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HAMILTON, Charles, Lord Binning (c.1697-1732).
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Biography Detail
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Constituency
Dates
Family and Education
b. c.1697, 1st s. of Thomas Hamilton, 6th Earl of Haddington [S] (rep. peer 1716-34), by Helen, da. of John Hope of Hopetoun, Linlithgow, sis. of Charles, 1st Earl of Hopetoun [S]. m. 17 Sept. 1715, Rachel, da. of George Baillie by Lady Grisell Hume, da. of Patrick, 1st Earl of Marchmont [S], 4s. 2da.
Offices Held
Knight marischal [S] Feb. 1718-d.
Biography
In 1715, Lord Binning accompanied his father, a leader of the Squadrone, as a volunteer to fight the rebels, taking part in the battle of Sheriffmuir. In 1718 he was given the office of knight marischal of Scotland for life with a salary of £400.1 His father wrote to Grey Neville on 2 Sept. 1720:
Lord Binning hath had occasion of late to be often at Berwick to wait upon my Lord Marchmont, and some people have pressed him (as he says) to set up for that town to be elected for the next Parliament. He sayeth that he owns that he hath a great mind to be in the House of Commons, if it is possible, but that he will not advance one step in this till he knows if you are to stand for that town ... I thought it was better to write to you plainly how the case stands than that you should hear it by a report and perhaps not so much to my son’s advantage, I mean as if he was raising a party in Berwick in opposition to you and your interest, which I dare say you will not easily believe of one who hath always professed a friendship for you, and I swear I never knew him in the least disingenuous. I own I wish it were possible for him to be in the next election of the House of Commons, but you know he cannot come for any place of Scotland [as the eldest son of a peer of Scotland], so it must be for some place in England.2
He was brought in by the Administration for St. Germans, shortly before his return leaving England to accompany Lord Polwarth, his wife’s uncle, to the congress of Cambrai.3 He did not stand again, dying of consumption at Naples 27 Dec. 1732, aged 36.
