Clan Hamilton is arguably one of Scotland’s most ancient and noble clans, and their descendants certainly live up to this pedigree! From politics, to musical theatre to Formula One, Hamiltons have found success in an impressively broad range of fields.
James Hamilton
Even in the earliest days of the clan, certain members managed to make a notable name for themselves. In fact, the very first lord, James Hamilton, even succeeded in joining the royal family! James was born at Cadzow Castle in around 1415 and was a Scottish nobleman, scholar, and politician. In 1445, Hamilton received a charter naming him a Lord of Parliament. This charter raised all his estates into the entail of that rank, with an early iteration of Hamilton Palace assigned as the Chief House. James was also responsible for solidifying the Clan’s claim to the land, as the charter also stated that from then on, the surrounding territories would be known as Hamilton, as they still are to this day.
Later in his life, he married Mary, daughter of King James II, once again advancing the Hamilton name and influence. He had three children with Mary, including James Hamilton, who was named the 1st Earl of Arran.
Alexander Douglas Hamilton
Modern day members of Clan Hamilton display a similar pride for their heritage and family. The Chiefs still play a significant public role and have responsibilities towards the royal family. The current chief is Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, a Scottish nobleman and the Premier Peer of Scotland. He was born on the 31st of March 1978, and became the 16th Duke of Hamilton on the 5th of June 2010, following the death of his father. He is also the Hereditary Keeper of the Palace of Holyrood house and the hereditary bearer of the Crown of Scotland; as part of this role, he walks immediately before the monarch in the ancient ceremonial procession known as the Riding of Parliament. He has performed duties in many important ceremonies. To give one example, he delivered the Crown of Scotland to the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh on the 29th of June 2019, before Queen Elizabeth II arrived to mark the 20th Anniversary of the Scottish Parliament. You also may have spotted him at the remembrance service for Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, as he placed the Crown of Scotland on the Queen’s coffin.
Other famous Hamiltons have made their name outside of traditional Clan positions, but their achievements are undoubtedly just as impressive.
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton is a Formula One driver for Mercedes who has amassed world-wide fame for his talents. He was born on the 7th of January 1985 in Stevenage, Hertfordshire and joined the McLaren young driver programme in 1998, aged only 13!
Hamilton went on to compete with McLaren in Formula One from 2007 to 2012, as the first black driver to race in the series. From his very first season, Hamilton established himself as one to watch. During his second season, he won his first title with a dramatic flourish, performing a crucial overtake on the last lap of the last race of the season. With this nail-biting win, he became the then-youngest ever Formula One World Champion.
After six years with McLaren, Hamilton signed with Mercedes in 2013. In 2014, his continued to gain success, winning 16 of his 19 races that season. More recently, he took his 104th pole position at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Hamilton’s influence extends beyond just Formula One, however, in fact, he has been credited with furthering the sport’s global following by appealing to a broader audience, partly due to his high-profile, glamorous lifestyle and achievements in music and fashion, and partly due to his environmental and social activism. He has designed lines for Tommy Hilfiger and now owns his own clothing label called + 44.
He is also an advocate for increased diversity in motorsport and has taken courageous public stands against racism and discrimination. He took the knee before every race he entered in the 2020 Formula One season in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and wore t-shirts showing the Black Lives Matter slogan.
Hamilton is also vocal about his environmental beliefs; he has frequently discussed climate change and animal rights at conferences, in interviews and in documentaries. He also often uses his social media to raise awareness of numerous issues and to support charities. In January 2020, he donated approximately £383,000 to a variety of causes relating to the bush fire crisis in Australia, helping to fund fire services and animal welfare charities.
Hamilton’s sporting success and philanthropic efforts have been widely recognised across the world; he was listed in the 2020 issue of Time as one of the 100 most influential people globally, and was knighted in the 2021 New Year Honours. Just like his early ancestors, he’s clearly incredibly determined, hard-working and driven (no pun intended!).
Alexander Hamilton
If you’re a musical theatre fan, we’re sure you’ll have heard of our last famous Hamilton for today. Alexander Hamilton was a writer, soldier, lawyer, politician, economist, and one of the founding fathers of the United States. During his relatively short life, Hamilton achieved an impressive amount. Some of his biggest accomplishments included helping to defeat the British in the Revolutionary War, helping to create the U.S. Constitution, being appointed the country’s first secretary of the Treasury, and revolutionizing the nation’s financial system.
However, while he made his name in America, his roots were in Scotland. Hamilton was born in 1755 in Charlestown, the capital of the island of Nevis in the British Leeward Islands, to Rachel Faucette, a woman of half-British and half-French Huguenot descent, and James A. Hamilton, a Scotsman who was the fourth son of Alexander Hamilton, the laird of Grange, Ayrshire.
Sadly, however, his childhood was not a happy one. By 1766, James Hamilton had abandoned the family and just two years later, Rachel passed away, leaving Alexander and his brother orphaned and destitute before they were even teenagers. When he was just 13, Alexander got a job as a clerk at a local trading company run by two New York merchants and was soon promoted to manager.
Hamilton’s employers and peers in the community were said to have been so impressed by his talents that they began raising money to send him to America for an education.
By 1773, he had amassed enough money to move to New York and enroll at King’s College, now known as Columbia University. However, Hamilton’s sense of national pride interrupted his studies. When the Revolutionary War against the British began in 1775, he knew he had to fight.
He joined the New York Provincial Artillery Company and quickly caught the attention of George Washington, who he impressed with his bravery and tactical skill. In 1777, Washington promoted him to lieutenant colonel of the Continental Army and made him his aide-de-camp. Hamilton then spent the next years putting his writing skills to work at the service of the general.
However, he was eager to return to the battlefield. In 1781, he was given command of a battalion that took part in the assault on Yorktown that resulted in the surrender of British General Lord Charles Cornwallis and the end of the war. This solidified his status as an American icon and a war hero.
But his influence did not end there. In the years following the war, Hamilton famously contributed to the creation of the U.S. Constitution and was appointed as the first secretary of the treasury. He oversaw some big changes in this position, including the introduction of the country’s first central bank, modeled on the Bank of England, and the dollar being set as the nation’s official currency.
Today, his legacy lives on in many ways, but perhaps most notable is the musical, ‘Hamilton,’ a biographical musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. It covers the life of Alexander Hamilton and his involvement in the American Revolution and the political history of the early United States. The music draws heavily from a hip hop influence, as well as R&B, pop, soul, and traditional-style show tunes. It casts non-white actors as the Founding Fathers of the United States and other historical figures and was described by Miranda as "America then, as told by America now."
From its premier in 2015, Hamilton has received near-universal acclaim. At the 70th Tony Awards, it received a record-breaking 16 nominations and won 11 awards, including Best Musical! It is astounding to see the influence that a Hamilton descendant has had on world politics, and inspirational to see how many people his story has touched with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking musical.
It’s clear to see that the Hamilton traits of daring, determination, and achievement are deeply rooted and persevering. If you’re lucky enough to have Hamilton blood, I hope you feel inspired having read about just some of the great accomplishments of your peers! Is there anyone else you think we should have mentioned? If so, please get in touch and let us know! If you’d like to learn more about this impressive Clan, keep an eye out for our upcoming Hamilton Blogs, and check out the Hamilton Clan Page.
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