Hamilton, Alexander, 10th Duke of

Biography

The son of Archibald, 9th Duke of Hamilton and 6th Duke of Brandon, and his wife Lady Harriet Stewart, daughter of the 6th Earl of Galloway, Alexander Hamilton-Douglas succeeded his father as Duke in 1819. Spending much time in Italy, he amassed a large number of art treasures with which he filled the family estate, known as Hamilton Palace (a large portion of the collection was offered for sale by the 12th Duke at auctions held in June and July of 1882, after which the house was demolished). A Knight of the Order of the Garter, Lord Lieutenant for county Lanark, and a Fellow of both the Royal Society and the Society of Antiquaries, Alexander also served as a member of Parliament for Lancaster from 1802-6, followed by an appointment as Ambassador to Russia. On 26 April 1810, he married Susan Euphemia Beckford [d. 1859], the beautiful heiress of William Beckford. They had a daughter, Susan Harriet Catherine, and a son, William Alexander Anthony Archibald, who succeeded his father as 11th Duke of Hamilton and 8th Duke of Brandon. The Duke was active in various organizations, serving as a Trustee of the British Museum and Vice-President of the Royal Institution for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts in Scotland. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.

Bibliography

1852

Gentleman's Magazine. London, October 1852:424-425

1926

Marillier, H.C. [Henry Currie]. "Christie's" 1766 to 1925. London, Boston and New York, 1926: 55ff.

1991

Frew, John and John Lowrey. "Richard Payne Knight and Alexander..." Burlington Magazine 1061 (1991): 541-543

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