Hamilton, James, 4th Duke of Hamilton (1658 -1712)

James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton, was the eldest son of Anne, Duchess of Hamilton, who succeeded to that title under the special remainder on the death of her uncle William 2nd Duke of Hamilton in 1651. The 2nd Duke’s father was William Douglas, fourth son of the 11th Earl and 1st Marquess of Douglas, and was created Earl of Selkirk 4 August 1646, and Duke of Hamilton for life 20 September 1660. During his father's lifetime James was styled Earl of Arran. Educated at Glasgow University, he was a Gentleman of the Bedchamber 1679 1688 and 1699 1702, Envoy to Paris 1683 1685 and September 1686, Colonel of the 6th Horse 1685 1688, and of the Oxford Regiment of Horse (now the Royal Horse Guards) November and December 1688, Knight of the Thistle 29 May 1687, Master of the Wardrobe 1688 1689, and Brigadier General in 1688. He accompanied James II as far as Rochester in his flight to France, was imprisoned by William III, and on release retired to his Scottish estates. His father died in 1694, and on 10 August 1698 his mother resigned her titles to him. He took up the African Company after the failure of the Darien Scheme with great zeal, and opposed the Treaty of Union, and was very popular with the Scottish public. He was created Duke of Brandon in the peerage of Great Britain 10 September 1711 and made a Knight of the Garter in 1712, but did not live to be installed. He fought a duel with Lord Mohun, in which both were killed, 15 November 1712. He married, firstly, shortly before 5 January 1687, Anne Spencer, daughter of Robert, 2nd Earl of Sunderland. She died without surviving issue on 2 July 1690, and he married secondly, 17 July 1698, Elizabeth only daughter and heir of Digby Gerard, 5th Baron Gerard of Gerards Bromley. The library of Alexander Douglas Hamilton, 10th Duke of Hamilton, was sold by Sotheby Wilkinson & Hodge 1 May and 8 July 1884 and 23 May 1889.