JAMES HAMILTON

james hamilton, 1st earl of arran of the new creation (c. 1475-1529), son of james, 1st lord hamilton, and of mary stewart, daughter of james ii. of scotland, was born about 1475, and succeeded in 1479 to his father's titles and estates. in 1489 he was made sheriff of lanark, was appointed a privy councillor to james iv., and in 1503 negotiated in england the marriage between the king and margaret tudor. hamilton excelled in the knightly exercises of the day, and the same year on the 11th of august, after distinguishing himself in a famous tournament, he was created earl and justiciary of arran. in 1504 as lieutenant-general of the realm he was employed in reducing the hebrides, and about the same time in an expedition with 10,000 men in aid of john, king of denmark. in 1507 he was sent ambassador to france, and on his return through england was seized and imprisoned by henry vii. after the accession of henry viii., arran, in 1509, signed the treaty of peace between the two countries, and later, when hostilities began, was given command of a great fleet equipped for the aid of france in 1513. the expedition proved a failure, arran wasting time by a useless attack on carrickfergus, lingering for months on the scottish coast, and returning with a mere remnant of his fleet, the larger ships having probably been purchased by the french government. during his absence the battle of flodden had been lost, and arran found his rival angus, who enjoyed henry's support, married to the queen dowager and in control of the government. arran naturally turned to the french party and supported the regency of the duke of albany. later, however, becoming impatient of the latter's monopoly of power, he entered into various plots against him, and on albany's departure in 1517 he was chosen president of the council of regency and provost of edinburgh. the same year he led an expedition to the border to punish the murderers of the french knight la bastie. in september, however, after a temporary absence with the young king, the gates of edinburgh were shut against him by the douglases, and on the 30th of april 1520 the fierce fight of "cleanse the causeway" took place in the streets between the two factions, in which the hamiltons were worsted. the quarrel, however, between angus and his wife, the queen-mother, with whom arran now allied himself, gave the latter another opportunity of regaining power, which he held from 1522, after albany's return to france, till 1524, when he was forced to include angus in the government. in 1526, on the refusal of the latter to give up his control of the king on the expiry of his term of office, arran took up arms, but retreated before angus's forces, and having made terms with him, supported him in his close custody of the king, in september defeating the earl of lennox, who was marching to edinburgh to liberate james. on the proscription of angus and the douglases, arran joined the king at stirling. he died in 1529. his eldest son james succeeded him.