CHAPTER VI
WILLIAM HAMILTON OF BALLYFATTON, CO.
TYRONE, AND OF EDEN, CO.DONEGAL, AND HIS DESCENDANTS.
William Hamilton, the eldest son of
Archibald Hamilton of Ballyfatton, Cornet of Dragoons (Chap V) was High Sheriff
of Tyrone 1757; he used the following arms (which are the same as those of the
Dukes of Abercorn): 1st and 4th gules, three cinquefoils
ermine for Hamilton; and 2nd and 3rd, argent, a ship with
sails furled and oars sable, for the Earls of Arran; and his descendants claim
that their first ancestor who settled at Ballyfatton was a kinsman of the first
Earl of Abercorn. He m. his cousin Mary
White of Whitehall, Co. Antrim (to which family Sir George White, the defender
of Ladysmith belonged), and had two sons, William Hamilton, who died s.p.; and
James Hamilton of Eden and Ballyfatton J.P. b. 1745, who m. his cousin Mary
Hamilton of Fort Stewart (Chap VII) and by her (who died 1854, aged 94[1])
had the following children:-
(1)
William Hamilton, of whom presently;
(2)
James Hamilton of Dublin and Mossvill; Alderman of Dublin; Lord Mayor
1779-1790; b. 1788; died s.p. 28 Oct
1883;
(3)
John Hamilton, Capt. R.N., of SeaView[2];
b. 1793; d. 3 Oct 1871; served under Lord Nelson, and was present at the
battles of Copenhagen and Trafalgar [3];
m. Miss Richards of Macmine Castle, Co. Wexford, and died s.p. – (see Burke's
L.G.); Lieut. Seniority 4 Feb 1807 (Navy List)
(4)
Charles Hamilton, who died young;
(5)
Timothy Hamilton Capt. Irish Brigade, served under Bolivar and was killed;
(6)
George Hamilton of Eden, J.P.; died s.p.
(7)
Galbraith Hamilton of Eden and Ballyfatton; b. 1803; d. 29 Sep 1886; m. twice,
but died s.p.;
(8)
Margery Hamilton, of Eden, b. 1806; d. 12 Oct 1882 died unmarried;
(9)
Maria Hamilton, died unmarried.
The eldest son, William Hamilton was b.
at Eden, Co. Donegal, 17th March 1788; at the age of 16 he became an
ensign in the 42 Highlanders (Black Watch), and while serving with his regiment
at Gibraltar distinguished himself. In
1809 he took part in the campaign in the Peninsula under Sir John Moore, and
was in the retreat which terminated in the Battle of Corunna, where he was
wounded. In the autumn of that year he took part in the unfortunate Walcheren
Expedition where, like many others, he suffered from fever, and retired.
However, shortly afterwards he rejoined the service as a "volunteer"
with the 95th Rifles, and in 1811 joined the 1st Batt.,
then advancing from the lines of Torres Vedras. He took part in the storming of
the Ciudad Rodrigo, where he was severely wounded, and in the siege of
Badajos. He served through the
campaigns of 1811, 1812, and 1813, and was present at the Battles of Salamanca,
Vittoria, and the Pyrenees. At the
storming of San Sebastion the first man up the ladder carried by the Forlorn
Hope men of the 1st Batt., was Lieut. Percival, who was in command
and who was desperately wounded.
Hamilton, who was second, on gaining the top received a bullet under the
eye and fell back into the ditch where he lay a long time. Although his wound was considered to be
mortal, he recovered, but lost his palate, he was obliged in 1813 to retire
finally from the service, because he could not "give the
command." (This account is taken,
in a much curtailed form, from the Rifle Brigade "Calendar" for 1894,
compiled by Major Willoughby Verner of that regiment.)
In August 1816 he m. Mary, da. of Capt.
Power, 9th Lancers; and died 4th May 1828, leaving the
following children:-
(1)
James Paumier Hamilton, of whom presently;
(2)
William Hamilton of Seaview; m. 1851 Jane da. of Anthony Brownless, and died
s.p.;
(3)
Anne Jane Hamilton; m. 1 Jan 1852, Sir Anthony Colling Brownless, KCMG, Grand
Ross of St. Gregory the Great, Chancellor of the University of Melbourne, only
son of Anthony Brownless of Peynitz Hall, Kent (or see their issue in Burke's
Colonial Gentry). She died 1889 leaving issue; he died 1897.
(4) Maria Frances; m. 1st James
Johnstone 40th Regt, son of George Johnston and 2nd John
Smythe Watkins.
The elder son, James Paumier Hamilton, b.
1819; Recorder of Cork and County Court Judge and Chairman of Quarter Sessions,
E.R., Co Cork, and a Bencher of the King's Inns, Dublin, m. 1850 Martha (she
died 11th May 1917, aged 94), da. of Anthony Brownlees of Peynitz
Hall, Kent and grand da. of Anthony Brownlees and Anne his wife, da. of Michael
Colling of Darlington, Durham, and died 1892, leaving an only son William John
Paumier Hamilton of Mossvill [4],
Co. Donegal –(see Burke's L.G.; Mossvill was the name of the old residence at
Ballyfatton, Co. Tyrone, burned by the army of James II ); J.P.; Lieut-Col. 3rd Rifle
Brigade S. Irish Division. Royal Artillery, late of 41st Regt.
Director of the Donegal Rly., Quarter-Master of the Londonderry Remount Depot,
1914, representative of the family of Hamilton of Ballyfatton; b. 19 Jan 1852;
m. 18 Oct 1888, Louisa, 3rd da. of Major Francis D'Arcy Irvine of
the Indian Army –( See Burke's L.G.);
has a son James Paumier Hamilton, who enlisted at 16 in a cavalry regt.,
and was given a commission as Lieut. in the Connaught Rangers in 1915; was
wounded in France and has received two medals; died 1991; and two daus. Mary
Maud Mervyn Hamilton, who m. Dr. JP Ryan of the RAMC, who obtained the M.C.; and
Ailne Constance Hamilton. Ailne m. 1st
Michael Murrin and had a son Noel who died of malaria in Palestine. etc etc !!!!!!!
[1] She and many of this branch of the family are buried at the Iniskell Protestant Church, between Port Noo and Narin. The is a gravestone inscribed "Resting place of the Hamiltons' of Ballyfatton and Mossville".
[2] SeaView belonged to the family, and according to Ailne Constance, was gambled away by her father, Colonel William John Paumier Hamilton while his wife was away on holiday!
[3] I have been unable to find any reference to a John Hamilton at Trafalgar. C.F.B.H.
[4] He was ther last of the family to live in Mossvill.