Lord Claud Hamilton (1843–1925)

"Bridegroom". Caricature by Spy published in Vanity Fair in 1878.

Lord Claud John Hamilton PC (20 February 1843 – 26 January 1925) was a British Member of Parliament (MP) during the Victorian era.

Biography

Born the second son of James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Abercorn (later the 1st Duke of Abercorn) and his wife Lady Louisa Jane Russell, Hamilton was educated at Harrow School, and served in the Grenadier Guards and the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.^[1] In 1865, he became Conservative MP for Londonderry City until 1868 when he was appointed a Lord of the Treasury in Benjamin Disraeli's first ministry. In 1869, he became MP for King's Lynn until 1880,^[2] for Liverpool from 1880 to 1885, for Liverpool West Derby from 1885 until he resigned his seat in 1888^[3] and for Kensington South from January 1910 to 1918.^[3]

Hamilton married Carolina Chandos-Pole (19 July 1857–—21 September 1911) (a granddaughter of the 5th Earl of Harrington) on 20 July 1878 and they had two children:

• Gilbert Claud Hamilton (1879––1943), who gained the rank of Colonel in service of the Grenadier Guards, fought in the Second Boer War and was decorated several times. He married twice, firstly in 1911 Enid Awa Elgar (died 1916), daughter of Charles Elgar from Fernside, Featherston, New Zealand, and secondly in 1916 Mary Blair (died 1961), daughter of Joseph Allan Blair from New York City, USA He had no issue.
• Ida Hamilton (1883––1970), who in 1909 married Hugh Dunombe Flower (died 1950). They divorced in 1923 and had one son.

Lord Claud had been an aide-de-camp to Queen Victoria from 1887 to 1897 and was appointed to the Privy Council in 1917. He died in 1925, aged 81.

However his principal contribution to British public life was as a director of the Great Eastern Railway from 1872, becoming vice-chairman in 1874, and chairman in 1893, continuing as chairman until 1922. "He devoted the main energies of his life to the company, constantly travelling over the system, observing its conduct and operation".^[1] The shares of the company (which had been bankrupt in 1866) rose from 76, shortly after he became a director, to par in 1896, and the dividend to 6% in 1901.

In 1900, the Great Eastern Railway named the first of its new class of 4-4-0 express passenger locomotives (designed by James Holden and designated GER Classes S46, D56 and H88 ) after its chairman, and the whole class came be known as the "Claud Hamilton" type. ^[4]

He died on 26 January 1925, and was buried in Richmond Cemetery.^[5]

Legacy

A memorial was erected by Ida Flower in 1925 to the memory of her father. It can be found on the south wall of St John's-Hyde Park Church, London, W2.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Lord Claud Hamilton (1843–1925)

16. Captain The Hon. John Hamilton               8. John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn                       17. Harriet Craggs               4. James Hamilton, Viscount Hamilton                             18. Sir Joseph Copley, 1st Baronet               9. Catherine Copley                       19. Mary Buller               2. James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn                                   20. James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton               10. The Hon. John Douglas                       21. Bridget Heathcote               5. Harriet Douglas                             22. Edward Lascelles, 1st Earl of Harewood               11. Lady Frances Lascelles                       23. Anne Chaloner               1. Lord Claud Hamilton                                         24. John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford               12. Francis Russell, Marquess of Tavistock                       25. The Hon. Gertrude Leveson-Gower               6. John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford                             26. Willem van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle               13. Lady Elizabeth Keppel                       27. Lady Anne Lennox               3. Lady Louisa Jane Russell                                   28. Cosmo Gordon, 3rd Duke of Gordon               14. Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon                       29. Lady Catherine Gordon               7. Lady Georgina Gordon                             30. Sir William Maxwell, 3rd Baronet of Monreith, Wigtownshire               15. Jane Maxwell                       31. Magdalen Blair

References

1. Simmons, Jack and Biddle, Gordon (eds.) (1997). The Oxford Companion to British Railway History. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. p. 200.
2. Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 168, 192. ISBN 0-900178-26-4.
3. Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1974]. British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 28, 145. ISBN 0-900178-27-2.
4. Allan, Cecil J. (1968). The Great Eastern Railway (Third ed.). London: Ian Allen. p. 127.
5. Meller, Hugh; Parsons, Brian (2011). London Cemeteries: An Illustrated Guide and Gazetteer (fifth ed.). Stroud, Gloucestershire: The History Press. pp. 290–294. ISBN 9780752461830.

• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Lord Claud Hamilton
• Portraits of Lord Claud Hamilton at the National Portrait Gallery, London