Person Page - 11029

     James Hamilton, 8th Earl of Abercorn was born on 22 October 1712 at Queen Street, St. George the Martyr, Holborn, London, England^G.¹ He was the son of James Hamilton, 7th Earl of Abercorn and Anne Plumer.¹ He died on 9 October 1789 at age 76, unmarried.¹ He was buried at Paisley Abbey, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland^G.³ His will was proven (by probate) on 14 October 1789.³
     He succeeded as the 3rd Baron Mountcastle, co. Tyrone [I., 1701] on 23 March 1735/36, in his fahter's lifetime.¹ He succeeded as the 8th Lord Paisley, Hamilton, Mountcashell and Kirkpatrick [S., 1606] on 11 January 1744. He succeeded as the 4th Baronet Hamilton, of Donalong, co. Tyrone and of Nenagh, co. Tipperary [I., 1660] on 11 January 1744. He succeeded as the 8th Lord Paisley, co. Renfrew [S., 1587] on 11 January 1744. He succeeded as the 8th Lord Abercorn, co. Linlithgow [S., 1603] on 11 January 1744. He succeeded as the 9th Lord Hamilton, Baron of Strabane, co. Tyrone [I., 1617] on 11 January 1744.¹ He succeeded as the 8th Earl of Abercorn [S., 1606] on 11 January 1744.¹ He succeeded as the 3rd Viscount Strabane [I., 1701] on 11 January 1744.¹ He held the office of Representative Peer (Tory) [Scotland] between 1761 and 1784.¹ His last will was dated 24 May 1785.⁴ He was created 1st Viscount Hamilton [Great Britain] on 24 August 1786.¹

     Captain Hon. John Hamilton was born on 2 March 1713/14.^1,3 He was the son of James Hamilton, 7th Earl of Abercorn and Anne Plumer.¹ He married Harriet Craggs, daughter of Rt. Hon. James Craggs, on 13 October 1749.⁴ He died on 18 December 1755 at age 41 drowned off Portsmouth.⁴
     In December 1736 he was wrecked in a storm attending King George I from Hanover to England.⁵ He gained the rank of Captain on 13 February 1741 in the Royal Navy.^1,5

     John James Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn was born posthumously in July 1756.¹ He was baptised at St. George's Church, St. George Street, Hanover Square, London, England^G.¹ He was the son of Captain Hon. John Hamilton and Harriet Craggs.^3,4 He married, firstly, Catherine Copley, daughter of Sir Joseph Copley, 1st Bt. and Mary Buller, on 20 June 1779 at St. Marylebone Church, Marylebone Road, Marylebone, London, England^G.¹ He married, secondly, Lady Cecil Hamilton, daughter of Rev. Hon. George Hamilton and Elizabeth Onslow, on 4 March 1792.¹ He and Lady Cecil Hamilton were divorced in April 1799 by an Act of Parliament, for adultery with her second husband to be.^4,5 He married, thirdly, Lady Anne Jane Gore, daughter of Arthur Saunders Gore, 2nd Earl of Arran of the Arran Islands and Hon. Catherine Annesley, on 3 April 1800 at Dover Street, Piccadilly, London, England^G.^4,6 He died on 27 January 1818 at age 61 at Bentley Prior, Stanmore, London, England^G.⁴ He was buried on 5 February 1818 at Stanmore, London, England^G.⁴ His will was proven (by probate) on 9 May 1818.⁴
     He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) (Tory) for East Looe between 1783 and 1784.¹ He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) (Tory) for St. Germans between 1784 and 1789.¹ He succeeded as the 9th Lord Paisley, co. Renfrew [S., 1587] on 9 October 1789. He succeeded as the 5th Baronet Hamilton, of Donalong, co. Tyrone and of Nenagh, co. Tipperary [I., 1660] on 9 October 1789. He succeeded as the 9th Lord Paisley, Hamilton, Mountcashell and Kirkpatrick [S., 1606] on 9 October 1789. He succeeded as the 4th Viscount Strabane [I., 1701] on 9 October 1789.¹ He succeeded as the 10th Lord Hamilton, Baron of Strabane, co. Tyrone [I., 1617] on 9 October 1789.¹ He succeeded as the 9th Earl of Abercorn [S., 1606] on 9 October 1789.¹ He succeeded as the 2nd Viscount Hamilton [G.B., 1786] on 9 October 1789.¹ He succeeded as the 9th Lord Abercorn, co. Linlithgow [S., 1603] on 9 October 1789. He succeeded as the 4th Baron Mountcastle, co. Tyrone [I., 1701] on 9 October 1789.¹ He was created 1st Marquess of Abercorn [Great Britain] on 15 October 1790.¹ He was appointed Privy Counsellor (P.C.) [Ireland] on 7 February 1794.¹ He was appointed Knight, Order of the Garter (K.G.) on 17 January 1805.¹ His last will was dated 18 March 1809.⁶
     Gibbs quotes from G.E. Russell, "He is stated to have always gone out shooting in his Blue Ribbon, and to have required his housemaids to wear white kid gloves when they made his bed. It is also alleged that having learnt of his second wife's contemplated elopement, he sent her a message begging her to take the family coach, as it ought never to be said that Lady Abercorn left her husband's roof in a hackchaise."⁴

     Harriet Craggs was born illegitimately circa 1713.^3,4 She was the daughter of Rt. Hon. James Craggs.¹ She married, firstly, Richard Eliot, son of unknown Eliot, on 4 March 1726.¹ She married, secondly, Captain Hon. John Hamilton, son of James Hamilton, 7th Earl of Abercorn and Anne Plumer, on 13 October 1749.⁵ She died on 1 February 1769.⁵
     From 4 March 1726, her married name became Eliot. From 13 October 1749, her married name became Hamilton.

     Rt. Hon. James Craggs was born on 9 April 1686 at Westminster, London, England.³ He was the son of James Craggs and Elizabeth Richards.^4,3 He died on 16 February 1721 at age 34, from smallpox.³
     He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Tregony between 1713 and 1721.³ He was appointed Privy Counsellor (P.C.) in 1718.⁵ He held the office of Secretary of State between 1718 and 1721.⁵

     Richard Eliot was the son of unknown Eliot.³ He married Harriet Craggs, daughter of Rt. Hon. James Craggs, on 4 March 1726.¹ He died in 1748.³
     He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.)³ He lived at Port Eliot, Cornwall, England^G.¹ He held the office of Auditor and Receiver-General of the Duchy of Cornwall.³

     Catherine Copley was the daughter of Sir Joseph Copley, 1st Bt. and Mary Buller.¹ She married John James Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn, son of Captain Hon. John Hamilton and Harriet Craggs, on 20 June 1779 at St. Marylebone Church, Marylebone Road, Marylebone, London, England^G.¹ She died on 13 September 1791.²
     From 20 June 1779, her married name became Hamilton. After her marriage, Catherine Copley was styled as Marchioness of Abercorn on 15 October 1790.³

     Sir Joseph Copley, 1st Bt. was baptised on 8 January 1715 at St. Paul's Church, Covent Gardens, London, England^G.² He was the son of Joseph Moyle and Catherine Copley.³ He married Mary Buller, daughter of John Francis Buller and Rebecca Trelawny, on 23 September 1757.⁴ He died on 16 April 1781 at age 66.⁵ He was also reported to have died on 11 April 1781.³
     He was given the name of Joseph Moyle at birth.⁵ In 1768 his name was legally changed to Joseph Copley by Act of Parliament.⁵ He was created 1st Baronet Copley [Great Britain] on 15 August 1778.⁵ His last will was dated 19 July 1779.⁴

     Mary Buller was baptised on 18 August 1726 at Morval, Cornwall, England.² She was the daughter of John Francis Buller and Rebecca Trelawny.³ She married Sir Joseph Copley, 1st Bt., son of Joseph Moyle and Catherine Copley, on 23 September 1757.⁴ She died on 3 March 1787 at age 60.³
     From 23 September 1757, her married name became Moyle.⁴ From 1768, her married name became Copley.

     Lady Cecil Hamilton was born on 15 March 1770.³ She was the daughter of Rev. Hon. George Hamilton and Elizabeth Onslow.³ She married, firstly, John James Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn, son of Captain Hon. John Hamilton and Harriet Craggs, on 4 March 1792.¹ She and John James Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn were divorced in April 1799 by an Act of Parliament, for adultery with her second husband to be.^3,4 She married, secondly, Captain Sir Joseph Copley, 3rd Bt., son of Sir Joseph Copley, 1st Bt. and Mary Buller, on 23 May 1799.³ She died on 19 June 1819 at age 49.⁵
     On 27 October 1789 she was raised to the precedency of an Earl's daughter by Royal Warrant, which was most unusual, and which honour was not extended to her sisters.¹ After her marriage, Lady Cecil Hamilton was styled as Marchioness of Abercorn on 4 March 1792.³ From 23 May 1799, her married name became Copley.³