Portrait of Lord George Hamilton, Earl of Orkney (1666-1737)

Portrait of Lord George Hamilton 1st Earl of Orkney, 5th son of Anne Duchess of Hamilton, signed by monogram.
Painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723)

5th son of the 3rd Duke, had a distinguished military career. Captain (Royal Scots) in 1684, Colonel of the Royal Fusiliers then the Royal Scots in 1692 he was made Brigadier General by the King in 1695 at the siege of Namur, where he was wounded.

His battle honours, under King William in Ireland and Marlborough in Europe were noteworthy. Created Earl of Orkney in 1696, Governor of Edinburgh Castle and Virginia in 1714, he was one of the 16 representatives peers of Scotland from 1707 to 1734.

In 1736 he was made the first Field Marshal in the British Army. He married Elizabeth Villiers, daughter of Sir Edward Villiers, sister of the first Earl of Jersey, and a former mistress of the King. They had three daughters. He died at London in 1737.