Peerage Record – 10943

     Charles Douglas, 2nd Earl of Selkirk was born on 3 February 1662/63.³ He was the son of William Douglas-Hamilton, 1st Earl of Selkirk and Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton.¹ He was baptised on 5 February 1664.³ He died on 13 March 1738/39 at age 76 at London, England^G.⁴ He was buried on 18 April 1739 at Westminster Abbey, Westminster, London, England^G.⁴
     He was given the name of Charles Hamilton at birth.³ He succeeded as the 2nd Lord Daer and Shortcleuch [S., 1646] on 6 October 1688.³ He succeeded as the 2nd Earl of Selkirk [S., 1646] on 6 October 1688.¹ On 6 October 1688 his name was legally changed to Charles Douglas.⁵ He gained the rank of Colonel on 20 November 1688 in the 1st Regiment of Horse.⁴ He held the office of Lord of the Bedchamber between 1689 and 1702.⁴ He fought in the Battle of the Boyne on 1 July 1690.⁴ He held the office of Burgess of Edinburgh on 15 February 1692/93.⁴ He fought in the Battle near Liege in 1695, where he was wounded by a stone splinter in the head.⁴ He held the office of Lord Clerk Register [Scotland] between 20 June 1696 and 1702.⁴ He held the office of Lord of the Treasury [Scotland] from 1704 to 1705.⁴ In 1713 he went to France on his mother’s behalf to pursue her claims to the Dukedom of Châtellerault, and in July 1714 it was agreed to compund these claims for a lump sum of 500,000 livres, which was never paid.⁴ He held the office of Lord of the Bedchamber to King George I and II between 1714 and 1739.⁴ He held the office of Lord Clerk Register [Scotland] between 1733 and 1739.⁴ He was appointed Privy Counsellor (P.C.) on 1 November 1733.⁴ He held the office of Governor of Edinburgh Castle from 1737 to 1738.⁴ He held the office of Sheriff Principal of Lanarkshire.⁴
     Succeeded to the title of Earl of Selwick (on his father’s resignation) under a novodamus 6th Oct 1688, to himself and his four younger brothers successively in heirs male, whom failing to the other heirs male of the Duke of Hamilton with a proviso that if Charles or any of his brothers or the heirs male of their bodies should succeed to the Dukedom, the Earldom should always descend to the next younger brother of the Duke so succeeding and to the heirs male of his body, with the remainder over as aforesaid.

     Digby Gerard, 5th Baron Gerard of Gerard’s Bromley was born on 17 July 1662.² He was the son of Charles Gerard, 4th Baron Gerard of Gerard’s Bromley and Jane Digby.² He married Lady Elizabeth Gerard, daughter of Charles Gerard, 1st Earl of Macclesfield and Jeanne de Civelle, circa 3 September 1678.² He died on 10 October 1684 at age 22 at Rose Taverns, Covent Garden, London, England^G, from a drinking match, without male issue.²
     He gained the title of 5th Baron Gerard of Gerard’s Bromley.³

     Lady Elizabeth Gerard was born circa 1659.² She was the daughter of Charles Gerard, 1st Earl of Macclesfield and Jeanne de Civelle.^3,4 She married Digby Gerard, 5th Baron Gerard of Gerard’s Bromley, son of Charles Gerard, 4th Baron Gerard of Gerard’s Bromley and Jane Digby, circa 3 September 1678.² She died on 11 January 1699/0.²

     Charles Gerard, 1st Earl of Macclesfield was born circa 1618.³ He was the son of Sir Charles Gerard and Penelope Fitton.⁴ He married Jeanne de Civelle, daughter of Pierre de Civelle, before 1 December 1656. He died on 7 January 1693/94, from vomitting.⁵
     He gained the title of 1st Earl of Macclesfield.¹ He held the office of Lord-Lieutenant of Herefordshire between 1689 and 1694.² He held the office of Lord-Lieutenant of Gloucestershire between 1689 and 1694.²

     James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton was born on 5 January 1702/3.¹ He was the son of Lt.-Gen. James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton and Elizabeth Gerard.¹ He married, firstly, Lady Anne Cochrane, daughter of John Campbell Cochrane, 4th Earl of Dundonald and Lady Anne Murray, on 14 February 1722/23.³ He married, secondly, Elizabeth Strangways, daughter of Thomas Strangways, in 1727.³ He married, thirdly, Anne Spencer, daughter of Edward Spencer and Anne (?), on 21 August 1737, (although Scots Peerage states 23 July.)³ He died on 2 March 1742/43 at age 40 at Bath, Somerset, England^G, from jaundice and palsy (note that Scots Peerage says 9 March).³ His will (dated 1 Feb 1742) was proven (by probate) on 22 June 1743.³
     He was styled as Marquess of Clydesdale between 1703 and 1712.¹ He succeeded as the 5th Earl of Arran and Cambridge [S., 1643] on 15 November 1712.⁴ He succeeded as the 4th Earl of Lanark [S., 1639] on 15 November 1712.⁴ He succeeded as the 4th Lord Machansyre and Polmont [S., 1639] on 15 November 1712.⁴ He succeeded as the 5th Marquess of Clydesdale [S., 1643] on 15 November 1712.⁴ He succeeded as the 5th Duke of Hamilton [S., 1643] on 15 November 1712.¹ He succeeded as the 5th Lord Aven and Innerdale [S., 1643] on 15 November 1712.⁴ He succeeded as the 2nd Baron of Dutton [G.B., 1711] on 15 November 1712.⁴ He succeeded as the 2nd Duke of Brandon [G.B., 1711] on 15 November 1712.⁴ He was educated from 1716 to 1717 at Winchester College, Winchester, Hampshire, England^G.¹ He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England^G, on 2 May 1718.¹ He was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Laws (D.C.L.) by Christ Church, Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England^G, on 6 June 1719.¹ He gained the rank of Captain General in 1724 in the Royal Company of Archers.¹ He was appointed Knight, Order of the Thistle (K.T.) on 31 October 1726.¹ He held the office of a Lord of the Bedchamber between June 1727 and 1733.¹ He was appointed Fellow, Royal Society (F.R.S.) on 8 April 1736.³
     According to Gibbs, “a passage in the 1st Earl of Egmont’s diary in 1734 does not give a favourable picture of his character, or any rate of his reputation. ‘The Duke of Hamilton has embarked with the Jacobite party, but having secretly offered to be with the Court if the King will make him a hereditary English Peer, the Jacobites, who have learned this, have renounced him, as a man unsettled, but all for his own interests. The King recalled him from Rome, where he was too busy with the Pretender’s party … yet at his return the King made him Lord of the Bedchamber, which place he slighted, though kept open a year for him.³‘ “

     Lady Anne Cochrane was born on 22 February 1706/7 at Canongate, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland^G.¹ She was the daughter of John Campbell Cochrane, 4th Earl of Dundonald and Lady Anne Murray.¹ She married James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton, son of Lt.-Gen. James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton and Elizabeth Gerard, on 14 February 1722/23.¹ She died on 14 August 1724 at age 17 in childbirth.¹
     After her marriage, Lady Anne Cochrane was styled as Duchess of Hamilton on 14 February 1723. From 14 February 1723, her married name became Hamilton.

     John Campbell Cochrane, 4th Earl of Dundonald was born on 4 July 1687 at Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland^G.² He was the son of John Cochrane, 2nd Earl of Dundonald and Lady Susanna Hamilton.³ He married, firstly, Lady Anne Murray, daughter of Charles Murray, 1st Earl of Dunmore and Catherine Watts, on 4 April 1706.³ He married, secondly, Lady Mary Osborne, daughter of Peregrine Osborne, 2nd Duke of Leeds and Bridget Hyde, on 15 October 1715.⁴ He died on 5 June 1720 at age 32.⁴
     He succeeded as the 4th Lord Cochrane of Dundonald [S., 1647] on 22 November 1705.³ He succeeded as the 4th Earl of Dundonald [S., 1669] on 22 November 1705.¹ He succeeded as the 4th Lord Cochrane of Paseley and Ochiltrie [S., 1669] on 22 November 1705.³ He held the office of Representative Peer [Scotland] between 1713 and 1715.³ He gained the rank of Colonel in the 4th Regiment of Horse Guards.³

     Lady Anne Murray was the daughter of Charles Murray, 1st Earl of Dunmore and Catherine Watts.¹ She married John Campbell Cochrane, 4th Earl of Dundonald, son of John Cochrane, 2nd Earl of Dundonald and Lady Susanna Hamilton, on 4 April 1706.² She died on 30 November 1710.²
     From 4 April 1706, her married name became Cochrane.

     Charles Murray, 1st Earl of Dunmore was born on 24 February 1661.² He was the son of John Murray, 1st Marquess of Athole and Lady Amelia Anne Sophia Stanley.³ He married Catherine Watts, daughter of Richard Watts, on 8 December 1682.² He died on 19 April 1710 at age 49.²
     He gained the rank of Colonel in 1685 in the Scots Greys.² He was created 1st Earl of Dunmore [Scotland] on 16 August 1686.¹ He was created 1st Lord Murray of Blair, Moulin and Tillemot [Scotland] on 16 August 1686.² He was created 1st Viscount of Fincastle [Scotland] on 16 August 1686.² In 1689 he was imprisoned as a suspected Jacobite.² In 1692 he was again imprisoned as a suspected Jacobite.² In 1696 he was again imprisoned.² He was Master of Horse to Princesses Mary and Anne.² He was appointed Privy Counsellor (P.C.) in 1703.²

     Elizabeth Strangways was the daughter of Thomas Strangways.¹ She married James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton, son of Lt.-Gen. James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton and Elizabeth Gerard, in 1727.¹ She died on 3 November 1729 on the road, without issue.¹
     After her marriage, Elizabeth Strangways was styled as Duchess of Hamilton in 1727. From 1727, her married name became Hamilton.