# Frederick Hamilton (soldier)

Sir Frederick Hamilton (c. 1590 – 1647) was a Scottish soldier who fought for Sweden in the Thirty Years' War in Germany and for the Covenanters in Ireland, Scotland, and northern England. He built Manorhamilton Castle, County Leitrim, Ireland. His son Gustavus became the 1st Viscount Boyne.

## Birth and origins

Frederick was born about 1590 in Scotland, probably at Paisley. He was the youngest of the five sons that lived to adulthood of Claud Hamilton and his wife Margaret Seton. His father was the 1st Lord Paisley. His father's family descended from Walter FitzGilbert, the founder of the House of Hamilton, who had received the barony of Cadzow from Robert the Bruce. Frederick's mother was a daughter of George Seton, 7th Lord Seton by his wife Isobel Hamilton. Both parents were Scottish and seem also to have been both Catholic. They had married in 1574.
Family tree :
| | | | | James 2nd Earl c. 1516 – 1575 Châtellerault | James 2nd Earl c. 1516 – 1575 Châtellerault | James 2nd Earl c. 1516 – 1575 Châtellerault | James 2nd Earl c. 1516 – 1575 Châtellerault | James 2nd Earl c. 1516 – 1575 Châtellerault | James 2nd Earl c. 1516 – 1575 Châtellerault | | | Margaret Douglas | Margaret Douglas | Margaret Douglas | Margaret Douglas | Margaret Douglas | Margaret Douglas | | | | | | | | | George 7th Lord Seton 1531–1586 | George 7th Lord Seton 1531–1586 | George 7th Lord Seton 1531–1586 | George 7th Lord Seton 1531–1586 | George 7th Lord Seton 1531–1586 | George 7th Lord Seton 1531–1586 |
| | | James 3rd Earl 1537–1609 | James 3rd Earl 1537–1609 | James 3rd Earl 1537–1609 | James 3rd Earl 1537–1609 | James 3rd Earl 1537–1609 | James 3rd Earl 1537–1609 | | | John 1st Marquess Hamilton 1540–1604 | John 1st Marquess Hamilton 1540–1604 | John 1st Marquess Hamilton 1540–1604 | John 1st Marquess Hamilton 1540–1604 | John 1st Marquess Hamilton 1540–1604 | John 1st Marquess Hamilton 1540–1604 | | | Claud 1st Lord Paisley 1546–1621 | Claud 1st Lord Paisley 1546–1621 | Claud 1st Lord Paisley 1546–1621 | Claud 1st Lord Paisley 1546–1621 | Claud 1st Lord Paisley 1546–1621 | Claud 1st Lord Paisley 1546–1621 | | | Margaret Seton d. 1616 | Margaret Seton d. 1616 | Margaret Seton d. 1616 | Margaret Seton d. 1616 | Margaret Seton d. 1616 | Margaret Seton d. 1616 |
| James 1st Earl Abercorn 1575–1618 | James 1st Earl Abercorn 1575–1618 | James 1st Earl Abercorn 1575–1618 | James 1st Earl Abercorn 1575–1618 | James 1st Earl Abercorn 1575–1618 | James 1st Earl Abercorn 1575–1618 | | | Claud of Shawfield d. 1614 | Claud of Shawfield d. 1614 | Claud of Shawfield d. 1614 | Claud of Shawfield d. 1614 | Claud of Shawfield d. 1614 | Claud of Shawfield d. 1614 | | | George of Greenlaw & Roscrea d. bef. 1657 | George of Greenlaw & Roscrea d. bef. 1657 | George of Greenlaw & Roscrea d. bef. 1657 | George of Greenlaw & Roscrea d. bef. 1657 | George of Greenlaw & Roscrea d. bef. 1657 | George of Greenlaw & Roscrea d. bef. 1657 | | | Frederick 1590–1647 | Frederick 1590–1647 | Frederick 1590–1647 | Frederick 1590–1647 | Frederick 1590–1647 | Frederick 1590–1647 | | | Sidney Vaughan | Sidney Vaughan | Sidney Vaughan | Sidney Vaughan | Sidney Vaughan | Sidney Vaughan |
| | | | | | | Frederick d. bef. 1646 | Frederick d. bef. 1646 | Frederick d. bef. 1646 | Frederick d. bef. 1646 | Frederick d. bef. 1646 | Frederick d. bef. 1646 | | | James of Manor- hamilton d. 1652 | James of Manor- hamilton d. 1652 | James of Manor- hamilton d. 1652 | James of Manor- hamilton d. 1652 | James of Manor- hamilton d. 1652 | James of Manor- hamilton d. 1652 | | | Gustavus 1st Viscount 1642–1723 | Gustavus 1st Viscount 1642–1723 | Gustavus 1st Viscount 1642–1723 | Gustavus 1st Viscount 1642–1723 | Gustavus 1st Viscount 1642–1723 | Gustavus 1st Viscount 1642–1723 | | | Elizabeth Brooke d. 1721 | Elizabeth Brooke d. 1721 | Elizabeth Brooke d. 1721 | Elizabeth Brooke d. 1721 | Elizabeth Brooke d. 1721 | Elizabeth Brooke d. 1721 |
| Frederick c. 1663 – 1715 d.v.p.* | Frederick c. 1663 – 1715 d.v.p.* | Frederick c. 1663 – 1715 d.v.p.* | Frederick c. 1663 – 1715 d.v.p.* | Frederick c. 1663 – 1715 d.v.p.* | Frederick c. 1663 – 1715 d.v.p.* | | | Sophia Hamilton d. 1748 | Sophia Hamilton d. 1748 | Sophia Hamilton d. 1748 | Sophia Hamilton d. 1748 | Sophia Hamilton d. 1748 | Sophia Hamilton d. 1748 | | | Gustavus c. 1685 – 1735 | Gustavus c. 1685 – 1735 | Gustavus c. 1685 – 1735 | Gustavus c. 1685 – 1735 | Gustavus c. 1685 – 1735 | Gustavus c. 1685 – 1735 | | | Dorothea Bellew | Dorothea Bellew | Dorothea Bellew | Dorothea Bellew | Dorothea Bellew | Dorothea Bellew | | | Henry c. 1692 – 1743 | Henry c. 1692 – 1743 | Henry c. 1692 – 1743 | Henry c. 1692 – 1743 | Henry c. 1692 – 1743 | Henry c. 1692 – 1743 |
| | | | | Gustavus 2nd Viscount 1710–1746 | Gustavus 2nd Viscount 1710–1746 | Gustavus 2nd Viscount 1710–1746 | Gustavus 2nd Viscount 1710–1746 | Gustavus 2nd Viscount 1710–1746 | Gustavus 2nd Viscount 1710–1746 | | | | | Frederick 3rd Viscount 1710–1746 | Frederick 3rd Viscount 1710–1746 | Frederick 3rd Viscount 1710–1746 | Frederick 3rd Viscount 1710–1746 | Frederick 3rd Viscount 1710–1746 | Frederick 3rd Viscount 1710–1746 | | | Richard 4th Viscount 1724–1789 | Richard 4th Viscount 1724–1789 | Richard 4th Viscount 1724–1789 | Richard 4th Viscount 1724–1789 | Richard 4th Viscount 1724–1789 | Richard 4th Viscount 1724–1789 | | | Georgiana Bury | Georgiana Bury | Georgiana Bury | Georgiana Bury | Georgiana Bury | Georgiana Bury |
| XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | Subject of the article | Subject of the article | Subject of the article | Subject of the article | Subject of the article | Subject of the article | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | Earls of Arran | Earls of Arran | Earls of Arran | Earls of Arran | Earls of Arran | Earls of Arran | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | Viscounts Boyne | Viscounts Boyne | Viscounts Boyne | Viscounts Boyne | Viscounts Boyne | Viscounts Boyne | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | Marquesses of Hamilton | Marquesses of Hamilton | Marquesses of Hamilton | Marquesses of Hamilton | Marquesses of Hamilton | Marquesses of Hamilton | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | Earls of Abercorn | Earls of Abercorn | Earls of Abercorn | Earls of Abercorn | Earls of Abercorn | Earls of Abercorn |
Several of his siblings died in their infancy or childhood. Six reached adulthood and are listed in his father's article.
His mother died in March 1616.

## Plantation

He and his brothers James, Claud, and George were involved in James VI and I's Plantations of Ireland. In March 1620, he was given the quarter of Carrowrosse in the Barony of Dromahair in northern County Leitrim. Leitrim is in the Province of Connacht but northern Leitrim lies along the border with Ulster. Over the next two decades he increased his estate to 18,000 acres (73 km$^2$). All that land had been seized from the O'Rourke clan in the Plantation of Leitrim.

## Marriage and children

On 20 May 1620 Frederick Hamilton married Sidney Vaughan. She was a rich heiress, the only child of Sir John Vaughan, Governor of Londonderry.
Frederick and Sidney had three sons:
* Frederick (died before 1646), was killed in action in Ireland
* James of Manorhamilton (died 1652), married his cousin Catherine, daughter of Claud Hamilton, Lord Strabane
* Gustavus (1642–1723), became the 1st Viscount Boyne
—and one daughter:
* Christiana (married 1649), married Sir George Munro

## Swedish service

In November 1631, he entered Swedish service. He must by that time have converted to Protestantism as a Catholic would not have been acceptable to the Swedes. He became colonel of a Scottish-Irish regiment that served in Germany for 15 months during the Thirty Years' War. They fought in General Tott's army on the Elbe, the Weser and the Rhine. After spending a few years back in Leitrim, he unsuccessfully attempted to re-enter Swedish service in September 1637.

## Ireland

About 1638 he built Manorhamilton Castle in northern Leitrim, around which grew the town of Manorhamilton.
Sir Frederick was involved in a lengthy legal dispute over the ownership of parcels of land in the County of Leitrim with Tirlagh Reynolds of Kiltubbrid. On 15 November 1633 an injunction was granted to give Tirlagh possession, but it was dissolved. On 13 June 1634 a second injunction in favour of Tirlagh was granted. A Chancery order of 19 December 1634 dissolved that second injunction. On 5 December 1640, the committee for Irish affairs of the Long Parliament heard four petitions from Sir Frederick in this respect. The Down Survey shows Tirlagh Reynolds as owner of several parcels in southern Leitrim in 1641.
During the Irish Rebellion of 1641, Manorhamilton Castle was besieged several times, but remained intact. In the ensuing Irish Confederate Wars he fought for the Scottish Covenanters trying to keep the Confederates out of the north of Ireland. In 1643, after another unsuccessful attack upon the castle, he hanged 58 of his enemies from a scaffolding in front of the castle.
On 1 July 1642, in retribution for cattle raids by the O'Rourke clan, he sacked the nearby town of Sligo, burning part of it, including Sligo Abbey, a Dominican friary. Local legend tells that on the way over the mountains back to Manorhamilton Castle, some of his men got lost in heavy fog. A guide on a white horse offered to lead them safely over the mountain, but intentionally led the men over a cliff and to their doom. This legend is the subject of a short story by Yeats, entitled The Curse of the Fires and of the Shadows.

## Scotland

The "Cessation" ceasefire of September 1643, negotiated by the Marquess of Ormond, was not recognised by the Covenanters, with whom he was allied. The war in Leitrim and Ulster therefore went on. However, after 1643 he left Ireland for Scotland where he became a colonel of a regiment of horse in the army of the Solemn League and Covenant, commanded by Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven, fighting in Scotland and Northern England. In Ireland he still retained the command of his foot regiment in western Ulster where his sons Frederick and James probably stood in for him. However, his son Frederick was killed and on 5 June 1646 the Covenanter army under Robert Monro lost the Battle of Benburb against the Confederates under Owen Roe O'Neill, after which they retreated to Carrickfergus, abandoning Leitrim and southern Ulster to the Confederates.

## Death, succession, and timeline

In 1647, Sir Frederick, aged 57, left the then disbanding army of the Solemn League and Covenant and retired to Edinburgh, where he died later that year in relative poverty. He had received very little compensation for his military efforts from the English parliament. He was succeeded by his son James, who had two daughters, one a Lady Judith Hamilton, with whom Manorhamilton passed out of the family. In 1652 Manorhamilton Castle was burned by Ulick Burke, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde, who had taken over as leader of the royalists from Ormond. The castle then fell into ruins.
Timeline :
| As his birth date is uncertain, so are all his ages. |||
| Age | Date | Event |
| 0 | 1590, estimate | Born in Scotland. |
| 12–13 | 1603, 24 Mar | Accession of King James I, succeeding Queen Elizabeth I |
| 25–26 | 1616, Feb | Mother died. |
| 29–30 | 1620, Mar | Granted land in northern County Leitrim during the Plantation of Ireland |
| 34–35 | 1625, 27 Mar | Accession of King Charles I, succeeding King James I |
| 40–41 | 1631, Nov | Entered Swedish service and campaigned in Germany for 15 months. |
| 43–44 | 1634 | Started building Manorhamilton Castle |
| 50–51 | 1641, 23 Oct | Outbreak of the Rebellion |
| 51–52 | 1642, 1 July | Burned Sligo Abbey |
| 52–53 | 1643 | Joined the army of the Solemn League and Covenant allied with the English Parliament against Charles I. |
| 55–56 | 1646, 5 Jun | Battle of Benburb |
| 56–57 | 1647 | Died in Edinburgh |