Lord Archibald Hamilton

Lord Archibald Hamilton (1673 – 5 April 1754) was a Royal Navy officer, nobleman and Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1708 to 1747. In the 1690's, he was active in the English Channel pursuing French privateers, including Tyger out of Saint-Malo. Hamilton commanded the third-rate at the Battle of Vigo Bay in October 1702 and then commanded the third-rate at the Battle of Málaga in August 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. He was a controversial governor of Jamaica. Hamilton then joined the Board of Admiralty, ultimately serving as Senior Naval Lord. Naval career Hamilton was baptized on 17 February 1673, the youngest son of William Douglas-Hamilton, Duke of Hamilton and Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton, Hamilton studied at Glasgow University and was then sent to study under the Astronomer Royal, John Flamsteed, in London before taking a commission in the Royal Navy aboard the third-rate . Promoted to post-captain on 11 September 1693, he was given command of the fifth-rate in 1694 and of the fourth-rate in 1697. In December 1695 he was active in the English Channel pursuing French privateers, including Tyger out of St Malo, an encounter commemorated in a painting by Willem van de Velde the Younger. Hamilton went on to take command of the third-rate in 1698, of the third-rate in 1699 and of the third-rate in 1702. After that he became captain of the third-rate in September 1702 and commanded her at the Battle of Vigo Bay in October 1702 during the War of the Spanish Succession. He took command of the third-rate in 1704 and commanded her at the Battle of Málaga in August 1704. He became captain of the second-rate in 1706. Political career