94 BELHAVEN II. 1679. 2. John (Hamilton), Lord Belhaven and Stenton [S.], husband of the granddaughter {ex parte maternd) of the grantee and heir, according to the spec. rem. in the regrant of the Peerage in 1675.0 -^^ ^^^ ^- '^^'^ ^- °^ Robert Hamilton, (*■) of Press- mennan (a Lord of Session, 1689, under the name of Lord Pressmennan), by Marion Denholm. He was h. 5 July 1656. In 1696 he sue. his father in the estate of Pressmennan. He promoted the accession of William III, to whom, as well as to Queen Anne, he was P.C. [S.]. In Aug. 1704 he was a Commissioner of the Treasury, but was soon removed, being a zealous opponent of the Union. ('^) He was suspected (apparently without reason) of favouring the attempted invasion of Scotland in 1708 by the Chevalier, and was imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle. He m., in 1674, Margaret (to whom he was indebted for his peerage), ist da. (but not coh.)('^) of Sir Robert Hamilton, Bart. [S.], of Silverton-hill, by Anne, 2nd of the three daughters () and coheirs of John (Hamilton), ist Lord Belhaven and Stenton [S.] abovenamed. He d. 21 June 1708, directly after his release, of inflammation of the brain, in his 52nd year.O III. 1708. 3. John (Hamilton), Lord Belhaven and Stenton [S.] s. and h. Lord of the Bedchamber (Whig) to George, Prince of Wales, 17 14-21; Rep. Peer [S.] 171 5 till his death; Commander of a troop of Horse at SherifFmuir, 13 Nov. 171 5. Governor of Barbados, 1721, on the voyage whereto he and 240 more perished by shipwreck near the Lizard. He m. Anne, da. of Andrew Bruce, of Edin- burgh, merchant. She was bur. as "Mistress of Belhaven," 19 Aug. 1707, inform. R. R. Stodart, sometime Lyon-Clerk Depute). The strange admon. of 1656 is explained by his having fled to England, leaving his cloak and hat on Solway Moss, his wife, accordingly, giving out that he was drowned, and going into mourning. He remained, working as a gardener, for 6 years. See " Domestic Annals in Scot- land" in Gent. Mag. for July 1 84 1, p. 41. (") See pedigree on page 95. C") This Robert was 2nd s. of James Hamilton, of Barncleuth, co. Lanark, who was s. of John H., of Udston, the br. of Margaret, mother of the ist Lord Belhaven and Stenton [S.]. He was descended in the male line from Sir John H., of Cadzow, grandfather of James, cr. Lord Hamilton [S.] 1445. if) His remark at the last sitting of the Scottish Pari., "So there's an end of an auld sang " is still remembered. " Of a good stature, well set, of a healthy constitu- tion, black complexion, and graceful, manly presence; had a quick conception, with a ready and masculine expression, and was steady in his principles both in politics and religion." (Boyer's Queen Anne). He was a warm supporter of the disastrous Darien scheme. V.G. ("^) The descendants of her br.. Sir Robert Hamilton, Bart. [S.], represent this line of Hamilton. See tabular pedigree, p. 95. (f) The eldest sister, Margaret, m. Sir Samuel Baillie, of Lamington, and had issue, and the yst., Elizabeth (unm. and a minor in Nov. 1656, see previous page, note " d,") m. Alexander (Seton), 1st Viscount Kingston [S.]. (') In Macky's Memoirs of his secret service^ p. 236, he is described "as a rough, fat, black, noisy, man, more like a Butcher than a Lord."
