FRANCIS HAMILTON (ONCE BUCHANAN). Y 
Elizabeth Hamilton, the second wife of Thomas Buchanan, and mother of Francis 
Buchanan was, in 1757, about two years after her marriage, served heir-portioner to 
the estates of her two brothers, John Hamilton and Robert Hamilton, and in 1759, 
along with her sister Mary, served heir-portioner to the estate of her father, John 
Hamilton of Bardowie. Subsequently she became the sole possessor of the Bardowie 
property! and an entail was executed in terms of which such of her descendants аз 
might avail themselves of the succession to her estate were obliged to assume her 
own name of Hamilton. 
The family of Thomas Buchanan and Elizabeth, his second. wife, included five 
sons, Henry, John, Robert, Francis, and Peter, with two daughters, Elizabeth and 
Marion. Henry Buchanan, born іп 1759, predeceased both Мз parents? John 
Buchanan, the second son, born in 1758, became a soldier and saw а good deal of 
service abroad. He married Margaret, daughter of Sir Hew Crawford of Jordanhall, 
and on the death of his mother succeeded to her estate of Bardowie and, in accord- 
ance with the terms of her entail, assumed the name of Hamilton. When his 
father ‘Thomas Buchanan died in 1790, Colonel John Hamilton succeeded to 
the paternal estates of Spittal and Leny but continued to make Bardowis his 
residence. He died on the continent, whither he had gone for the benefit of 
his health, in 1818, and left no issue. Robert Buchanan, the third son, born in 
1760, who predeceased his brother, Colonel John Hamilton, married and had a son, 
Robert Hamilton Buchanan, who entered the service of the East India Company and 
also died, as a Captain in the 24th Regiment of Native Infantry, leaving no 
legitimate descendants, before his uncle, Colonel John Hamilton. Francis Buchanan, 
the fourth son and the subject of this sketch, born, as already stated, in 1762, 
survived and succeeded his brother, John Hamilton, in all three estates of Bardowie, 
Spittal and Leny. Peter Buchanan, the youngest son, born in 1767, died unmarried. 
The two sisters Elizabeth and Marion were both married but have now no living 
descendants. : 
Francis Buchanan received part of his early education in Glasgow. The schools that 
he attended are not recorded but he entered the University of Glasgow at the early 
age characteristic of the period, The Professors at Glasgow then were William 
Riehardson,— Humanity; John Young,—Greek ; James Williamson,—Mathematics; John 
Anderson,—Natural Philosophy ; James Clow,—Mental Philosophy; Thomes Reid,—Moral 
Philosophy. As his subsequent career and writings show, Buchanan in Glasgow acquired 
a scholarly knowledge of the classical languages and a thorough training in physics 
and philosophy. Of these teachers, probably the now venerable Reid, who himself 
!In a letter dated Leny, 16th October, 1821, Dr. Francis Hamilton, referring to Sir Robert Colquhoun, Bart., 
then servin z in India, writes:—* I am happy that Sir Robert Colquhoun is a botanist or, at least, an amateur. 
His sister is married to а relation of mine end her son, unless I marry, will succeed me in my maternal 
inheritance of Bardowie." There were thus, when the entail referred to was executed, residuary rights of sue. 
"cession beyond the immediate descendants of Elizabeth Hami:oa. The entail she executed was removed some 
years ago and in consequence of this, although Dr. Francis Hamilton's son continued, till his death in 1903, to 
` be known as J. Buchanan Hamilton, his grandson, who is now proprietor of Spittel and Гепу and chief of the 
name of Buchanan, has been able to revert to the origins] family name, More recently the estate of Bardowie, аё 
Mr. Hamilton Bachanan informs the writer, has been disposed of. : - : 
2 Henry Buchanan woull appear t» hive died young; this may explain how it happens that previous 
notices of the life of Franeis (Buchanan) Hamilton speak of him, erroneously, as having been tho third son of 
Thomas Buchanan of Spittal. 
