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Lord Claud Hamilton (1843–1925)

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For other people named Lord Claud Hamilton, see Lord Claud Hamilton (disambiguation).

Rt. Hon. Lord Claud John Hamilton PC (20 February 1843 – 26 January 1925) was a British aristocrat, Member of Parliament (MP), and a noted railway director during the Victorian era.[1]

Lord Claud Hamilton
Lord Claud Hamilton, c. 1916
Member of Parliament for Kensington South
In office
January 1910–1918
Member of Parliament for Liverpool West Derby
In office
1885–1888
Member of Parliament for Liverpool
In office
1880–1885
Member of Parliament for King's Lynn
In office
1869–1880
Member of Parliament for Londonderry City
In office
1865–1868
Personal details
Born(1843-02-20)20 February 1843
Stanmore, Middlesex
Died26 January 1925(1925-01-26) (aged 81)
Paddington, London, England
Political partyConservative
Spouse
Carolina Chandos-Pole
​
​
(m. 1878)​
Children2
Parents
RelativesLouisa Hamilton (sister)
James Hamilton (brother)
George Hamilton (brother)
Albertha Hamilton (sister)
Maud Hamilton (sister)
Frederick Hamilton (brother)
Ernest Hamilton (brother)
Military career
ServiceBritish Army
UnitGrenadier Guards
Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
"Bridegroom". Caricature by Spy published in Vanity Fair in 1878.

Family and education

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Lord Claud was born at the Priory in Stanmore, Middlesex,[2] the second son of James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Abercorn (later the 1st Duke of Abercorn) and his wife Lady Louisa Jane Russell, daughter of 6th Duke of Bedford. He was educated at Harrow School.[3]

He married Carolina Chandos-Pole (19 July 1857 – 21 September 1911), a granddaughter of the 5th Earl of Harrington, on 20 July 1878. They had two children:[1]

  • Gilbert Claud Hamilton (1879–1943), who gained the rank of colonel in service of the Grenadier Guards, fought in the Second Boer War and was decorated several times. He married twice, firstly in 1911 Enid Awa Elgar (1892–1916), daughter of Charles Elgar from Fernside, Featherston, New Zealand, and secondly in 1916 Mary Blair (died 1961), daughter of Joseph Allan Blair from New York City, USA. He had no issue.
  • Ida Hamilton (1883–1970), who in 1909 married Hugh Duncombe Flower (1878-1950). They divorced in 1923 and had one son.

Military and political careers

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Before turning to political life, Hamilton served in the British Army.[4] He purchased a commission as Ensign & Lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards on 27 May 1862, [5] buying his promotion to Lieutenant & Captain on 8 August 1865,[6] before retiring by sale of his commission on 8 June 1867.[7]

On 10 July 1867 he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant of the part-time Prince of Wales's Own Donegal Militia (later the 5th (Donegal Militia) Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers) in succession to his uncle, Lord Claud Hamilton (1813–1884). He was appointed Honorary Colonel of the battalion on 17 January 1891, in succession to his elder brother James Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Abercorn.[8]

In 1865, he became Conservative MP for Londonderry City until 1868 when he was appointed a Lord of the Treasury in Benjamin Disraeli's first ministry. In 1869, he became MP for King's Lynn until 1880,[9] for Liverpool from 1880 to 1885, for Liverpool West Derby from 1885 until he resigned his seat in 1888,[10] and for Kensington South from January 1910 to 1918.[10]

Lord Claud had been an aide-de-camp to Queen Victoria from 1887 to 1897 and was appointed to the Privy Council in 1917.[citation needed]

Great Eastern Railway

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However his principal contribution to British public life was as a director of the Great Eastern Railway (GER) from 1872, becoming vice-chairman in 1874, and chairman in 1893, continuing as chairman until 1922. The GER operated from London's Liverpool Street station to major eastern towns and cities including Cambridge, Norwich, Ipswich, Chelmsford, and Colchester. Hamilton travelled the network extensively. "He devoted the main energies of his life to the company, constantly travelling over the system, observing its conduct and operation".[4] The shares of the company (which had been bankrupt in 1866) rose from 76, shortly after he became a director, to par in 1896, and the dividend to 6% in 1901.[citation needed]

In 1900, the Great Eastern Railway named the first of its new class of 4-4-0 express passenger locomotives (designed by James Holden and designated GER Classes S46, D56 and H88 ) after its chairman, and the whole class came to be known as the "Claud Hamilton" type. [11]

Death

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Richmond cemetery

Hamilton underwent major surgery in November 1924. He died at his London home at 28 Cambridge Square, on 26 January 1925.[12] He was buried in Richmond Cemetery.[13] He was 81 years of age.

Legacy

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A memorial was erected by Ida Flower in 1925 to the memory of her father. It can be found on the south wall of St John's-Hyde Park Church, London, W2.[citation needed]

Ancestry

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Lord Claud Hamilton. Former Chairman of the G.E.R.". The Times. The Times Digital Archive. 27 January 1925. p. 8.
  2. ^ "Births". Morning Herald. 22 February 1843. p. 8. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  3. ^ Harrow School (1911). The Harrow School Register, 1800–1911. Longmans, Green, and Co. p. 288.
  4. ^ a b Simmons, Jack; Biddle, Gordon, eds. (1997). The Oxford Companion to British Railway History. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. p. 200.
  5. ^ London Gazette, 27 May 1862.
  6. ^ London Gazette, 8 August 1865.
  7. ^ London Gazette, 11 June 1867.
  8. ^ Army List, various dates.
  9. ^ Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 168, 192. ISBN 0-900178-26-4.
  10. ^ a b Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1974]. British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 28, 145. ISBN 0-900178-27-2.
  11. ^ Allan, Cecil J. (1968). The Great Eastern Railway (Third ed.). London: Ian Allan. p. 127.
  12. ^ "Obituary". The Times. The Times Digital Archive. 27 January 1925. p. 14.
  13. ^ Meller, Hugh; Parsons, Brian (2011). London Cemeteries: An Illustrated Guide and Gazetteer (fifth ed.). Stroud, Gloucestershire: The History Press. pp. 290–294. ISBN 9780752461830.

See also

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History of the associated clubs of the Apprentice Boys of Derry

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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Londonderry City
1865–1868 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for King's Lynn
1869–1880
With: Hon. Robert Bourke 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Liverpool
1880–1885
With: Viscount Sandon 1880–1882
Edward Whitley 1880–1885
Samuel Smith 1882–1885 		Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament for Liverpool West Derby
1885–1888 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Kensington South
Jan 1910 – 1918 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Chairman of the National Union of Conservative and Constitutional Associations
1885 		Succeeded by
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