HIERARCHY OF HAMILTON PAGES

Page last updated as shown below - Up to and including Hamilton60 - See notes below

PCBG note on the 2015-16 Review (last updated 20.12.16)
The genes of the Hamiltons permeate Central Scotland and have rippled through Northern Ireland and much of the rest of the UK. I reviewed them in stages.
(a) The first stage of my review was done in the first half of February 2015. I checked most of the pages that were amongst the first uploaded into this site, when my access to sources was limited (as referred to below) and I was relatively inexperienced at producing such pages. I also 'filled in some gaps'. The result: 6 new pages (22-27), 7 others reviewed (02-08 inclusive), some movement of sections between pages, and many new connections & minor improvements.
(b) The second stage was worked on at various times in May-October 2016. It involved using 'HamiltonHistory' which, as mentioned below, is now arguably The Definitive Work on the Hamiltons. In this stage, I ...
- reviewed/expanded Hamilton26, split one of its sections into 2 parts, and then moved one of those parts to Hamilton29 and the other to Hamilton30;
- renamed Hamilton23 & Hamilton18 as Hamilton18 & Hamilton23 respectively (i.e. switched the titles);
- renamed old Hamilton19 as Hamilton34 then moved part of Hamilton11 into new Hamilton19 which was then reviewed & expanded;
- reviewed ALL of the Hamilton pages that were in in the database at the start of this stage (up to & including Hamilton28); AND
- added 11 new pages (29-39).
(c) The third/final stage was worked on in November-December 2016. This involved:
   (i) going through 'HamiltonHistory' to check that I had everything relevant that it has to offer; this led to 14 new pages: Hamilton40-53;
   (ii) going through various other publications to check that I had everything relevant that they have to offer (Commoners, BEB1841, BE1883, BLG1886, BLGI1912, BP1934, BLG1952 & BIFR1976);
   (iii) splitting those pages which were 'too big'; this led to 7 new pages: Hamilton54-60; a few pages (not least Hamilton01) were left 'a bit large' as reducing them would not be straightforward; and
   (iv) going (quickly) through all of the Hamilton pages to check that I had made most of the appropriate connections with other pages.

Although it may not always appear to be the case (!), there was some logic to my page numbering system. Whenever possible I tried to ensure that:
(i) earlier generations of a particular branch are shown on a page numbered lower than later generations of that branch; and
(ii) where an estate/seat moves between different branches, the earlier holders are shown on a page numbered lower than the later holders.

The following identifies most but not all of the branches covered by the Families Database. For more details, see the 'H' sub-index page.

Hamilton01 Cadzow & Arran
- Hamilton09 Hamilton-1
- Hamilton10 Abercorn-1
- Hamilton21 Abercorn-2
- Hamilton12 Boyne
- Hamilton18 Evandale, Crawfurdjohn & Gilkerscleugh
- Hamilton23 Ballymenoch, Killyleagh & Newtown Hamilton
- Hamilton29(1) Samuelston
- Hamilton29(2) Blair
- Hamilton30(1) Coates
- Hamilton30(2) St. John's Chapel
- Hamilton04 Broomhill & Belhaven-1
- Hamilton52(1) Brownhall
- Hamilton52(2) Parkhead-2, Bourtreehill, Sundrum & Castlefinn
- Hamilton54 Kincavel (Kincavil) & Piell
- Hamilton16 Shawfield, Silvertonhill-1, Westport, Turnlaw & Elrick
- Hamilton33 Silvertonhill-2, Newton
- Hamilton03 Orbiston & Bothwellhaugh
- Hamilton27 Dalzell & Monkland
- Hamilton56(1) Kilbrackmont(h)
- Hamilton56(2) Parkhead-1 & East Quarter
- Hamilton56(3) Ferguslie-1
- Hamilton20(2) Haggs
- Hamilton26 Dalserf-1, Glenawly & Sweden
- Hamilton02 Raploch-1 & Stonehouse
- Hamilton17 Killyleagh-1 & Clanbrassill
- Hamilton59(1) Killyleagh-2
- Hamilton59(2) Holmpatrick
- Hamilton55 Raploch-2 & Barnes (Barns)
- Hamilton11 Neilsland & Green
- Hamilton19 Udston-2, Belhaven-2, Barncleuch-2, Pencaitland-1 & Rosehall
- Hamilton34 Wishaw, Belhaven-3 & Dalserf-2
- Hamilton05 Torrance-1 & Machlinghoill
- Hamilton24 Torrance-2, Ai(t)kenhead & Westburn
- Hamilton08(2) Ardoch, Ladyland & Craighlaw
- Hamilton35(1) Shawtoun
- Hamilton35(2) Inchmachan, Kinkel & Kirktounholmel
- Hamilton36(1) Newhouse & Pryorhill
- Hamilton36(2) Inch of Bathgate
- Hamilton36(3) Woodhall
- Hamilton43 Letham(e), Briggs & Cochnoch
- Hamilton20(1) Fairholm
- Hamilton31 Bathgate
- Hamilton08(1) Bruntwood, Udston-1, Barncleuch-1
- Hamilton22 Bardowie
- Hamilton32 Bordland
- Hamilton42 Blantyre (Blantyreferm)
- Hamilton06 Preston & Fingalton
- Hamilton37(1) Airdrie
- Hamilton37(2) Ellershaw (Eldershaw)
- Hamilton25 Cambuskeith & Grange (of Kilmarnock)
- Hamilton14 Innerwick & Priestfield
- Hamilton57(1) Killaugh (Castle Hamilton)
- Hamilton57(2) Ballencrieff
- Hamilton15 Haddington, Jerviswood & Mellerstain
- Hamilton58(1) Redhouse (Reidhouse)
- Hamilton58(2) Little Preston & Falahill

Shown separately (not directly connected to the main line):
- Hamilton07 Rogerton
- Hamilton28 Carravetra, Cornacassa & Shankill
- Hamilton38 Cairnes, Craill & Mount Hamilton
- Hamilton39 Sanquhar, Sorne, Macnairstoun & Colquhot
- Hamilton40 Little Earnock & Bangour
- Hamilton41 Pardovan, Humbie, Easter Binning (Bynnie) & Carlowrie
- Hamilton44(1) Brouncastle-1; (2) Brownmuir; (3) Cander; (4) Bothwell, Carrisland & Raith; (5) Cathkin
- Hamilton45(1) Garyn, (2) Brouncastle-2 & (Halls of) Glengavill
- Hamilton46(1) Grange of Breich (2) Halcraig (3) Helies
- Hamilton47 Grange-Philipstoun (Grange of Culross) & Kinglas
- Hamilton48(1) Greenhuik & Kinneil (2) Kype (3) Sandiehill (4) Shawtounhill (5) Auldtoun & Middleholm
- Hamilton49 Milburne (Millburn)
- Hamilton50 Priestfield (in Blantyre) & Ballyfatton-1
- Hamilton60(1) Ballyfatton-2 & Fortstewart
- Hamilton60(2) Annesbrook
- Hamilton60(3) Strabane
- Hamilton51 Halls of Provan & Ontario
- Hamilton53(1) Dunnemanagh (2) St. Christopher (3) Coats

Male-line descent from the Birnie family : Birnie1 Dalserf-3
Male-line descent from the Douglas family : Hamilton13 Hamilton-2
Male-line descent from the Kelso family : Kelso1 The Retreat (Devon) & Hullerhirst
Male-line descent from the Nisbet family : Nisbet2 Dirleton & Pencaitland-2
Male-line descent from the Wallace family : Wallace02 Ferguslie-2 & Barr

Notes on the sources (last updated 20.12.16)
Because they include many of my own ancestors, many of the early Hamilton pages were amongst the very first I worked on, the main research being done well before I even thought of uploading genie data onto the Internet. At that time I had my own copies of BP1934, BLG1886 & BLG1952 but little else other than some hand-written family records. At that time, my main access to other sources came through visits to certain Public Libraries where I found, inter alia, 'The Scots Peerage' ("TSP"), HJHeraldry (Hamilton), 'AndersonMemoirs', and (later on but only once or twice) 'HamiltonHistory'. The last 3 of those are discussed below. I made notes of many pages from these books but, as will not surprise anyone who has seen my handwriting (this being before computers were portable), my notes (though very useful) are not always fully legible. I have since obtained my own copies of TSP, HJHeraldry (Hamilton), 'AndersonMemoirs' & various other useful sources - and now 'HamiltonHistory' also. Because of the potential importance of 'HamiltonHistory', I could not complete my review of the Hamiltons until I had obtained access to a copy of it, which I did not manage to do until 13.04.16. Now that I have a copy of that, I am able to get on with the next stage of my Review.

1. 'AndersonMemoirs' or just "Anderson" = 'Historical and Genealogical Memoirs of the House of Hamilton with Genealogical Memoirs of the Several Branches of the Family' by John Anderson, 1825.
- This is the 'Daddy' of all modern records on the Hamiltons and, until it was superseded by 'HamiltonHistory' (below), was The Definitive Work for the family. Whilst the data on the noble branches was "chiefly copied from Wood's edition of Douglas's Peerage, lately published" ( I have sometimes used 'TSP', the updated version of that), his compilation of data on the other branches is central to any study of the House of Hamilton. However, according to George Harvey Johnston (see below), Anderson admitted that "many of the accounts of the smaller branches are not to be trusted owing to "the suspicious assertions of family vanity and doubtful tradition" ". A second edition was published in 1827 which included a Supplement. Hamilton22 reports on the debate that arose regarding one of the branches covered, the Hamiltons of Bardowie.

2. 'HJHeraldry (Hamilton)' : The HJHeraldry series is mentioned on Sources and acknowledgments.
- 'The Heraldry of the Hamiltons', by George Harvey Johnston, was published in 1909. It identified Anderson's above-mentioned work as "The standard history of the family" and, after providing the quotation given above (about the trustworthiness of many of the accounts of the smaller branches), reported that "many of the Armorial Bearings appear to have been granted on the assumption that (those) pedigrees ... were correct." It is excellent for showing how the branches interconnected but, whilst good at showing surviving sons, very rarely mentions daughters.

3. 'HamiltonHistory' = 'A History of the House of Hamilton' by Lt. Col. George Hamilton, published 1933 by J. Skinner & Co., London
- This took over from Anderson's work as The Definitive Work on the Hamiltons. It clarified some of the issues raised by earlier sources and is set out in an easy-to-use format. I did not obtain my own copy of this book until 13.04.16 (for which my thanks to a site visitor, RK). That enabled me to carry on & complete my Review of this family.