Robert Alexander Benjamin Hamilton, 12th Lord Belhaven and Stenton (16 September 1903–1961), was a Scottish peer.
He was the son of Lt.-Col. Robert Hamilton-Udny, 11th Lord Belhaven and Stenton and Kathleen Gonville Bromhead. His first marriage was to Heather Mildred Carmichael Bell, daughter of Lt.-Col. Richard Carmichael Bell and Mildred Charlotte Davidson-Houston, on 4 February 1926. One child was born of this marriage, Robert Anthony Carmichael Hamilton, b. 27 February 1927, who succeeded to the title as the 13th Lord. After his divorce from his first wife in 1941 he married Cyrilla Mary Binns, daughter of Raymund Louis Binns (3rd Battalion, the Yorkshire Regiment, killed in action 16 July 1916) and Maud Cartman, on 21 March 1942. One child was born of his second marriage, the Hon Janet Cyrilla Hamilton b. 19 September 1946; d. 16 April 1955. Lord Belhaven died on 10 July 1961 at age 57.
He was baptised with the name of Robert Alexander Benjamin Udny-Hamilton. He was educated at Eton College, Eton, Berkshire, England and underwent his military training at Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Berkshire, England. He was Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of the Royal Scots Fusiliers between 1924 and 1931. He was seconded to the Aden Protectorate Levies between 1931 and 1934, during which time he commanded the unit's Camel Troop. [1] He was administrator in the Colonial Service, Aden Protectorate between 1934 and 1946.
He recorded his experiences in the Arabian Peninsula in The kingdom of Melchior : adventure in South West Arabia (London, 1949, John Murray) [2]; [3] and The Uneven Road (London, 1955, John Murray).[4]; [5]. Belhaven initiated an archeological excavation at Shabwa in South Yemen, the results of which were described in the Geographical Journal in 1942. [6] Some of the antiquities collected in this exercise were presented to the Ashmolean Museum in 1954, and others were sent to the museum at Aden. [7]
He was invested as a Fellow, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (F.R.A.C.S.). He was invested as a Fellow, Royal Geographical Society (F.R.G.S.). He succeeded to the title of 12th Lord Belhaven and Stenton, co. Haddington on 20 October 1950.
| Peerage of Scotland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Robert Edward Archibald Hamilton-Udny |
Lord Belhaven and Stenton 1950–1961 |
Succeeded by Robert Anthony Carmichael Hamilton |