George Hamilton, 4th Baron Hamilton of Strabane

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George Hamilton
Baron Hamilton of Strabane
Tenure1655–1668
PredecessorJames, 3rd Baron H. of Strabane
SuccessorClaud, 4th Earl of Abercorn
Died14 April 1668
Spouse(s)Elizabeth Fagan
Issue
Detail		Claud, Charles, & others
FatherClaud, 2nd Baron H. of Strabane
MotherJean Gordon

George Hamilton, 4th Baron Hamilton of Strabane (died 1668) was the younger son of Claud Hamilton, 2nd Baron Hamilton of Strabane. He succeeded to the title in 1655 when his brother drowned while bathing in the River Mourne. After the Restoration, he obtained the return of the family lands around Strabane, which had been confiscated by the Parliamentarians in 1650.

Birth and origins[edit]

George was born in 1636 or 1637,[1] probably at Strabane Castle. He was the younger son of Claude Hamilton and his wife Jean Gordon. His father was the 2nd Baron Hamilton of Strabane and a member of the Strabane cadet branch of the Abercorns. The lords of Strabane owned much land around Strabane and Baronscourt in County Tyrone.

Family tree
George Hamilton with wife, parents, and other selected relatives.[a]
James
1st Earl
1575–1618		Marion
Boyd
d. 1632
Recusant
James
2nd Earl
d. 1670		Claud
2nd Baron
d. 1638		Jean
Gordon		Phelim
O'Neill
d. 1653		George
1st Baronet
Donalong
d. 1679
George
3rd Earl
c. 1636 –
bef. 1683		James
3rd Baron
1633–1655		George
4th Baron
1636/7 –
1668		Elizabeth
Fagan		James
c. 1630–1673
Claud
4th Earl
1659–1691		Charles
5th Earl
d. 1701		James
6th Earl
c. 1661–1734
James
7th Earl
1686–1744
Legend
XXXSubject of
the article		XXXEarls of
Abercorn		XXXBarons H.
of Strabane		XXXO'Neills

George's mother was the fourth daughter of George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly in Scotland. His parents were both Catholic. They married in 1632.[3] He was one of four siblings, who are listed in his father's article.

Father's death[edit]

In 1638, while George was still an infant, his father died and was buried in the church of Leckpatrick near Strabane.[4] His older brother James succeeded as the 3rd Baron Hamilton of Strabane as a young child. His mother ran the family estate and they continued to live in the Castle of Strabane.

Irish wars[edit]

In 1641, when George was about four years old, the Irish Rebellion broke out. The rebel leader Phelim O'Neill captured and burned Strabane Castle and took him, together with his mother and siblings, as prisoners to Kinard, his usual place of residence.[5] Phelim released his prisoners after some days and sent them to Sir George Hamilton, one of George's uncles.[6]

In 1649, when George was about 12, during the Irish Confederate Wars, Strabane Castle was attacked again, this time by Robert Monro and his Covenanter army. The castle was relieved by Phelim O'Neill, its previous attacker.[7] Phelim married George's mother in November.[8] Phelim became his stepfather and his half-brother Gordon O'Neill was born in due course.

In 1649 Oliver Cromwell invaded Ireland with the Parliamentarian forces. In July 1650, in the Siege of Charlemont, his brother and his stepfather defended Charlemont Fort with remnants of the Confederate Ulster army against a Parliamentarian army under Charles Coote. Having resisted several attacks, the fort finally surrendered to Coote on terms in August and the garrison was allowed to march away. In July 1650, the family's lands were confiscated by the Parliamentarians.[9] In 1652 Phelim O'Neill was captured. He was tried and convicted for treason in October and executed.[10]

Brother's succession[edit]

In June 1655 his brother, James, drowned in the River Mourne at Ballyfathen, aged about 22.[11][12] His brother had never married and George succeeded him as the 4th Baron Hamilton of Strabane. He is usually called Lord Strabane rather than Lord Hamilton to avoid confusion with the Lords Hamilton of the senior, Scottish, branch of the family.[citation needed]

Marriage and children[edit]

George married in or before 1659 Elizabeth Fagan, daughter of Christopher Fagan of Feltrim, County Dublin, and of Anne, daughter of Sir Nicholas White of Leixlip Castle.[13] Christopher Fagan had lost his estates during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland but would get them back in 1663 as an "innocent papist" in the terms of the Act of Settlement 1662.[14] Elizabeth would eventually turn out to be a rich heiress, the only surviving child after the deaths of her two brothers.[15]

George and Elizabeth had two sons:[16]

  1. Claud (1659–1691), succeeded him as the 4th Earl of Abercorn[16]
  2. Charles (died 1701), became the 5th Earl of Abercorn[16]

—and two daughters:

  1. Anne (died 1680), married John Browne of the Neale, County Mayo[17][18]
  2. Mary (born 1668 or 1669), born after her father's death, and would marry as his second wife Garrett Dillon, Recorder of Dublin[19]

Restoration[edit]

After the Restoration (1660), Lord Strabane, as he was now, obtained the return of most of the family lands, which had been confiscated in 1650 by the Parliamentarians. Although his brother James had fought with Phelim O'Neill's Confederates rather than with the royalists, his brother had fought against the Parliamentarians, not against the royalists and, Lord Strabane, being born about 1636, was too young to have been involved in the atrocities of 1641. His brother's lands were therefore restored to him as an "innocent papist" on 16 May 1663.[20]

Death, succession, and timeline[edit]

He died on 14 April 1668 at Kenure House, Rush, Dublin, and was buried at nearby St. Mechlin's Church.[21][22] He was succeeded by his eldest son Claud as 5th Baron Hamilton of Strabane, who in about 1680 became the 4th Earl of Abercorn.

Timeline
As his birth date is uncertain, so are all his ages.
Age Date Event
0 1636 or 1637 Born,[1] probably at Strabane Castle.
0–1 1638, 14 Jun Father died.[4]
3–4 1641 His home, Strabane Castle, burned by Phelim O'Neill.[5]
11–12 1649, 30 Jan King Charles I beheaded.[23]
11–12 1649 His home, Strabane Castle, attacked by Robert Monro relieved by Phelim.[7]
11–12 1649, Nov Mother married Phelim O'Neill.[8]
12–13 1650 Estates were confiscated by the Parliamentarians.[9]
15–16 1653, 10 Mar Stepfather executed.[10]
17–18 1655, 16 Jun Succeeded his drowned brother[11] as the 4th Lord Strabane.
21–22 1659, in or before Married Elizabeth Fagan.[15]
22–23 1660, 29 May Restoration of King Charles II[24]
22–23 1663, 16 May Obtained return of the estates at Strabane.[20]
30–31 1668, 14 Apr Died at Kenure House, Rush, Dublin.[21]

Notes and references[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ This family tree is partly derived from the Abercorn pedigree pictured in Cokayne.[2] Also see the lists of siblings and children in the text.

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ a b Cokayne 1953, p. 320a. "George (Hamilton), Lord Hamilton, Baron of Strabane [I.], only br. [brother] and h. [heir], was b. [born] between 14 Feb. 1835/6 and 1 Dec. 1637."
  2. ^ Cokayne 1910, p. 4. "Tabular pedigree of the Earls of Abercorn"
  3. ^ Paul 1904, p. 50, line 8. "He married, 28 November 1632, Lady Jean Gordon, fourth daughter of George, first Marquess of Huntly, by Lady Henrietta Stuart, daughter of Esme, first Duke of Lennox;"
  4. ^ a b Paul 1904, p. 50, line 7. "Dying 14 June 1638, he [Claude Hamilton] was buried in the church of Leckpatrick, County Tyrone."
  5. ^ a b Paul 1904, p. 50, line 12. "[Jean] who was taken prisoner by Sir Phelim O'Neile, in the rebellion of 1641, when he burned and destroyed the castle of Strabane, but whom she afterwards married ..."
  6. ^ Graham 1841, p. 277. "He [Phelim] carried the unfortunate lady to his castle at Kinnaird, where he kept her two or three days, and then sent her to Sir George Hamilton ..."
  7. ^ a b Webb 1878, p. 417, line 51. "He [Phelim] had just before relieved her castle of Strabane, attacked by Monro."
  8. ^ a b Webb 1878, p. 417, line 48. "In November 1649 he [Phelim] married Lady Jane Gordon a daughter of the Marquis of Huntly and the widow of Lord Strabane."
  9. ^ a b Cokayne 1896, p. 260, line 3. "He [James] incurred forfeiture of his lands by joining the Irish under Sir Phelim O'Neill ... 20 July 1650, at Charlemont ..."
  10. ^ a b Webb 1878, p. 417. "He was tried and convicted in October, and was executed with all the barbarities then inflicted on persons adjudged guilty of high treason."
  11. ^ a b Cokayne 1896, p. 260, line 5. "He died s.p. 16 June 1655 (a recusant) being drowned while bathing in the River Maine at Ballyfatty near Strabane."
  12. ^ Paul 1904, p. 50, line 28. "... and died, without issue, a Roman Catholic recusant at Ballyfatten, near Strabane, 16 June 1655, being drowned bathing in the River Mourne ..."
  13. ^ Paul 1904, p. 51, line 8. "He married Elizabeth, daughter, and ultimately sole heiress, of Christopher Fagan of Feltrim in the county of Dublin, by Anne, daughter of Sir Nicholas White of Leixlip, in the county of Klidare ..."
  14. ^ Lodge 1789, p. 115, note. "In the court of claims for executing the act of settlement, the said Christopher Fagan claimed his estate and by the decree of that court 20 March 1663 was adjudged an inncocent papist ..."
  15. ^ a b Cokayne 1896, p. 260, line 10. "He m. in or before 1659 Elizabeth, only da. and on the death of her two brothers (Richard and Peter) h. of Cristopher FAGAN, of Feltrim, co. Dublin."
  16. ^ a b c Lodge 1789, p. 116, line 17. "His [George Hamilton] issue were two sons and two daughters, Claude and Charles successive earls of Abercorn;"
  17. ^ Lodge 1789, p. 116, line 18. "Anne, married to John, son of George Browne of the Neale in the co. of Mayo, Esq. and died 14 Aug. 1680."
  18. ^ Burke & Burke 1915, p. 54, right column, line 24. "1. Anne, m. (art. dated 27-8 May, 1680) Sir John Browne, 3rd Bart, of the Neale, ancestor of Lord Kilinaine. She d.s.p. (died childless) 14 Aug. 1680."
  19. ^ Paul 1904, p. 51, line 19. "Mary, born after her father's death, married to Gerald Dillon, Recorder of Dublin ..."
  20. ^ a b Cokayne 1953, p. 320b. "His brother's forfeited lands were restored to him as an 'innocent papist', 16 May 1663."
  21. ^ a b Paul 1904, p. 50. "George, 4th Lord Strabane, who, dying 14 April 1668 at his house at Kenure, County Dublin, was buried in St. Mechlin's Church, near Rush in that county ...
  22. ^ Brewer 1829, p. 258. "In the immediate vicinity of Rush is the ruined Church of St. Mechlin, in which is a large tomb, adorned with the coat-armour of the deceased, and bearing an inscription to the memory of George, fourth baron of Strabane, who died on the 14th of April 1668."
  23. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, p. 44, line 17. "Charles I. ... exec. 30 Jan. 1649 ..."
  24. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, p. 44, line 39. "Charles II. ... acc. 29 May 1660 ..."

Sources[edit]

Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by Baron Hamilton of Strabane
1655–1668 		Succeeded by
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