Sir Claud Hamilton of Shawfield, PC (Ire) (died 1614), also called of Leckprevick, a younger son of Claud Hamilton, 1st Lord Paisley in Scotland, was a gentleman of the privy chamber of King James VI and I, an undertaker in the Plantation of Ulster, and a privy counsellor in Ireland.
Birth and origins Claud was born between 1575 and 1585, probably at Paisley, near Glasgow, Scotland, his parents' habitual residence. He was the third son of Claud Hamilton and his wife Margaret Seton. His father was at that time only a younger brother of James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran but would later be created 1st Lord Paisley. His father's family descended from Walter FitzGilbert, the founder of the House of Hamilton, who had received the barony of Cadzow from Robert the Bruce.James Balfour Paul, Scots Peerage, vol. 4 (David Douglas, Edinburgh, 1907), p. 341
Claud's mother was a daughter of George Seton, 7th Lord Seton, by his wife Isobel Hamilton. Both parents were Scottish and seem to have been both Catholic. They had married in 1574 at Niddry Castle, West Lothian, Scotland,Thomas Thomson, A diurnal of remarkable occurrents that have passed within Scotland (Bannatyne Club, Edinburgh, 1833), p. 341 which belonged to the Setons.
Several of his siblings died in their infancy or childhood. Six reached adulthood and are listed in his father's article.
Early life Being named "of Shawfield" seems to imply that his father gave him Shawfield, in the northern tip of modern South Lanarkshire, near Rutherglen, as appanage. Paul (1904) explains "Shawfield, co. Linlithgow", but there seems to be no Shawfield in that county. In 1579 the Scottish privy council decided to arrest his father and his uncle John. They were besieged at Hamilton and then escaped to England and even France. Claud and his mother seem to have staid behind in Scotland. His father returned in 1586 and was created Lord Paisley in 1587.
Gentleman of the privy chamber At the age of 18 Claud Hamilton was made a gentleman of the privy chamber to the young King James VI of Scotland.HMC Laing Manuscripts, vol. 1 (London, 1914), p. 329.Nicholas Carlisle, An Inquiry into the Place and Quality of the Gentlemen of His Majesty’s Honourable Privy Chamber (Payne & Foss, London, 1829) p. 90.
After the Union of the Crowns in 1603, Claude Hamilton spent time with the royal court in London. In 1610 he was naturalized as a denizen of England and given lands in Ireland, described as "the small proportion of Edeneveagh in the barony or precint of Fues in County Armagh".William Arthur Shaw, Letters of denization and acts of naturalization for aliens in England and Ireland (Lymington, 1911), p. 19.
Some of his papers are held by the University of Edinburgh among the Laing manuscripts. These include estate papers relating to Ireland and Scotland, an detailing fabrics, a tailor's bill from 1614, and bill for hats, pewter, and other items.HMC Laing Manuscripts, vol. 1 (London, 1914), pp. 131–139. The bills include costume accessories which he bought in London for his family in Scotland and his brother Frederick, including; a "white satin piccadill with two laced bands of the newest fashion for a young woman", a "fine satin picadell for Phredrik of the newest fashion", with "two pair of worset stockings meet for a large young woman's leg", and "thirty yards of flowered taffeta or some other bonny stitched [embroidered] stuff for his daughters". A waistcoat of crimson taffeta was bought at the Sign of the Horse Shoe in the Old Exchange.HMC Laing Manuscripts, vol. 1 (London, 1914), pp. 131–139, modernised spelling here.
Marriage and children
At Paisley in 1602 Sir Claud married Janet or Jonet Hamilton (died 1613), the only child of Robert Hamilton of Leckprevick and Easter Greenlees, Lanarkshire, Scotland.James Balfour Paul, Scots Peerage, vol. 1 (David Douglas, Edinburgh, 1904), p. 41 Due to this inheritance Hamilton was also called "of Leckprevick".Rev. George Hill, An Historical Account of the Plantation in Ulster at the Commencement of the Seventeenth Century, 1608–1620 (McCaw Stevenson and Orr, Dublin, 1877) p. 289 Leckprevick and East Greenlees are both in the north of South Lanarkshire, the former near East Kilbride, the latter near Rutherglen.Margaret Scott, Previck and Leckprivick, Onomastoc Connections in South-West Scotland, Nomina, Journal of the Society for Name Studies in Britain and Ireland, 29, 2006, pp. 115–128
Claud and Janet had six sons: William (c. 1604 – 1662) Alexander (born after 1605), died young Robert (died 1657) Claud James, died unmarried George, died unmarried
—and three daughters: Margaret, married John Stewart of Methven, an illegitimate son of Ludovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of Lennox, who was an abusive husband.Ian McPhail, Dumbarton Castle (John Donald, Edinburgh, 1979), p. 181 She later married Sir John Seton of Gargunnock.James Balfour Paul, The Scots Peerage, Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland, vol. 1 (David Douglas, Edinburgh, 1904), p. 43 Grizel, married William Baillie of Lamington Janet, named in her mother's will together with her two sisters
In an alternative view, Claud Hamilton married Mary Hamilton, daughter of Robert Hamilton of Elieston or Illieston in West Lothian (unless her husband was Claud Hamilton of Toon) The Hamiltons of Elieston were a Catholic family, and Lauder of Fountainhall recorded that there was accommodation in the house for a priest.Donald Crawford, Journal of John Lauder (Scottish History Society: Edinburgh, 1900), p. 194
Plantation of Ulster The flight of the earls in September 1607 cleared the way for the Plantation of Ulster.Theodor William Moody & F. X. Martin The Course of Irish History (Roberts Rinehart Publishers, Oxford) p. 153 Like his eldest brother James and his next brother George Hamilton of Greenlaw and Roscrea, Claud was an undertaker in the plantation. However, he must not be confused with Claud Hamilton of Clonyn, who was an undertaker in County Cavan. Claud Hamilton of Shawfield was granted the small proportions of Killeny and Teadane (or Eden).James Balfour Paul, Scots Peerage, vol. I (David Douglas, Edinburgh, 1904), p. 40 A small proportion in the Fews precinct in County Armagh was granted to "Claude Hamilton".John Sherren Brewer & William Bullen Calendar of the Carew Manuscripts, (Longman & Co., London, 1873), p. 232 It seems not to be known which Claud Hamilton this was.
The small proportion of Teadane was in County Londonderry on the boundaries of Coleraine and Loughinsholin baronies.Rev. George Hill, An Historical Account of the Plantation in Ulster at the Commencement of the Seventeenth Century, 1608–1620 (McCaw Stevenson and Orr, Dublin, 1877) p. 292 At the time the Loughinsholin barony was in County Tyrone but it became in 1613 part of the new County Londonderry.
In 1618 and 1619 Hamilton built a castle on his land.John Sherren Brewer & William Bullen Calendar of the Carew Manuscripts (Longmans, Green, Reader, & Dyer, London, 1868), p. 111 This castle stood near the village of Donemana which probably was part of the Killeny proportion. The site is perhaps that now occupied by the ruin of the Earlsgift Castle. The name Killenny now refers to a townland in the Donaghedy Parish of the Strabane Lower barony. This townland is 225 acres big and lies south of Donemana on the right bank of Burn Dennett.Irish Placenames Database. Retrieved: 18 September 2010
It is sure that Claud Hamilton was a knight, but it is not known when this honor was bestowed on him. It seem that it is in the context of the plantation of Ulster that he is called "Sir Claude" (sic) for the first time. He might of course have been knighted much earlier.
Later life Claud Hamilton was appointed to the Privy Council of Ireland on 11 February 1613.Rev. C. W. Russell & John Patrick Prendergast, Calendar State Papers, Ireland, 1611–1614 (Longman & Co., London, 1877) p. 322John Sherren Brewer & William Bullen Calendar of the Carew Manuscripts (Longman & Co., London, 1873), p. 92
His wife died in September 1613.
Death Sir Claud Hamilton of Shawfield died in Dublin on 19 October 1614.Calendar State Papers, Ireland, 1611–1614 (London, 1877), p. 513 no. 901. The Laing papers contain a letter that describes the event in detail.HMC Laing Manuscripts, vol. 1 (London, 1914), pp. 132–135. Robert Maxwell, an Anglican priest and Dean of Armagh, was called to his bedside because he was skilled as a physician.HMC Laing Manuscripts, vol. 1 (London, 1914), p. 132 Sir Claud Hamilton, constable of the Fort of Toome, also was there.HMC Laing Manuscripts, vol. 1 (London, 1914), pp. 133 Claud Hamilton of Shawfield predeceased his father who would die in 1621 and his mother who would die in 1616. Administration of his estate was granted to his eldest son William only 15 years later on 29 November 1629.
Possible misidentifications Sir Claud Hamilton of Shawfield (died 1614) is sometimes confused with Sir Claud Hamilton (died 1640), constable of the Fort of Toome, and with Sir Claud Hamilton of Clonyn (died before 1618), father of Sir Francis Hamilton, 1st Baronet, of Killock.George Edward Cokayne, Complete Baronetage, 1611 to 1800, vol. 2 (William Pollard & Co, Exeter, 1902) p. 360 According to James Balfour Paul:
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