Family Background

Royal Connections

Patrick Hamilton was born into a noble family of royal blood. His father was Sir Patrick Hamilton of Kincavel in Linlithgowshire (now West Lothian) and Stanehouse in Lanarkshire. His mother was Katherine Stewart, granddaughter of James II of Scotland.

Place of Birth

When Hamiton registered at the University of Paris, he signed the register as ‘Patricius Hamelto, Glassguensis, nobilis’, suggesting that Stanehouse was his place of birth. However, he later registered at Marburg University as ‘a Litgovien, Scotus’, suggesting that he regarded Kincavel as his home.

Siblings

Patrick had an older brother, James, who inherited his father’s estates and became Sir James Hamilton of Kincavil, Sheriff of Linlithgowshire. Hamilton also had a sister, Katherine, who later married the captain of Dunbar Castle.

Further Reading

Iain Torrance, ‘Hamilton, Patrick (1504?–1528)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004.