James Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Abercorn

Lord Hamilton was born in 1838 at Brighton,^[2] the eldest son of James Hamilton, second marquess and later first duke of Abercorn (1811–1885), and his wife Lady Louisa Jane Russell (1812–1905), second daughter of John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford.^[3] He was educated, like his father, at Harrow and Christ Church, Oxford,^[4] where he matriculated on 28 May 1857. After graduating from Oxford with a BA in 1860,^[5] he entered Parliament as Conservative MP for County Donegal, a constituency he represented from 1860 to 1880. He took over from his father as Honorary Colonel of the Prince of Wales's Own Donegal Militia on 22 September 1860, and retained the position until 1891 when his brother Lord Claud Hamilton (who had been commandant of the regiment) took over.^[6] After serving as High Sheriff of Tyrone for 1863, Viscount Hamilton 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.^[7] He was chosen Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1886, a post he held until his death.^[8] In 1887 he was appointed to the Privy Council of Ireland.

Abercorn held several positions after acceding to that title, including Groom of the Stole to the Prince of Wales (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.^[9]

He was created a Knight of the Garter. He died of pneumonia at his house at 61 Green Street, Mayfair, at the age of 74. He is buried in the cemetery at Baronscourt Parish Church, the traditional burial place of the Dukes of Abercorn and their families.^[10]

In 1883, he held 76,500 acres in Tyrone and Donegal. He also held 2,100 acres in Scotland.^[11]

In 1869 he married Lady Mary Anna Curzon-Howe (1848–1929), daughter of Anne Gore (bef. 1832–1877), daughter of Adm. Sir John Gore (died 1836), and Richard Curzon-Howe, 1st Earl Howe (1796–1870). Together they had two daughters and seven sons:

• James Albert Edward Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Abercorn (1869–1953)
• Lord Claud Penn Alexander Hamilton (18 October 1871 – 18 October 1871) (same day)
• Lord Charlie Hamilton (10 April 1874 – 10 April 1874) (same day)
• Lady Alexandra Phyllis Hamilton (1876–1918), who had Alexandra, Princess of Wales as sponsor at her baptism. She died when the RMS Leinster was torpedoed by a German U-boat and sank. She was unmarried.
• Lord Claud Francis Hamilton (25 October 1878 – 25 December 1878) (aged 2 months)
• Lady Gladys Mary Hamilton (1880–1917), who in 1902 married Ralph Francis Forward-Howard, 7th Earl of Wicklow (1877–1946). She was his first wife, and together they had one son.
• Lord Arthur John Hamilton (1883–1914), who was Deputy Master of the Household from 1913, Captain in the Irish Guards and was killed in action at the First Battle of Ypres.
• Stillborn son (31 October 1886)^[12]
• Lord Claud Nigel Hamilton (1889–1975), Captain in the Grenadier Guards, fought in the First World War and served in the household of King George V, his widow and Queen Elizabeth II as Deputy Master of the Household, as Extra Equerry, as Equerry in Ordinary and as Comptroller, Treasurer. In 1933, he married Violet Ruby Ashton. They had no children.

British^[4]

• CB: Companion of the Bath (civil division), 1865
• KG: Knight of the Garter, 10 August 1892^[13]

Foreign^[14]

•  Austria-Hungary:
  • Commander of the Imperial Order of Leopold, 1881^[15]
  • Order of the Iron Crown
•  Denmark: S.K.: Grand Cross of the Dannebrog, 10 March 1888^[16]
•  Russian Empire: Order of St. Anna