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.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.³ His will was probated on 14 October 1789.³
     He succeeded to the title of 3rd Baron Mountcastle, co. Tyrone [I., 1701] on 23 March 1735/36, in his fahter's lifetime.¹ He succeeded to the title of 8th Lord Paisley, Hamilton, Mountcashell and Kirkpatrick [S., 1606] on 11 January 1744. He succeeded to the title of 4th Baronet Hamilton, of Donalong, co. Tyrone and of Nenagh, co. Tipperary [I., 1660] on 11 January 1744. He succeeded to the title of 8th Lord Paisley, co. Renfrew [S., 1587] on 11 January 1744. He succeeded to the title of 8th Lord Abercorn, co. Linlithgow [S., 1603] on 11 January 1744. He succeeded to the title of 9th Lord Hamilton, Baron of Strabane, co. Tyrone [I., 1617] on 11 January 1744.¹ He succeeded to the title of 8th Earl of Abercorn [S., 1606] on 11 January 1744.¹ He succeeded to the title of 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 circa 1714.¹ 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 1749.³ He died on 18 December 1755 drowned off Portsmouth.³
      In December 1736 he was wrecked in a storm attending King George I from Hanover to England.⁴ He gained the rank of Captain on 13 February 1741 in the service of the Royal Navy.^1,4

     Sir 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.¹ He was the son of Captain Hon. John Hamilton and Harriet Craggs.^2,3 He married, firstly, Catherine Copley, daughter of Sir Joseph Copley, 1st Bt. and Mary Buller, on 20 June 1779 at St. Marylebone Church, Marylebone, London, England.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.^3,4 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.^3,5 He died on 27 January 1818 at age 61 at Bentley Prior, Stanmore, London, England.³ He was buried on 5 February 1818 at Stanmore, London, England.³ His will was probated on 9 May 1818.³
     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 to the title of 9th Lord Paisley, co. Renfrew [S., 1587] on 9 October 1789. He succeeded to the title of 5th Baronet Hamilton, of Donalong, co. Tyrone and of Nenagh, co. Tipperary [I., 1660] on 9 October 1789. He succeeded to the title of 9th Lord Paisley, Hamilton, Mountcashell and Kirkpatrick [S., 1606] on 9 October 1789. He succeeded to the title of 4th Viscount Strabane [I., 1701] on 9 October 1789.¹ He succeeded to the title of 10th Lord Hamilton, Baron of Strabane, co. Tyrone [I., 1617] on 9 October 1789.¹ He succeeded to the title of 9th Earl of Abercorn [S., 1606] on 9 October 1789.¹ He succeeded to the title of 2nd Viscount Hamilton [G.B., 1786] on 9 October 1789.¹ He succeeded to the title of 9th Lord Abercorn, co. Linlithgow [S., 1603] on 9 October 1789. He succeeded to the title of 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 invested as a Privy Counsellor (P.C.) [Ireland] on 7 February 1794.¹ He was invested as a Knight, Order of the Garter (K.G.) on 17 January 1805.¹ His last will was dated 18 March 1809.⁵
     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."³

     Harriet Craggs was born illegitimately circa 1713.^3,4 She was the daughter of Rt. Hon. James Craggs.¹ She married, firstly, Richard 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.

     Richard Eliot married Harriet Craggs, daughter of Rt. Hon. James Craggs, on 4 March 1726.¹ He died in 1748.
     He lived at Port Eliot, Cornwall, England.¹

     Catherine Copley was the daughter of Sir Joseph Copley, 1st Bt. and Mary Buller.¹ She married Sir 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, London, England.¹ She died on 13 September 1791.²
      From 20 June 1779, her married name became Hamilton. As a result of her marriage, Catherine Copley was styled as Marchioness of Abercorn on 15 October 1790.³

     Sir Joseph Copley, 1st Bt. was the son of Joseph Moyle and Catherine Copley.² He married Mary Buller, daughter of John Francis Buller and Rebecca Trelawny, on 23 September 1757.³ He died on 16 April 1781.⁴ He was also reported to have died on 11 April 1781.²
     He was given the name of Joseph Moyle at birth.⁴ In 1768 his name was legally changed to Joseph Copley by Act of Parliament.⁴ He was created 1st Baronet Copley [Great Britain] on 15 August 1778.⁴ His last will was dated 19 July 1779.³

     Mary Buller was the daughter of John Francis Buller and Rebecca Trelawny.² She married Sir Joseph Copley, 1st Bt., son of Joseph Moyle and Catherine Copley, on 23 September 1757.³ She died on 3 March 1787.²
      From 23 September 1757, her married name became Moyle.³ 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, Sir John James Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn, son of Captain Hon. John Hamilton and Harriet Craggs, on 4 March 1792.¹ She and Sir 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 As a result of 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