Sir Walter fitz Gilbert de Hameldone of Cadzow, 1st Laird (Lord) ofCadzow (died ca. 1346) was aScottish nobleman. The husband to Mary Gordon of Huntly, they wed in 1308 in Cadzcow, Lanarkshire, Scotland (the exact date is unknown). He is the first historically confirmed progenitor of theHouse of Hamilton, which includes theDukes of Hamilton,Dukes of Abercorn andEarls of Haddington.
There is some confusion as to the ancestry of his grandfather, William de Hameldone, who could, it has been argued, be descended from theUmfraville family ofNorthumberland or theBeaumontEarls of Leicester. Both assertions are based on armorial evidence (both families usedCinquefoils in their arms), and references to various Hamilton place-names in Northumberland andLeicestershire. The Leicester connection is considered more likely asRobert de Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Leicester is known to have had a son William but Heraldry expertA.C. Fox Davies has suggested the early Beaumont Earls of Leicester bore the armsGules, a lion rampant queue-fourchee argent following the work of Sir Anthony Wagner'sHistory of Heraldry of Britain who cited the Great Coucher Book of the Duchy of Lancaster.[1]
Bruce A. McAndrew, in his work,Scotland's Historical Heraldry, argues for the Umfraville connection:
McAndrew also cites the work of J. Bain's, "Walter fitz Gilbert, ancestor of the Dukes of Hamilton," who further suggested that "Walter de Burghdon (Boroudoun), whose earlier seal attached to the Ragman Roll display a single cinquefoil and whose later seals display three cinquefoils, was identical with Walter fitzGilbert of Hameldone. Bain, of course, was not aware of the painted heraldric evidence that demonstrated that Walter de Burghdon (d1309) bore Argent, three cinquefoils sable when fighting in the Scottish Wars and his relative Gilbert de Burradoun bore Gules, on a bend argent, three cinquefoils sable in the Parliamentary Roll"[2]
Walter fitz Gilbert first appears as a witness to a charter ofJames Stewart, 5th High Steward of Scotland granting land to the monks ofPaisley Abbey in 1294, and also later in the year in another granting land to the same establishment. The other signatories were all minor landowners inRenfrewshire.[3]Fitz Gilbert was present atBerwick Castle to sign theRagman Roll, alongside the majority of other Scots Nobility, at the behest ofEdward I of England. He is styled on that document as "Wauter fiz Gilbert de Hameldone".[3]
The arms of fitz Gilbert are represented on theBute mazer, a drinking cup exhibited in theNational Museum of Scotland, that been dated to soon after Bannockburn, and was possibly commissioned by him. The National Museum of Scotland suggest that Walter fitz Gilbert may have been the brother of John fitz Gilbert probable Baillie of Bute.[4]
A much later writer, in the sixteenth century,Friar Mark Hamilton recorded family traditions about Walter fitz Gilbert and the origins of the family.[5]
During the risings ofWilliam Wallace, and laterRobert the Bruce, Walter fitz Gilbert remained loyal to the English party, holding lands inFife of King Edward.[6] By 1314 he was constable ofBothwell Castle inSouth Lanarkshire and was charged by Edward with its security:
Following the defeat ofEdward II of England at theBattle of Bannockburn, a sizable party of English noblemen under theEarl of Hereford fled to Bothwell Castle. The party included Robert de Umfraville, Earl of Angus, Maurice, Lord of Berkleley, John, Lord of Segrave, and Anthony de Lacy. Walter fitz Gilbert admitted Hereford and his party. Once inside, he made them all prisoners and went over to the Scots.[8]
Joining the Bruce party, Walter fitz Gilbert was granted lands ofDalserf, previously owned by theComyn faction, and was later rewarded with the barony ofCadzow andCadzow Castle on the banks of theClyde. He was a Justice ofLanark in 1321, and wasknighted the following year. In 1323 he was granted the lands ofKinneil,Larbert andAuldcathy in present-day West Lothian, andKirkcowan inWigtownshire.[9]
Walter fitz Gilbert was present at theBattle of Halidon Hill in 1333, fighting in the division of the High Steward, (laterRobert II of Scotland), but is thought to have escaped the carnage there. There is little else heard of him. He died prior to 1346, when his son David fought at theBattle of Neville's Cross as Laird of Cadzow.[10]
Walter fitz Gilbert married Mary Gordon, daughter ofSir Adam Gordon of that Ilk, ancestor of theEarls of Huntly, in 1308. By her, he had two sons:[10]
| Preceded by New creation | Baron of Cadzow c.1315/1320–c.1346 | Succeeded by |