James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Abercorn
James Edward Hamilton, 4th Duke of Abercorn (29 February 1904 – 4 June 1979) was a British peer.[1] He was the son of James Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Abercorn and Lady Rosalind Cecilia Caroline Bingham. He was variously styled Viscount Strabane (1904–1913), Marquess of Hamilton (1913–1953), and finally inherited his father's peerages on 12 September 1953.
Career
Lord Hamilton (as he then was) attended Eton. He was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards, where he rose to the rank of captain. In 1946, he was elected to the County Council of County Tyrone, served as High Sheriff of Tyrone, and then served in the Senate of Northern Ireland. He became Lord Lieutenant of County Tyrone on his father's death, a position he held for the remainder of his life.
He was appointed honorary colonel of the 5th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (a Territorial Army unit), and died at the age of seventy-five.
He owned La Peregrina, a famous pearl which was a gift from Philip II of Spain to his wife Mary I of England. In 1969, the duke sold the pearl to actor Richard Burton, who gave it as a present to his wife Elizabeth Taylor.
Family
In 1928 he married Lady Kathleen Crichton (1905–1990), a daughter of Henry Crichton, Viscount Crichton (1872–1914, son of the 4th and father of the 5th Earl of Erne) and Lady Mary Cavendish Grosvenor (1883–1959, daughter of the 1st Duke of Westminster).
They had two sons and a daughter:
- Lady Moyra Kathleen Hamilton (b. 1930), who married Cmdr. Peter Colin Drummond Campbell in 1966. They have two sons and live in Northern Ireland. Lady Moyra was one of Queen Elizabeth II’s Maids of Honour at the 1953 Coronation.[2][3] She went on to serve as a lady-in-waiting to Princess Alexandra and later to the Queen.[4]
- Sir James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn (b. 1934)
- Lord Claud Anthony Hamilton (b. 1939), who held the office of Deputy Lieutenant of County Fermanagh in 1978 and in 1991 he was Justice of the Peace. In 1982 he married Catherine Janet Faulkner (niece of Lord Faulkner of Downpatrick). They have a son and a daughter:
- Anna Kathleen Hamilton (b. 1983)
- Alexander James Hamilton (b. 1987)
He is related to Diana, Princess of Wales through Diana's paternal grandmother Cynthia Spencer, Countess Spencer who was his sister.
See also
- List of Northern Ireland Members of the House of Lords
References
- ↑ Lundy, Darryl. "p. 10236 § 102356". The Peerage.
- ↑ Ostler, Catherine (17 May 2013). "The Pippas of their day! They were the aristocratic beauties who almost stole the show at the Coronation 60 years ago. Now they share their behind the scenes stories". Daily Mail (London).
- ↑ Ostler, Catherine (17 May 2013). "The Pippas of their day". Daily Mail (London).
- ↑ Lundy, Darryl. "p6949.htm". The Peerage.
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Duke of Abercorn
- Portraits of James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Abercorn at the National Portrait Gallery, London
| Honorary titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by James Ponsonby Galbraith |
Lord Lieutenant of Tyrone 1951–1979 |
Succeeded by John Hamilton-Stubber |
| Preceded by John Blakiston-Houston |
Honorary Colonel of the 5th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 1963–1967 |
Battalion disbanded |
| Peerage of Ireland | ||
| Preceded by James Hamilton |
Duke of Abercorn 1953–1979 |
Succeeded by James Hamilton |