James Hamilton (minister)

Emigrants memorial, Larne commemorating the first ship to leave Larne for America in 1717. The Eagle Wing left Groomsport in 1636 and was over half way there when they turned back. (The Mayflower sailed in 1620).

He was second son of Gawen Hamilton, third son of Hans Hamilton, vicar of Dunlop. After receiving a liberal education at Glasgow he was appointed by his uncle, James Hamilton, 1st Viscount Claneboye, overseer and general manager of his estates in Ireland. He attracted the attention of Robert Blair, at that time minister of the church at Bangor, County Down, who persuaded him to enter the ministry. In 1626, despite heterodox views which resembled Blair's own in regard to episcopacy, he was ordained by Bishop Robert Echlin, and presented by Lord Claneboye to the church at Ballywalter in county Down.[2]

He was there for ten years until Thomas Wentworth and John Bramhall set new terms of church communion to be sworn to in the Church of Ireland. Hamilton did not submit, and his example was followed by other ministers including Edward Brice and John Ridge.[3][4] Henry Leslie, Echlin's successor, was urged by Bramhall to proceed to their deposition; Leslie challenged them to a public disputation. His challenge was accepted, and Hamilton was chosen to conduct the defence on their behalf. The conference opened on 11 August 1636, in the presence of a large assembly. Bramhall called a halt, and, having obtained an adjournment, persuaded Leslie not to resume it, but to pass sentence on the recalcitrant ministers. On the following day they were deposed. Warrants were issued for their arrest, and Hamilton left for Scotland, where he was appointed minister of the church at Dumfries.[2]

In September 1636 he and other Scots and English puritans to the number of 140 sailed for New England in a ship called the Eagle Wing, which they had built for the purpose.[5] They were chiefly Presbyterians, but some of them inclined to Independency and others to Brownism. There were four Scots ministers on board: Robert Blair, their leader, James Hamilton, John Livingstone and John M'Clellan.

In September 1642 he revisited Ireland, in order to minister to the Ulster Scots, but returning to Scotland he was in March 1644 appointed by the general assembly to superintend the administration of the solemn league and covenant in Ulster. On his return to Scotland the ship in which he and several others, including his father-in-law, had taken their passage, was captured by the "Harp", a Wexford frigate, commanded by Alaster MacDonnell, who was bringing reinforcements to James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose in the Highlands. MacDonnell, who hoped by an exchange of prisoners to secure the release of his father, Colkittagh, then in the hands of Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll, landed his prisoners at Ardnamurchan, and confined them in Mingary Castle. There Hamilton remained for ten months; several of his companions were released, but his father-in-law, the Rev. David Watson, and another minister, Mr. Weir, both died. Exertions of the general assembly and Scottish parliament set him free on 2 May 1645.[2]

He returned to his charge at Dumfries, and was afterwards moved to Edinburgh. Being appointed a chaplain to Charles II by the general assembly, he was taken prisoner at Alyth in Forfarshire by Colonel Matthew Alured and Colonel Morgan, and taken to London, where he was confined for a short time in the Tower of London. Released by Oliver Cromwell's order, he returned to Edinburgh, where he preached till the restoration of the episcopacy in Scotland drove him from his pulpit. He retired to Inveresk, and died at Edinburgh on 10 March 1666.[2]

He married

• (1) Elizabeth, daughter of David Watson, minister of Killeavy, near Newry, Ireland, by whom he had fifteen children; of whom Archibald, minister of Killinchy, who was a leading minister in the Presbyterian church in Ireland, Jane, Mary, Margaret, and Elizabeth, only arrived at maturity
• (2) Anna, daughter of Sir James Pringle of Galashiels, and widow of William Inglis, W.S., who in her old age (being 80 years) and poverty on 10 February 1687 presented a petition to the Exchequer ; she was buried 5 September 1691 (Charity Papers)[1][2]

• Hamilton MSS. ed. by T. K. Lowry
• Reid's Hist, of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland[6]
• Patrick Adair's True Narrative of the Rise and Progress of the Presbyterian Church
• McBride's Sample of Jet-Black Prelatic Calumny, Glasgow, 1713
• Lives of the Revs. Robert Blair[7] and John Livingstone[2][8]
• Edin. Counc, Canongate (bur.), and Test. Registers
• Livingstone's Charac.
• Nicoll's, Lamont's, and Brodie's Diaries
• Reid's Ireland, Acts of Ass., and Pari.
• Reg. Sec. Sig., Peterkin's Rec.
• Baillie's Lett., ii., iii.
• Stevenson's and Wodrow's Hists., and Select. Biog., i.
• Dict. Nat. Biog.[1]

Citations

Sources

Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Dunlop, Robert (1890). "Hamilton, James (d.1666)". In Stephen, Leslie; Lee, Sidney (eds.). Dictionary of National Biography. 24. London: Smith, Elder & Co.