William Hamilton
Scottish diplomat, antiquarian, archaeologist and vulcanologist (1730-1803) · United Kingdom · On the map · Politicians · Died at 72
Sir William Hamilton, KB, PC, FRS, FRSE was a British diplomat, politician, antiquarian and vulcanologist who served as the Envoy Extraordinary to the Kingdom of Naples from 1764 to 1800.
William Hamilton is read about 155 times a day, in 24 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 6 November 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 104 days, one point a day.
Something wrong?People around William
Family
William HamiltonPartners
Brothers and sisters
Is this everyone?
Only relatives with a profile here are drawn, so a family can be larger than this. A line here can also be wrong. A marriage is drawn as ended only where its end is recorded, so a spouse drawn here may be a former one.
Correct this familyMedia & music
Photos 10
William Hamilton with his sister Elizabeth, later Countess of Warwick, by William Hoare
William and Catherine Hamilton in the villa at Posillipo, by David Allan
A replica of the Portland Vase by Josiah Wedgwood in the V&A
An illustration by Pietro Fabris in Hamilton's Campi Phlegraei
Sir William Hamilton, 1783-1784 by George Romney
Miniature of Sir William Hamilton, 1784, Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Lady Hamilton as Circe by George Romney.Awards
About this person
After sitting in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1761 to 1764, he began working as a diplomat, succeeding Sir James Gray as the British ambassador to the Kingdom of Naples. While in Italy, Hamilton became involved in studying local volcanoes and collecting antiquities, becoming a fellow of the Royal Society and being given the Copley Medal. His second wife was Emma Hamilton, who was famed as the mistress of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson.
