Noble family Hamilton | Name James 2nd | |
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Mother Louisa Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn Born 24 August 1838 ( 1838-08-24 ) Spouse Mary Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn (m. 1869) Children James Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Abercorn Parents James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn, Louisa Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn Similar People Rosalind Hamilton - Duchess, Cynthia Spencer - Countess, John Russell - 6th Duke, Lord George Hamilton | ||
James Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Abercorn (24 August 1838 – 3 January 1913), styled Viscount Hamilton until 1868 and Marquess of Hamilton from 1868 to 1885, was a British nobleman and diplomat. He was the son of James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn, and Lady Louisa Jane Russell.
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Biography
Lord Hamilton was educated, like his father, at Wellington and Christ Church, Oxford. After graduating from Oxford with a BA, he entered Parliament as Conservative MP for County Donegal, a constituency he represented from 1860 to 1880. After serving as High Sheriff of Tyrone for 1863, he re-entered university and emerged with an M.A. in 1865 (he was created a Companion of the Order of the Bath the same year). That year, he also embarked upon a diplomatic mission to Denmark. He served as a Lord of the Bedchamber to the Prince of Wales from 1866 to 1885; in the latter year, he took over his father's position of Lord Lieutenant of County Donegal, and inherited his father's peerage titles. He led the Lords' reply to the Speech from the throne wearing the uniform of Lord Lieutenant of Donegal on 21 January 1886. from the He was chosen Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1886, a post he held until his death. In 1887 he was appointed to the Privy Council of Ireland.
Abercorn held several positions after acceding to that title, including Groom of the Stool (1886–1891), and Chairman of the British South Africa Company. In early 1901 he was appointed by King Edward to lead a special diplomatic mission to announce the King's accession to the governments of Denmark, Sweden and Norway, Russia, Germany, and Saxony.
He was also created a Knight of the Garter, and died of pneumonia in London at the age of seventy-four. He is buried in the cemetery at Baronscourt Parish Church, the traditional burial place of the Dukes of Abercorn and their families.
Family and children
In 1869 he married Lady Mary Anna Curzon-Howe (1848–1929), daughter of Richard Curzon-Howe, 1st Earl Howe (1796–1870), and Anne Gore (bef. 1832–1877, daughter of Adm. Sir John Gore (d. 1836). They had seven sons and two daughters:
Through his oldest son James Albert Edward Hamilton, he is a great-great-grandfather of Diana, Princess of Wales.