ORKNEY, GEORGE HAMILTON, EARL OF (16661737)

This article appears in Volume V20, Page 279 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: ORC-PAI

ORKNEY, GEORGE HAMILTON, EARL OF (16661737) ,
British soldier, was the fifth son of William, duke of Hamilton, and was trained for the military career by his uncle, Lord

Dumbarton

DUMBARTON

, in the 1st Foot. In 1689 he became lieut.-colonel and a few months later brevet colonel. He served at the battles of the Boyne and of

Aughrim

AUGHRIM, or AGHRIM

, and, at the head of the Royal Fusiliers, at Steinkirk. As colonel of his old

regiment

REGIMENT (from Late Latin regimentum, rule, regere, to rule, govern, direct)

, the 1st Foot, he took

part

PART

in the battle of Landen or Neerwinden, and in the siege of Namur, serving also at Athlone and Limerick in the Irish war. At Namur Hamilton received a severe wound, and in recognition of his services was made a brigadier. In 1695 he married Elizabeth Villiers (see above), who was " the wisest woman" Swift "ever knew." The following year he was made

earl

EARL

of Orkney in the Scottish peerage. As a major-general he took the field with Marlborough in

Flanders

FLANDERS (Flem. Vlaanderen)

, and on January 1st, 17031704 he became

lieutenant

LIEUTENANT

-general. At Blenheim it was Orkney's command which carried the

village

VILLAGE

, and in June 1705 he led a flying column which marched from the Moselle to the rescue of Liege. At Ramillies he headed the pursuit of the defeated French, at Oudenarde he played a distinguished

part

PART

and in 1708 he captured the forts of St Amand and St Martin at Tournay. At the desperately fought battle of Malplaquet Lord Orkney's battalions led the assault on the French entrenchments, and suffered very severe losses. He remained with the army in

Flanders

FLANDERS (Flem. Vlaanderen)

till the end of the war, as " general of the foot," and at the peace he was made colonel-commandant of the 1st Foot as a reward for his services. He occupied various civil and military posts of importance, culminating with the appointment of " field

marshal

MARSHAL (med. Lat. marescalcus, from O.H.Ger. marah, horse, and scalc, servant)

of all His Majesty's forces " in 1736. This appointment is the first instance of field

marshal

MARSHAL (med. Lat. marescalcus, from O.H.Ger. marah, horse, and scalc, servant)

's rank (as now understood) in the British Service. A year later he died in London.

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