HAMILTON

hamilton, marquesses and dukes of. the holders of these titles descended from sir james hamilton of cadzow, who was made an hereditary lord of parliament in 1445, his lands and baronies at the same time being erected into the "lordship" of hamilton. his first wife euphemia, widow of the 5th earl of douglas, died in 1468, and probably early in 1474 he married mary, daughter of king james ii. and widow of thomas boyd, earl of arran; the consequent nearness of the hamiltons to the scottish crown gave them very great weight in scottish affairs. the first lord hamilton has been frequently confused with his father, james hamilton of cadzow, who was one of the hostages in england for the payment of james i.'s ransom, and is sometimes represented as surviving until 1451 or even 1479, whereas he certainly died, according to evidence brought forward by j. anderson in _the scots peerage_, before may 1441. james, 2nd lord hamilton, son of the 1st lord and princess mary, was created earl of arran in 1503; and his son james, who was regent of scotland from 1542 to 1554, received in february 1549 a grant of the duchy of chatellerault in poitou.