HAMILTON, a town of Scotland, in Clydesdale,
seated on the river Clyde, eleven miles south-east of
Glasgow; from whence the noble family of Hamilton
take their name, and title of duke. The town is seated
in the middle of a very agreeable plain; and on the west
of the town this family has a large park, which is
near seven miles in circumference, inclosed with a
high wall, full of deer and other game. The
rivulet called Neon runs through the park, and
falls into the river Clyde, over which last there is a
bridge of free-stone. W. Lon. 3. 50. N. Lat. 55. 40.
The original name of this place, or the lands about
it, was Cadzow or Cadyow, a barony granted to
an ancestor of the noble owner, on the following oc-
casion. In the time of Edward II. lived Sir Gil-
bert de Hamilton, or Hampton, an Englishman of
rank; who happening at court to speak in praise of
Robert Bruce, received on the occasion an insult from
John de Spenser, chamberlain to the king; whom he
fought and slew. Dreading the resentment of that
potent family, he fled to the Scottish monarch; who
received him with open arms, and established him at
the place possessed by the duke of Hamilton. In after-
times the name was changed from Cadzow to Hamil-
ton; and in 1445 the lands were erected into a lord-
ship, and the then owner Sir James sat in parliament
as lord Hamilton. The same nobleman founded the
collegiate church at Hamilton in 1451, for a provost
and several prebendaries. The endowment was rat-
ified at Rome by the pope's bull, which he went in
person to procure.—Hamilton-house, or palace, is at
the end of the town; a large disagreeable pile, with
two deep wings at right angles with the centre: the
gallery is of great extent; and furnished, as well as
some other rooms, with most excellent paintings.