Lord Belhaven and Stenton

Lord Belhaven and Stenton, of the County of Haddington, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1647 for Sir John Hamilton, 2nd Baronet, with remainder to his heirs male. This branch of the prominent Hamilton family descends from John Hamilton (d. c. 1550), the illegitimate son of James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton, by Janet Calderwood, and half-brother of James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran (from whom the Dukes of Hamilton descend; for earlier history of the Hamilton family see this title). In 1512 John's birth was legitimized. His grandson, James Hamilton, notably served as Sheriff of Perthshire. In 1634 he was created a Baronet, of Broomhill, in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia. He was succeeded by his son, the aforementioned second Baronet, who was elevated to the peerage in 1647. The following year he was a member of the Scottish army in England that attempted to rescue King Charles I, and fought at the Battle of Preston.

As Lord Belhaven and Stenton had no male heirs, he surrendered the lordship to the Crown in 1675 and received a new patent with remainder to his kinsman John Hamilton of Pressmannan, the husband of his granddaughter Margaret, and in failure of that line to his heirs whatsoever. On his death in 1679 the baronetcy became extinct while he was succeeded in the lordship according to the new patent by John Hamilton of Pressmannan, the second Lord. He was the great-great-great-grandson of John Hamilton, brother of Claud Hamilton, grandfather of the first Lord. On his death the title passed to his son, the third Lord. He sat in the House of Lords as a Scottish Representative Peer from 1715 to 1721. The latter year he was appointed Governor of Barbados but drowned on the journey out. On the death in 1764 of his younger son, the fifth Lord, the line of the second Lord failed.

There now arose controversy as to the succession of the title. In 1777 it was incorrectly assumed by Captain William Hamilton, the great-great-great-great-grandson of John Hamilton of Coltness, younger son of John Hamilton of Udston, whose other son James Hamilton was the grandfather of the second Lord, and whose grandfather John Hamilton was the brother of the aforementioned Claude Hamilton, grandfather of the first Lord Belhaven and Stenton. William voted at the Election of Scottish Peers in 1790. However, it was resolved by the Committee for Privileges of the House of Lords in 1793 that this vote was not valid. The title was instead determined in favour of William Hamilton, the seventh Lord. He was the son of Robert Hamilton of Wishaw (who was adjudged "de jure" sixth Lord), grandson of Robert Hamilton, "Younger of Wishaw", son of Robert Hamilton, 3rd of Wishaw, son of William Hamilton, 1st of Wishaw, son of John Hamilton of Udston, grandson of John Hamilton, brother of the aforesaid Claude Hamilton, grandfather of the first Lord.

The seventh Lord was succeeded by his son, the eighth Lord. He was a Scottish Representative Peer from 1819 to 1831 and also served as Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire. In 1831 he was created Baron Hamilton of Wishaw, in the County of Lanark, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, which gave him an automatic seat in the House of Lords. However, this title became extinct on his death in 1868 while the lordship became dormant. In 1875 the House of Lords decided that the rightful successor was James Hamilton, the ninth Lord. He was the son of Archibald Hamilton, grandson of James Hamilton, younger son of the aforesaid Robert Hamilton, Younger of Wishaw. Lord Belhaven and Stenton notably served as Lord-Lieutenant of Lanarkshire.

He had seven daughters but no sons and on his death the title was claimed by his kinsman Alexander Charles Hamilton, the tenth Lord. He was the son of William John Hamilton (Member of Parliament for Newport, Isle of Wight), son of William Richard Hamilton (Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office), son of the Venerable Anthony Hamilton (Archdeacon of Colchester), son of Alexander Hamilton, younger son of the aforementioned William Hamilton, 3rd of Wishaw. In 1894 his claim was admitted by the House of Lords. He later served as a Scottish Representative Peer from 1900 to 1920. He was succeeded by his nephew, the eleventh Lord. He was an officer in the Indian Army and also sat in the House of Lords as a Scottish Representative Peer between 1922 and 1945. In 1934 he assumed the additional surname of Udny. However, none of the subsequent Lords have held this surname. As of 2007 the title is held by his grandson, the thirteenth Lord, who succeeded his father in 1961.

Hamilton Baronets, of Broomhill (1634)

*Sir James Hamilton, 1st Baronet (d. c. 1645)
*Sir John Hamilton, 2nd Baronet (d. 1679) (created Lord Belhaven and Stenton in 1647)

Lords Belhaven and Stenton (1647/1675)

*John Hamilton, 1st Lord Belhaven and Stenton (d. 1679) (baronetcy extinct)
*John Hamilton, 2nd Lord Belhaven and Stenton (1656-1708)
*John Hamilton, 3rd Lord Belhaven and Stenton (d. 1721)
*John Hamilton, 4th Lord Belhaven and Stenton (d. 1764)
*James Hamilton, 5th Lord Belhaven and Stenton (d. 1777)
*Robert Hamilton, 6th Lord Belhaven and Stenton (1731-1784)
*William Hamilton, 7th Lord Belhaven and Stenton (1765-1814)
*Robert Montgomery Hamilton, 8th Lord Belhaven and Stenton (1793-1868) (dormant 1868)
*James Hamilton, 9th Lord Belhaven and Stenton (1822-1893) (revived 1875)
*Alexander Charles Hamilton, 10th Lord Belhaven and Stenton (1840-1920)
*Robert Edward Archibald Hamilton-Udny, 11th Lord Belhaven and Stenton (1871-1950)
*Robert Alexander Benjamin Hamilton, 12th Lord Belhaven and Stenton (1903-1961)
*Robert Anthony Carmichael Hamilton, 13th Lord Belhaven and Stenton (b. 1927)

The Heir Apparent is the present holder's son Frederick Carmichael Arthur Hamilton, Master of Belhaven (b. 27 Sep 1953)

ee also

*Duke of Hamilton

References

*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). "Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage" (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
* [http://www.angeltowns.com/town/peerage/ Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page]
* [http://www.thepeerage.com/index.htm www.thepeerage.com]