Robert Hamilton of Bourtreehill

1698 - 1773


Biography

Son of Hugh Hamilton of Clongall, a merchant of Ayr. Moved to Jamaica in the early 1730s and in 1734 married Jean Mitchell, a widow. Through this marriage he acquired Pemberton Valley in St Mary and Rozelle in St Thomas-in-the-Vale. Brother of John Hamilton (1702-1739 or 1743, q.v.).

Returned to Bourtreehill in Ayrshire in 1744. His wife died the following year. Hamilton died in June 1773. His estate passed to his eldest daughter Jean, Countess Crawford, and her heirs.

Robert Hamilton was listed in the Jamaican Quit Rent books for 1754 as the owner of 3680 acres of land in St Thomas-in-the-East.


Sources

Jamaican material in the papers of Hamilton of Rozelle and Carcluie, 1734-1873 from South Ayrshire Archives https://microform.digital/map/guides/R73075.pdf [accessed 02/03/2017].

A List of landholders in the Island of Jamaica together with the number of acres each person possessed taken from the quit rent books in the year 1754', TNA CO 142/31 transcribed at http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Samples2/1754lead.htm.


Further Information

Absentee?
Transatlantic
Spouse
[1] Jean Mitchell [2] Anne Cunninghame
Children
With [1] Jean, Countess Crawford, and 3 other daughters
Occupation
Merchant and plantation owner

Associated Estates (4)

The dates listed below have different categories as denoted by the letters in the brackets following each date. Here is a key to explain those letter codes:

  • SD - Association Start Date
  • SY - Association Start Year
  • EA - Earliest Known Association
  • ED - Association End Date
  • EY - Association End Year
  • LA - Latest Known Association
1745 [EA] - 1773 [LA] → Owner
1743 [EA] - 1765 [LA] → Joint owner

The identity(ies) of Robert Hamilton's co-owners in 1743 and 1765 (John Hamilton, in both cases) has not been definitively traced. In 1765 it was probably his nephew John Hamilton of Sundrum senior.

1734 [SY] - 1745 [EY] → Joint owner
1743 [EA] - 1743 [LA] → Owner

Legacies Summary

Physical (1)

Country house
Rozelle House [Built] 
description →
Mansion house built for Robert Hamilton in the style of Robert Adam. Completed 1760. Remodelled in the 19th century, now Ayr's Museum and...

Relationships (4)

Brothers
Uncle → Nephew
Step-father → Step-son
Uncle → Nephew

Addresses (1)

Bourtreehill House, Irvine, Ayrshire, Southern Scotland, Scotland