- James Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Abercorn
James Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Abercorn, KG, CB, PC (
24 August 1838 –3 January 1913 ) was a British nobleman and diplomat. He was the son ofJames Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn and Lady Louisa Russell. He was variously styled Viscount Hamilton (until 1868), Marquess of Hamilton (1868–1885), and finally Duke of Abercorn (from 1885).Life account
Lord Hamilton was educated, like his father, at Harrow and
Christ Church, Oxford . After graduating from Oxford with aB.A. , he entered Parliament as Conservative MP forCounty Donegal , a constituency he represented from 1860 to 1880. After serving as Sheriff ofCounty Tyrone , 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 toDenmark . He served as aLord of the Bedchamber to the Prince of Wales from 1866 to 1885; in the latter year, he took over his father's position ofLord Lieutenant of County Donegal , and inherited his father's peerage titles. In 1887 he was appointed to thePrivy Council of Ireland .Abercorn held several positions after acceding to that title, including Grandmaster of the Ireland
Freemasons (1886),Groom of the Stole (1886–1891), Chairman of theBritish South Africa Company , and announced Edward VII's accession to the throne in 1901 to several countries as a Special Envoy. He was also created a Knight of the Garter, and died ofpneumonia inLondon at the age of seventy-three.Family and children
In 1869 he married Lady Maria Anna Curzon-Howe (1848–1929), daughter of
Richard William Penn 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:
*James Albert Edward Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Abercorn (1869–1953)
*Lord Claud Penn Alexander Hamilton (1871–1871, on the same day)
*Lord Charlie Hamilton (1874–1874, on the same day)
*Lady Alexandra Phyllis Hamilton (1876–1918), who had HRH Princess Alexandra of Wales as sponsor at her baptism, she was lost at sea aboard RMS "Leinster", unmarried.
*Lord Claud Francis Hamilton (1874–1874, on the same day)
*Lady Gladys Mary Hamilton (1880–1917), who in 1902 marriedRalph Francis Forward-Howard, 7th Earl of Wicklow (1877–1946) She was his first wife; and they had one son.
*Lord Arthur John Hamilton (1883–1914), who wasDeputy Master of the Household from 1913,Captain in theIrish Guards and was killed in action at theFirst Battle of Ypres .
*Lord unnamed Hamilton (1886–1886, on the same day)
*Lord Claud Nigel Hamilton (1889–1975),Captain in theGrenadier Guards , fought in the Second World War and served in the household of King George V, his widow and Queen Elizabeth II as Deputy Master of the Household, asExtra Equerry , asEquerry in Ordinary and asComptroller ,Treasurer and Extra Equerry. In 1933 he married Violet Ruby Ashton. They had no issue.
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