Sir Walter fitz Gilbert of Cadzow, 1st Laird of Cadzow (died ca. 1346) was a Scottish nobleman. The son of Gilbert fitz William of Hameldone, and an unknown wife, possibly Isabelle Randolph. He is the first historically confirmed progenitor of the House of Hamilton, which includes the Dukes of Hamilton, Dukes of Abercorn and Earls of Haddington.
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There is some confusion as to the ancestry of his grandfather William de Hameldone, who could, it has been argued, be descended from the Umfraville family of Northumberland, or the Beaumont Earls of Leicester. Both assertions are based on armorial evidence (both families used Cinquefoils in their arms), and references to various Hamilton place-names in Northumberland and Leicestershire. The Leicester connection is considered more likely as Robert de Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Leicester is known to have had a son William.
Walter fitz Gilbert first appears as a witness to a charter of James Stewart, 5th High Steward of Scotland granting land to the monks of Paisley Abbey in 1294, and also later in the year in another granting land to the same establishment. The other signatories were all minor landowners in Renfrewshire.[1] Fitz Gilbert was present at Berwick Castle to sign the Ragman Roll, alongside the majority of other Scots Nobility, at the behest of Edward I of England. He is styled on that document as "Wauter fiz Gilbert de Hameldone".[2]
The arms of fitz Gilbert are represented on the Bute Mazer, a drinking cup exhibited in the National Museum of Scotland, that been dated to soon after Bannockburn, and was possibly commissioned by him.
During the risings of William Wallace, and later Robert the Bruce, Walter fitz Gilbert remained loyal to the English party, holding lands in Fife of King Edward.[3] By 1314 he was constable of Bothwell Castle in South Lanarkshire. Following the defeat of Edward II of England at the Battle of Bannockburn, numerous fleeing English noblemen sought refuge there, including the Earl of Hertford. A detachment of the Scots army, under King Robert's brother Edward Bruce arrived at Bothwell and demanded that the castle and its occupants yield, Fitz Gilbert complied and surrendered the castle and left Hertford and his retinue to their fate.[4]
Joining the Bruce party, Walter fitz Gilbert was granted lands of Dalserf, previously owned by the Comyn faction, and was later rewarded with the barony of Cadzow and Cadzow Castle on the banks of the Clyde. He was a Justice of Lanark in 1321, and was knighted the following year. In 1323 he was granted the lands of Kinneil, Larbert and Auldcathy in present day West Lothian, and Kirkcowan in Wigtownshire.[5]
Walter fitz Gilbert was present at the Battle of Halidon Hill in 1333, fighting in the division of the High Steward, (later Robert II of Scotland), but is thought to have escaped the carnage there. There is little else heard of him. He died prior to 1346, when his son David fought at the Battle of Neville's Cross as Laird of Cadzow.[6]
Walter fitz Gilbert married Mary Gordon, daughter of Sir Adam Gordon of that Ilk, ancestor of the Earls of Huntly. By her he had two sons:[7]
| Preceded by New creation |
Baron of Cadzow c.1315/1320–c.1346 |
Succeeded by David fitz Walter |