Robert Hamilton (1698 - 1773)

Born 5 Jan 1698 in Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland

Husband of Anne (Cunningham) Hamilton — married 27 Mar 1760 in Ayrshire, Scotland

Descendants

Died 5 Jun 1773 at age 75 in Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland

Biography

Robert Hamilton was born in Scotland.

This profile is part of the Ayr, Ayrshire One Place Study.

Robert was born 5 Jan 1698 and baptized 23 Jan 1698 in Ayr, Scotland. He was the son of Hugh Hamilton of Clongall, a merchant in Ayr, and his wife Jean Ferguson.^[1][2]Although he is often referred to as Robert Hamilton of Bourtreehill, he was not born there. In 1685, Bourtreehill belonged to the Skelmorlie family and was sold to James Montgomerie, a merchant from Glasgow, in 1696. James Montgomerie's son sold it to Robert some time between 1743-1748.^[3]

In 1734 Robert and his brother John travelled to Kingston, Jamaica. Shortly after his arrival, Robert married a widow named Jane Mitchell and they had four daughters in Jamaica before returning to Scotland.^[4][5]

1. Jane (Jean) Hamilton born 10 Sep 1736 and baptized 28 Sep 1736 in Kingston, Jamaica.^[6]
2. Frances Hamilton born 6 Nov 1738 and baptized 20 Nov 1738 in Kingston, Jamaica.^[7]
3. Margaret Hamilton born 15 Mar 1740 and baptized 21 Apr 1740 in Kingston, Jamaica.^[8]
4. Eleanora Hamilton born 29 May 1742 and baptized 11 Aug 1742 in Kingston, Jamaica.^[9]

Through his marriage to Jane, Robert became the owner of two plantations in Jamaica, Pemberton Valley in St Mary and Rozelle (Rochelle) in St-Thomas-in-the-Vale.^[10]His wife had inherited the Pemberton Valley plantation from her father in 1720. Her claim to Rozelle was through her father's will which was contested by her brother Thomas' widow, Dorothy. After much litigation, Robert and Jean obtained letters of administration to support their ownership of Rozelle plantation. Further disputes were conducted in Jamaica's courts, but Robert eventually succeeded in reducing Dorothy's claim to a dowager portion on Rozelle. He also succeeded in fending off claims to Pemberton Valley filed by the family of his wife's first husband.^[4]

Robert and his brother participated in the slave trade. They conveyed provisions, Madeira wine, tallow candles, metalware and mosquito nets by sloops from Kingston to their plantations and shipped their most valuable commodity, sugar, to London and Glasgow.^[4][11]

A few years after his marriage to Jane, Robert expressed a desire to return home to Scotland, however, due to the conflict between Britain and Spain in the Caribbean during that time, his plans had to be delayed.^[4] Travel became extremely dangerous especially after Britain declared war on Spain following a breakdown of negotiations. The War of Jenkins' Ear officially began on 19 October 1739 and continued for several years, officially ending with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748.^[12][13][14]

After his brother John died at sea on a voyage home to Scotland in 1739, Robert reiterated his desire to return home in a letter sent to relatives in August 1740.^[4] Due to his wife's failing heath and despite the continued conflict in the Caribbean, he departed Jamaica on 20 Jun 1743 and took his wife and young daughters back to Scotland.^[15] After the death of his wife the following year, Robert relied on his unmarried sister to help in raise his young daughters.^[4]

He left his Jamaican properties in the care of overseers, but continued to manage them, including his widowed sister-in-law's portion, as an absentee proprietor after his return to Scotland. His properties suffered severe damage from the hurricane that struck Jamaica on 20 October 1744 and sugar production at Pemberton Valley dropped dramatically.^[4]

In 1754, Robert bought lands in Alloway for £535 from the Royal Burgh of Ayr and built Rozelle House there about six years later. The house was redesigned by Archibald Hamilton in the 1830s. By the 1930s the Hamilton families prosperity had begun to wan and in 1968, Rozelle House was gifted back to the Royal Burgh of Ayr and is now a museum.^[11]

Some time in 1755, Robert sent his nephew John Hamilton to manage his Jamaican estates which apparently had fallen into a state of disrepair during his absence. John appointed new overseers and started to work on repairing the damage. During this time, pockets of slave rebellions broke out which caused much concern for the plantation owners and by August 1760, the rebellions had escalated. In 1763, Robert sold Rozelle Plantation for £6,000 to his neighbor, Charles Montgomerie, who had been a merchant in Jamaica for several years.^[4][11]

Robert was living peacefully on his Rozell estate in Ayr when he married the widowed daughter of William Cunningham. He and Anne were married on 17 Mar 1760 in Ayr. She was the widow of John Hunter and mother of two sons.^[4][16]

Robert lived out the rest of his days at Rozelle and died there on 5 Jun 1773.^[17]

Research Notes

• Robert's baptism record was purchased from the Scotland's People website.^[2] Contact Bonnie Guadalupe for detailed information. The actual baptism record shows the following witnesses:
  • John Osburn, Great-Grand Uncle and late Provost in Ayr
  • Hugh Crawford, Grand Uncle and late Provost in (illegible)
  • Robert Hamilton, Grandfather, late baylly clerk (Bailiff) of Carrick
  • John Ferguson of Castle Hill, Grandfather, Commissar Deputy of Ayr
  • John Hamilton, pub baylly clerk (Bailiff) of Carrick
  • Mrs Robert Ferguson, (illegible)
• The marriage records for Robert and Jane have not been located but they were probably married in Kingston, Jamaica.^[4]
• Robert's wife, Jane, was twice widowed at the time of their marriage. Her first husband was James Garth, esq deceased of Carshalton, Surrey, and her second husband was Pauncefoot Miller, merchant deceased, Kingston, Jamaica.^[5]
• Biographies need to be written for both his wives: Jane Mitchell and Anne Cunningham
• There are letters with cargo shipment details, insurance arrangements, naval convoys, bills of excange and commodity prices available on the The National Archives database.^[18]
• Robert's unmarried sister was not mentioned by name so additional research is needed.^[4]
• Biographies need to be written for his parents Hugh Hamilton and Jean Ferguson
• Biographies need to be written for three of his daughters: Frances Hamilton, Margaret Hamilton, and Eleanora Hamilton
• A biography needs to be written for his brother John Hamilton

Sources

1. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XY29-6RJ : 11 February 2020), Name: Robert Hamiltone; Sex: Male; Christening Date: 23 Jan 1698; Christening Place (Original): Ayr, Ayr, Scotland; Birth Date: 5 Jan 1698; Father's Name: Hugh Hamiltone; Mother's Name: Jean Fergusson
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "Church registers - Old Parish Registers Births and baptisms," database, Scotland People (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ : accessed 21 Oct 2021); Surname: HAMILTONE; Forename: ROBERT; Parents/Other Details: HUGH HAMILTONE/JEAN FERGUSSON FR596 (FR596); Gender: M; Date: 23/01/1698; Parish Number/Ref: 578/20 205; Parish: Ayr
3. ↑ "History of the County of Ayr: With a Genealogical Account of the Families of Ayrshire," Vol II, page 103, by James Paterson, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/historyofcountyo02pateuoft/page/102/mode/2up?q=%22robert+hamilton%22+bourtreehill : accessed 18 Oct 2021); Printed by J. and W. Paterson, Edinburgh, 1852
4. ↑ ^{4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10} Jamaican material in the papers of Hamilton of Rozelle and Carcluie, 1734-1873 from South Ayrshire Archives; Published in conjunction with the British Association for American Studies (BAAS); General Editor: Professor Kenneth Morgan, Brunel University, 2015; pages 1-4 (https://microform.digital/map/guides/R73075.pdf : accessed 02/03/2017)
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} "Hamilton v. Miller," The National Archives database (https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10439242 : accessed 18 Oct 2021); Bill only, Plaintiffs: Robert Hamilton, merchant of Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies and Jane Hamilton his wife (formerly widow of Pauncefoot Miller, merchant deceased, late of Kingston, Jamaica, and also formerly widow of James Garth, esq deceased of Carshalton, Surrey), 1737, records held by The National Archives, Kew
6. ↑ "Jamaica, Church of England Parish Register Transcripts, 1664-1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VH64-BM1 : 16 August 2019), Robert Hamilton in entry for Jane Hamilton, 28 Sep 1736, Christening; citing p. 44, Kingston, Jamaica, Registrar General's Department, Spanish Town; FHL microfilm 1,291,763.
7. ↑ "Jamaica, Church of England Parish Register Transcripts, 1664-1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VH64-J3V : 16 August 2019), Robert Hamilton in entry for Frances Hamilton, 20 Dec 1738, Christening; citing p. 53, Kingston, Jamaica, Registrar General's Department, Spanish Town; FHL microfilm 1,291,763.
8. ↑ "Jamaica, Church of England Parish Register Transcripts, 1664-1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VH64-8SS : 16 August 2019), Robert Hamilton in entry for Margaret Hamilton, 21 Apr 1740, Christening; citing p. 57, Kingston, Jamaica, Registrar General's Department, Spanish Town; FHL microfilm 1,291,763.
9. ↑ "Jamaica, Church of England Parish Register Transcripts, 1664-1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VH64-KN4 : 16 August 2019), Robert Hamilton in entry for Eleanora Hamilton, 11 Aug 1742, Christening; citing p. 69, Kingston, Jamaica, Registrar General's Department, Spanish Town; FHL microfilm 1,291,763.
10. ↑ "Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery," Legacies of British Slavery database, (http://wwwdepts-live.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/view/2146646567 : accessed 8th September 2021); Summery of Individual, Robert Hamilton of Bourtreehill, 1734-1873; UCL Department of History, 2021
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2} "Rozelle House museum and galleries," South Ayrshire Council (https://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/article/24234/Rozelle-House-museum-and-galleries : accessed 18 Oct 2021); History of Rozelle, 2021
12. ↑ "The War of Jenkins' Ear," West India Committee publication (https://westindiacommittee.org/historyheritageculture/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/WIS-Jenkins-ear.pdf : accessed 18 Oct 2021); When: 1739-1748; Combatants: Great Britain vs Spain; Reasons: Cropping of Captain Jenkins’ Ear, economic disagreements; Other names: The War of the Austrian Succession, Guerra del Asiento (The War of the Asiento); Key battles and places: St. Kitts, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Hispaniola
13. ↑ "An Ear for Trouble," by Anthony Brandt, May 2019, History.net (https://www.historynet.com/an-ear-for-trouble.htm : accessed 18 Oct 2021)
14. ↑ "War of Jenkins' Ear," updated 17 May 2018, Encyclopedia.com (https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/modern-europe/wars-and-battles/war-jenkinss-ear)
15. ↑ "Roselle Estate, Jamaica, St-Thomas-in-the-East, Surray," details of estate, Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery, database (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/estate/view/1502# : accessed 18 Oct 2021); Estate information, 1743, Name: Rozell; Crop: sugar, rum and livestock; Accounts filed from 20th June - 31st Dec; Estate of Robert Hamilton who went off for England since the 20th June 1743; Account filed by Peter Barclay as overseer; Accounts: Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/2 90
16. ↑ "Church registers - Old Parish Registers Banns and marriages," database, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ : accessed 19 Oct 2021); Surname: CUNNINGHAM; Forename: ANN; Spouse Name: ROBERT HAMILTON/FR2186 (FR2186); Date: 27/03/1760; Parish Number/Ref: 578/70 238; Parish: Ayr
17. ↑ "Church registers - Old Parish Registers Banns and marriages," database, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ : accessed 19 Oct 2021); Surname: HAMILTON; Forename: ROBERT: Age: 76: Gender: M; Date: 05/06/1773: Parish Number/Ref: 578/90 19: Parish: Ayr; Actual document shows Robert Hamilton of Bowertree Hill
18. ↑ "Hamilton family of Rozelle," The National Archives database (https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F22258 : accessed 18 Oct 2021); Hamilton family documents, 1682-1933, Ayrshire Archives, National Register of Archives for Scotland, and National Records of Scotland

• http://www.thepeerage.com/p2123.htm#i21225