William Hamilton

Brief Life History of William

When William Hamilton was born on 22 April 1854, in Avondale, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, his father, James Hamilton, was 43 and his mother, Helen Fleming, was 25. He married Helen Fleming Hamilton in 1885, in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom. He died on 29 December 1897, in his hometown, at the age of 43, and was buried in Strathaven, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom.

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Family Time Line

William Hamilton
1854–1897
Helen Fleming Hamilton
1858–1944
Marriage: 1885

Sources (2)

  • William Hamilton, "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950"
  • William Hamilton, "Find A Grave Index"

Spouse and Children

World Events (7)

1857 · Police (Scotland) Act 1857

The Police Act 1857 was an Act put into place by Parliament to establish a mandatory police force in every county of Scotland.

1868 · The Representation of the people (Scotland) Act 1868

The Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1868 was passed by Parliament and allowed for the creation of seven additional Scottish seats in the House of Commons. Along with the seats, Two University constituencies were created. These each returned one member to Parliament.

1874 · Patronage abolished in the Church of Scotland.

The Church Patronage Act 1874 was passed by Parliament and amended and altered the laws relating to the Appointment of Ministers to Parishes in Scotland. Paragraphs spelled out definitions to prevent the Act being subverted by processes used by Patrons and clarified that the Church of Scotland would decide on the qualifications required for Ministers.

Name Meaning

Scottish and northern Irish: habitational name from what is now a deserted village in the parish of Barkby, Leicestershire. This is named from Old English hamel ‘crooked’ + dūn ‘hill’. Hamilton near Glasgow was founded by the English Hamiltons and named after them, and later bearers took their surname from the Scottish place. In the north of Ireland, where many Hamiltons settled in the 17th century, this surname may sometimes have been adopted for Hamill . It has also been adopted as an Anglicized form of southern Irish Ó hUrmholtaigh.

History: This name is borne by one of the most distinguished families of the Scottish nobility; they hold many titles, including marquessate and dukedom of Hamilton, the marquessate of Douglas, the dukedom of Abercorn, and the earldom of Haddington. They are descended from Walter FitzGilbert de Hameldone, a Norman baron who gave his support to Robert the Bruce in the 13th century. A member of this family was Sir William Hamilton (1730–1803), a British diplomat and archaeologist, whose wife, Lady Emma Hamilton (c. 1765–1815), became the mistress of Admiral Horatio Nelson. A branch of the family was established in Ireland by Sir Frederick Hamilton (died 1646), who served in the Swedish army of Gustavus Adolphus. He later became governor of Ulster, and his descendants were created viscounts Boyne. The family have given their name to Newtownhamilton and Hamiltonsbaron in County Armagh. Another branch of the family were to be found in Denmark, where Henrik Albertsen Hamilton (1588–1648) was a noted Latin poet. A 17th-century example of a Hamilton from Glasgow, Scotland, is recorded in the Netherlands, where the name is found in the form Hamelton. Another Scottish Hamilton, James, went to the West Indies in the 18th century and was the father of Alexander Hamilton (1755–1804), who arrived in NY in 1772 and became the first US secretary of the Treasury.

Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.

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