General Notes

James Hamilton, 2nd Lord Hamilton, b ca 1475, Privy Councillor, created Earl
of Arran 11 Aug 1503, Admiral of the Scottish Fleet 1513, Lord of Regency
under the Duke of Albany 1517, commanded the Royal army against the Earl of
Lennox September 1526. He is supposed to have m 1st 1490 (he was 15 and the
bride 13) Elizabeth, widow of Thomas Hay of Hoprew, Master of Yester, dtr of
Alexander Home, 2nd Lord Home, and is believed to have divorced her
subsequently in 1504 on the grounds that the Master, although believed to be
dead, was actually alive at the critical time. (In fact, the Master had m in
1483 Elizabeth Borthwick, who was alive at the time of his death, so the
grounds for the Hamilton divorce appear suspicious, even though it was
confirmed four years later.) He m (perhaps as his 2nd wife) Nov 1516 Janet,
widow of Sir Robert Livingston of Easter Wemyss, dtr of Sir David Beaton of
Creich. Among several natural children of the 1st Earl of Arran, three were
legitimated 17 Jan 1512/3 by James IV, their first cousin of the half blood: