James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton

James Douglas-Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Brandon, Marquess of Clydesdale, and Earl of Arran and Cambridge (* January 5, 1702, † March 9, 1742 in Bath ), was a Scottish nobleman.

James was a son of James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton and his wife Elizabeth Gerard. With the death of his father he was ten years old in 1712 Duke of Hamilton and Brandon.

The Duke was educated at Winchester and Oxford. In 1724 he became General and held from 1727 to 1733 the office of the First Lord Chamberlain ( Lord of the Bedchamber ). Hamilton was regarded as disloyal and fluctuated between the parties of the king and the Jacobites.

He was suffering from jaundice and died at the age of 40 of a stroke.

Hamilton was married three times, his first wife in 1723 with Anne, daughter of John Campbell Cochrane, 4th Earl of Dundonald, but died shortly after the birth of her son. This was:

• James (1724-1758), 6th Duke of Hamilton

His second wife was Elizabeth since 1727 († 1729 ), daughter of Thomas Strangeways and his third wife he married Anne († 1771), daughter of Edward Spencer, with whom he had the following children:

• Anne (1738-1780), was married since 1761 with Arthur Chichester, 1st Marquess of Donegall
• Archibald (1740-1819), 9th Duke of Hamilton
• Spencer (1742-1791)