A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

384
OF FLOWERS AND LEAVES.
Earl of Selkirk, John Earl of Rutherglen, George Earl of Orkney, Lord Basil,
and Lord Archibald ; and three daughters, Lady Katharine, married to the Duke
of Athol; Lady Susan, married first to the Earl of Dundonald, and afterwards to
the Marquis of Tweeddale; and Lady Margaret, married to James Earl of Panmure.
JAMES Eari of ARRAN succeeded his father. His mother, the dutchess, in her
lifetime, made a surrender of her titles in favours of him ; and a patent was signed,
creating him Duke of Hamilton, with precedency in the same manner as though
he had succeeded thereto by his mother's death: And, in the year 1711, he was
created a peer of Great Britain, by the title of Duke of Brandon, in Com. Suffolk,
and Baron of Dutton, in Com. Cest. and the year following, upon the death of the
Earl of Rivers, he was made Master-General of the Ordnance, and soon after
elected one of the Knights Companions of the most noble Order of the Garter,
and was allowed to have both the ensigns of Orders of the Thistle and Garter
placed round his arms. The I5th of November 1712, he was unfortunately murdered
in a duel with Charles Lord Mohun. He had to his first wife Lady Anne
Spencer, daughter to the Earl of Sunderland, by whom he had two daughters,
who died young. He married to his second wife Elizabeth Gerard, daughter and
sole heir to Digby Lord Gerard of Broomley, with whom he had a very considerable
estate in Lancashire and Staffordshire, and by her had Lady Elizabeth and
Lady Katharine, who died young; James, now Duke of Hamilton,
his heir and
successor; Lady Charlotte, Lord William, Lady Susan, and Lord Anne, so named
in regard of Queen Anne who was his god-mother. He carried, when Earl of
Arran and Duke of Hamilton, only, quarterly, first and fourth Hamilton, second
and third Arran, surrounded with the collar of the Thistle, and with that of the
Garter, supported by two antelopes, proper, gorged with ducal crowns, and chains
thereto affixed, passing betwixt their fore-legs, and reflexing over their backs or;
and for crest, a tree issuing out of a ducal coronet, with a saw fesse-ways through,
it : motto, Through, As in Plate of Achievements.
The branches and cadets of this noble family, with their blazons,
are these :
JAMES Earl of ABERCORN, Lord Paisley, Viscount of Strabane, and Lord Mountcastle
in Ireland; quarterly, first and fourth Hamilton, second and third Arran,
with a label of three points argent, in chief, for difference; with the crest, motto,
and supporters of the Duke of Hamilton, as before.
The first of this family was Lord Claud Hamilton, third son of James, the
fourth Lord Hamilton, second Earl of Arran, and Duke of Chattelherault in
France, by his wife, Lady Margaret Douglas, daughter of James Earl of Morton.
King James VI. erected the lands belonging to the abbacy of Paisley into a tem-
poral lordship, in favours, of Lord Claud Hamilton, the 2pth of August 1587;
and in the year 1591, created him a lord of Parliament, by the title of Lord
Paisley; he died 1621. He had by his lady, Margaret Seaton, daughter of George
Lord Seaton, James Lord Paisley, who was created Earl of Abercorn the loth of
July 1606, before his father died, of whom is descended the present James Earl of
Abercorn.
Sir THOMAS HAMILTON of Byres, was. son to Sir Thomas of Priestfield, and grandchild
of Thomas Hamilton of Drumcairn, descended of Hamilton of Inne?wick,
one of the first cadets of the family of Hamilton. The first, named Sir Thomas
of Byres, was by King James VI. employed in several honourable offices, as Pre-
Ident of the Session, and Secretary of State, and his Majesty created him Lord
Binning, the 3oth of November 1613.. I have seen his seal of arms appended to a
Charter of his, granted to John Howison of Braehead in Kings-Crammond, of the
date the ipth of November 1616, whereupon was a shield, charged with a cheveron,
and on it a buckle betwixt three all
cinquefoils, within a bordure charged
\vith eight thistles; supporters, two dogs; crest and motto as now used. But
there was no coronet upon the shield, because Parliamentary Lords were not then
in use to have them, and the legend round the shield was, Sigill. Thoinee Domini
Binny. By the same king he was created Earl of Melrose, with all ceremony, the.
3Oth of March 1619, and one of the knights that attended him in the ceremony
\vas Sir John Dalmahoy of that Ilk. This earl, afterwards disliking the title of
Melrose, changed it for that of HADDINGTON, which he got confirmed by King