Mall. George III and Queen Charlotte sat to him, besides many of the aristocracy. He gained a premium of sixty guineas from the Society of Arts in 1765. In 1771 he exhibited some portraits at the exhibition of the Incorporated Society of Artists, of which he was a member. In 1772 he exhibited with the Free Society of Artists, and again in 1773, 1774, 1775 with the Incorporated Society, including in the last year two conversation pieces. In 1778 he went to Rome, where he settled for some years, and drew the portraits of many of the British visitors to that city. By the advice of Flaxman he tried oil-painting, and subsequently confined himself to painting portraits in that method. Though he maintained his reputation and had many sitters, he never reached the same excellence that he showed in his crayon drawings. About 1791 he returned to Dublin, where he resided until his death in 1806. There are several important portraits by Hamilton at Dublin, including those of the Right Hon. John Foster, speaker of the Irish House of Commons, in the possession of the Dublin corporation, and ‘Dean Kirwan preaching,’ in the Dublin Royal Society. He also tried historical painting, such as ‘Medusa’ (a colossal head), ‘Prometheus,’ and ‘Cupid and Psyche.’ Many of his portraits were engraved, notably, Chief Baron Burgh, by W. Barnard; the Duke of Gloucester, by R. Earlom; Colonel Barré, by R. Houston (a portrait of Barré by Hamilton is in the collection of Baroness Burdett-Coutts); Mrs. Hartley, the actress, by Houston; Mrs. Frederick, by Laurie; Mrs. Brooksbank, by J. R. Smith; Dean Kirwan, by W. Ward; Mr. Joseph Gulston, by J. Watson, and many others. Hamilton's portrait of Anne, lady Temple, which is now in the National Portrait Gallery, was engraved by W. Greatbach for Cunningham's edition of Walpole's ‘Letters.’ A portrait of Hamilton himself was engraved by W. Holl. Another by G. Chinnery is in the possession of the Royal Hibernian Academy, and was exhibited at the Irish Exhibition in London, 1888.
[Redgrave's Dict. of Artists; Pasquin's Artists of Ireland; Chaloner Smith's Brit. Mezzotinto Portraits; Exhibition Catalogues.]
HAMILTON, Sir JAMES, of Cadzow, first Lord Hamilton (d. 1479), was descended from Walter de Hamilton, or Walter Fitzgilbert, styled in Barbour's ‘Bruce’ Schyr Walter Gilbertson, who, after swearing fealty to Edward I, became a supporter of Robert Bruce, and was rewarded by the barony of Cadzow, with the castle, which had formerly been a royal residence. He was the eldest of five sons of Sir James Hamilton, the fifth baron of Cadzow, by his wife Janet, eldest daughter of Sir Alexander de Levinstoun of Callendar. Shortly after the death of Archibald, fifth earl of Douglas, in 1439, he married by papal dispensation his widow, Lady Euphemia, eldest daughter of Patrick, earl of Strathearn. This lady was the mother of the Fair Maid of Galloway, who in 1444 was married to William Douglas, eighth earl of Douglas [q. v.] To these alliances was due the close connection of Hamilton with the ambitious schemes of the powerful house of Douglas, of which he was for some time regarded as one of the principal retainers. In 1444 he assisted in the devastation of the lands of Bishop Kennedy of St. Andrews, in Fife and Forfar, on which account he and other noblemen were sentenced to excommunication for a year. Soon after the sentence expired he obtained a special mark of royal favour, being on 3 July 1445 created a lord of parliament, under the title of Lord Hamilton of Cadzow, with the superiority of the lands of the farm of Hamilton, his manorhouse called the Orchard to be henceforth called Hamilton. On 18 Sept. 1449 he was appointed one of the commissioners to meet on the borders for the renewal of a truce with England (Cal. Documents relating to Scotland, iv. entry 1216; Rymer, Fœdera, xi. 238). The same year he obtained authority from Pope Sixtus V to erect the parish church of Hamilton (formerly Cadzow) into a collegiate church, and to add a provost and six prebendaries to a former foundation of two chaplainries in the church. In 1450 he accompanied Douglas to the jubilee celebration at Rome (Cal. Documents relating to Scotland, iv. entry 1254). He also adhered to the confederacy formed by Douglas soon after his return with the Earls of Crawford, Ross, and Moray for mutual defence, and was one of those in attendance on Douglas when he paid his fatal visit to the king in Stirling Castle in February 1452. He accompanied Douglas to the castle gate, but on attempting to enter was rudely thrust back by the porter. Indignant at the insult he drew his sword, but his relation, Sir Alexander Livingston, held him back from within by a long halbert till the gate was made fast. After the slaughter of Douglas by the king a pair of spurs is said to have been conveyed to Hamilton from some one in the castle as a hint to escape. A month afterwards he accompanied James, ninth earl, to Stirling, when the king was denounced as a traitor, and the safe-conduct granted the late earl was dragged through the streets. On the night before the assembling of the estates at Edinburgh, 12 June 1453,
