Abercorn 1789–1818 |
Succeeded by James Hamilton |
| Peerage of Great Britain | ||
| New creation | Marquess of Abercorn 1790–1818 |
Succeeded by James Hamilton |