William Baillie-Hamilton

Admiral William Alexander Baillie-Hamilton (6 June 1803 – 1 October 1881) was a Scottish naval commander who served on the Arctic Council when it was searching for Sir John Franklin.

William Baillie-Hamilton
Baillie-Hamilton around 1850
Second Secretary to the Admiralty
In office
28 April 1845 – 22 May 1855 (1845-04-28 – 1855-05-22)
Preceded bySir John Barrow
Succeeded byThomas Phinn
Personal details
Born
William Alexander Baillie-Hamilton

(1803-06-06)6 June 1803
Normanby, Yorkshire, England
Died1 October 1881(1881-10-01) (aged 78)
Portree, Skye, Scotland
Resting placeGreyfriars Kirkyard
Children
Military service
Branch Royal Navy
Service years1816–1865
RankAdmiral

Biography edit

A member of the Baillie-Hamilton family headed by the Earl of Haddington, he was the son of the Venerable Charles Baillie, Archdeacon of Cleveland and his wife Lady Charlotte Home, daughter of Alexander Home, 9th Earl of Home. Three of his brothers also gained distinction. Sir George Baillie was Ambassador to Tuscany; Charles Baillie-Hamilton was a politician; Ker Baillie-Hamilton was Governor of the Leeward Islands; and Cospatrick Baillie-Hamilton was also an admiral in the Royal Navy.[1]

Baillie-Hamilton served on the Arctic Council when it was searching for Sir John Franklin. He married Harriet Hamilton (1812–1884), daughter of James Hamilton, Viscount Hamilton, in 1836. They had two daughters and four sons. A gravestone with the names inscribed of William Alexander Baillie-Hamilton's and that of his wife, Harriet, lies in Greyfriars Churchyard, Edinburgh. He is listed as having died in Portree, on the Isle of Skye.[1]

He became Second Secretary to the Admiralty on 28 April 1845.

His son, also William (1844–1920), played football for Scotland in the first of the England v Scotland representative football matches (1870–1872) and was later a senior civil servant.[2] Another son, Charles (1848–1927), also played for Scotland in the same match.[3]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Lundy, Darryl. "p. 11066". The Peerage.[unreliable source], accessed September 2009
  2. ^ Lundy, Darryl. "Sir William Alexander Baillie-Hamilton". The Peerage.com. Retrieved 25 February 2011.[unreliable source]
  3. ^ "England v Scotland 1870". Retrieved 30 April 2011.

External links edit

Military offices
Preceded by Second Secretary to the Admiralty
1845–1855
Succeeded by