Ordnance gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 3

HAMILTON PALACE
well, Camliuslang, Cambusnethan, Dalscrf, Dalziel,
Glassford, Hamilton, East Kilbride, New Monkland,
Old Monkland, Shotts, and Stonehouse ; the 22 quoad
sacra parishes of Airdrie, BaiUieston, Bargeddie, Bells-
hill, Burnbank, Cadzow, Calderhead, Chapelton, Clark-
ston, Cleland, Coats, Coltness, Dalziel Sonth, Flowerhill,
Gartsherrie, Garturk, Harthill, Holytown, Larkhall,
Overtown, Uddingston, and Wishaw ; and the 6 cha-
pelries of Calderbank, Greengairs, Meadowfield, Quarter,
Stouefield, and East Strathaven. Pop. (1871) 159,255,
(18S1) 204,720, of whom 18,608 were communicants of
the Church of Scotland in 1878.— The Free Church
presbytery comprises 4 churches in Airdrie, 3 in Coat-
bridge, 2 In Hamilton, and 20 others at BaiUieston,
Bellshill, Blantyre, Bothwell, Cambuslang, Cambus-
nethan, Chapelhall, Chapelton, Cleland, Dalziel, East
Kilbride, Greengairs, Holytown, Larkhall, Shotts, Stone-
house, Strathaven, Uddingston, Whifflet, and Wishaw,
which 29 churches together had 7524 members in 1881-82.
— The U.P. presbytery of Hamilton has 5 churches at
Hamilton, 3 at Strathaven, 2 at Motherwell, and 10
others at Bellshill, Blantyre, Cambuslang, East Kil-
bride, Hallside, Kirkmuirhill, Larkhall, Newarthill,
Stonehouse, and Wishawtown, which 20 churches to-
gether had 6383 members in 1881-82.
Hamilton Palace, a seat of the Duke of Hamilton,
is situated in the parish of Hamilton, on low ground
between the town of that name and the river Clyde.
The site of the old part of the town called Netherton is
partly included within the walls of the park ; and even
yet the houses of Hamilton approach the palace near
enough almost to intrude upon its privacy. The germ
of the structure was a small square tower, but the
oldest part of the present palace was erected about
1591, while a very large addition was made in 1705.
This erection, described by Dorothy Wordsworth in
1803 as ' a large building without grandeur, a heavy
lumpish mass,' was further added to in 1822 and sub-
sequent years, and is now one of the most magni-
ficent piles in the kingdom. It comprises a N front
265 feet long and 60 high, adorned with a splendid
Corinthian portico of monolithic columns 25 feet high
and 10 in circumference, modelled after the temple of
Jupiter Stator at Eome. The interior is planned on a
scale of equal magnificence. The principal apartments
are the tribune or saloon, the dining-room, 71 feet by
30, the library built to contain the famous Beckford
collection, and a gallery 120 feet long, 20 wide, and 20
high. The treasures of art in cabinets and furniture,
pictures, statuary, china, and glass, which, till 1882,
filled and adorned the princely rooms of the palace,
formed the most splendid assemblage of the kind in Scot-
land. This collection was made chiefly in the early
years of the 19th century by Alexander, the tenth duke,
and his father-in-law, the famous William Beckford,
author of Vathek, and it was perhaps the brightest gem
in the ducal coronet of Hamilton. Between 17 June and
20 July 1882 the magnificent treasures were dispersed by
the auctioneer's hammer. The sale, which created a
stir in every artistic circle throughout the world, pro-
duced the sum of £397,562, a total that far exceeds
any other modern sale of the same character. The
2213 lots brought an average of £180 each ; enormous
sums were given for the numerous unique art-treasures,
which, exclusive of pictures by the old masters, were
chiefly of the 17th and 18th centuries. Thepicturesalone,
including the miniatures, brought upwards of £123,000 ;
Eubens' famous 'Daniel in the Lions' Den,' on which
Wordsworth composed his well-known sonnet, was
sold for £5145 ; and a portrait of Philip IV., by
Velasquiz, for 6000 guineas. Perhaps the specialty of
the collection, if, indeed, it could be said to have a
specialty, was the fine old French furniture. Two
secretaires that had belonged to Marie Antoinette were
sold for £9450 each ; and a pair of Buhl ai-moires
brought £11,500. The library of Duke Alexander
was also sold, as well as Mr Beckford's library, which
had been removed to Hamilton Palace, where, however,
it was kept distinct.
HAMILTON PALACE
The policies surrovmding the Palace extend for 2J
miles along the Clyde, and for 2f miles along the Avon,
and include woods, gardens, and lawns. The wild white
cattle are noticed under Cadzow. Near the Palace
stands a mausoleum erected, at a cost of £130,000,
from designs by David Bryce, in imitation of the castle
of St Angelo at Rome. It includes an octagonal chapel
adorned with sculptures by A. H. Ritchie, and lighted
by a dome 120 feet high. Hither, in 1852, were trans-
ferred the remains of the Hamilton family. A moat-
hill towards the N of the park is 30 feet in diameter at
the base, and 16 high, and it has been referred to at
least as far back as the time of Malcolm Ceannmor.
The runic stone-cross, 4 feet high, in the vicinity, is
supposed to have been the market-cross of Netherton.
Hamilton gives the titles of Baron and Duke in the
peerage of Scotland to the noble family of HamUton-
Douglas, and that of Marquess to the Duke of Aber-
com. Both of these illustrious families are said to be
descended from Robert de Bellomont, third Earl of
Leicester, whose grandson. Sir Gilbert Hamilton, fled
to Scotland in 1323, in consequence of having slain in
combat John de Spencer. The crest of the dukes of
Hamilton — an oak tree with a saw through it — com-
memorates his escape in the disguise of a woodcutter ;
whilst the motto ' Through ' was Sir Gilbert's exclama-
tion on seeing his pursuers ride unsuspectingly past the
place where he and his servant were in the act of salving
through an oak tree. Sir Walter de Hamilton, Sir
Gilbert's son, acquired the barony of Cadzow, in the
sherifi'dom of Lanark, with other lands. His descen-
dant, Sir James, sixth Lord Cadzow, was created a
lord of parliament in 1445 as Lord Hamilton ; and as a
reward for changing to the king's side during the armed
revolt of Earl Douglas, he obtained a grant, dated 1
July 1455, of the office of sheriff of Lanark, and exten-
sive grants of lands at later dates. He married for his
second wife in 1474, Mary, eldest daughter of James II.,
and widow of Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran. His son,
who succeeded in 1479, obtained in 1503 a charter of
the lands and earldom of Arran, and was appointed
lieutenant-general of the kingdom, warden of the
marches, and one of the lords of regency in 1517.
His son, James, the second Earl of Arran, was declared
in 1543 heir-presumptive to the crown, and was ap-
pointed guardian to Queen Mary, and governor of the
kingdom during her minority. In recognition of
his services in opposing the English alliance, and in
bringing about the marriage of Mary with the Dauphin,
Henry II. of France conferred upon him the title of
Duke of Chatelherault, with a pension of 30,000 liiT:es
a j'car. In 1557 his eldest son, James, succeeded to
the earldom of Arran, the dukedom of Chatelherault
having been resumed by the French crown ; and on
Mary's arrival in Scotland in 1561, this nobleman
openly aspired to her hand. His strong opposition to
her majesty's religion completely estranged her favour,
and the unfortunate earl was not long afterwards de-
clared to be insane, while his estates devolved upon his
brother. Lord John Hamilton, commendator of Aber-
brothock. This fourth earl assisted in procuring Queen
Mary's escape from Loch Leven Castle in 1567 ; and it
was to his estate in Hamilton that she first fled. After
the battle of Langside, the castle of Hamilton was
taken, and its o^vner went into banishment. He was
restored by James VI., and created in 1599 Marquess
of Hamilton. His son, James, the second Marquis
(1604-25), obtained an English peerage as Baron of
Innerdale in Cumberland and Earl of Cambridge.
James, the third Marquess, was created in 1643 Mar-
quess of Clydesdale, and later Duke of Hamilton, with
a grant of the office of hereditary keeper of Holyrood
Palace.
This nobleman, the first Duke of Hamilton, warmly
espoused the cause of Charles I. ; and being defeated
and captured at the Battle of Preston, he was con-
demned by the same court as had condemned the king,
and was beheaded in London, 9 March 1649. His
brother and successor William, who had been previously
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