===Marriage===▼

In 1532 Lord Arran married [[Margaret Douglas, Countess of Arran|Margaret Douglas]], who was about ten years older than him. She was a daughter of [[James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Morton]], and Catherine Stewart, herself a natural daughter of [[James IV]].{{Sfn|Paul|1907|p=[https://archive.org/details/scotspeeragefoun04paul/page/368/ 368, line 30]|ps=: "He married, about 23 September 1532, Margaret, eldest daughter of James Douglas, third Earl of Morton."}} The marriage was arranged by James Hamilton of Finnart. Margaret Douglas was given the house and lands of [[Kinneil House]] for her lifetime should her husband die before her. James Hamilton of Finnart paid Morton 4,000 [[Mark (currency)|marks]] as part of the marriage settlement.{{Sfn|Laing|1850|p=[https://archive.org/details/descriptivecata01laingoog/page/n119/ 72, line 5]|ps=: "Appended to a Receipt granted by him [Hamilton, Sir James] to James Earl of Morton for 3400 merks ... for the marriage of Margaret Douglas, daughter of the Earl of Morton, with his brother James, Earl of Arran. A.D. 1532."}} ▼

James and Margaret had nine children, five boys:▼

#Gavin, died young{{Sfn|Paul|1907|p=[https://archive.org/details/scotspeeragefoun04paul/page/369/ 369, line 11]|ps=: "Gavin, styled second son ... appears to have died before August 1547 in his youth."}}▼

#[[John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Hamilton|John]] (1540–1604), became the 1st [[Duke of Hamilton|Marquess of Hamilton]]{{Sfn|Debrett|1828|p=[https://archive.org/details/debrettspeerage01debrgoog/page/n21/ 443, line 10]|ps=: "John, 2d son of the Duke of Chatelherault, succeeded on his father's death to the family estates ..."}}▼

#Jean, married [[Hugh Montgomerie, 3rd Earl of Eglinton]] in 1555{{Sfn|Dunlop|1890|p=[https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofnati25stepuoft/page/170/ 170, right column, line 37]|ps=: "Jane, who married Hugh Montgomery, third earl of Eglintoun."}}{{Sfn|Paul|1907|p=[https://archive.org/details/scotspeeragefoun04paul/page/370/ 370, line 15]|ps=: "Jean or Jane ... was married (contract dated 13 February 1553-4) to the earl of Eglinton."}}▼

In 1544 Arran tried to divorce his wife. She seemed to have been suffering of poor mental health.<ref>Amy Blakeway, 'The attempted divorce of James Hamilton, earl of Arran, Governor of Scotland', ''The Innes Review'', Volume 61 Issue 1 (May 2010), pp.1–23 ISSN 0020-157x [https://doi.org/10.3366/inr.2010.0001]</ref> Significantly two of their sons, James and Claud, later became insane.▼

An inventory of a chest of Margaret Douglas's clothes includes a purple velvet night gown with gold [[passementerie]] lined with red taffeta, a gown of black cloth of gold with gold passementerie lined with black taffeta, and other gowns and kirtles.<ref>Melanie Schuessler Bond, ''Dressing the Scottish Court 1543-1553: Clothing in the Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland'' (Boydell, 2019), p. 657-8.</ref>▼

Initially, Arran was a [[Protestant]] and a member of the pro-English party. In 1543 he helped to negotiate the marriage of the young Queen Mary to [[Edward VI|Edward]], son of King [[Henry VIII]] of England, who had [[English Reformation|broken with Rome]]. In the same year he authorised the [[Bible translations in the Middle Ages|translation and reading of the Bible in the vernacular]].{{Sfn|Chisholm|1911a|p=[[:s:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Arran, Earls of|643, third para, line four]]|ps=: "...&nbsp;authorized the translation and the reading of the Scriptures in the vulgar tongue&nbsp;..."}} On 27&nbsp;January 1543 he arrested [[David Beaton|Cardinal Beaton]], who favoured the [[Auld Alliance]]. Beaton was imprisoned at [[Dalkeith Palace]] and then [[Blackness Castle]]. However, Henry VIII doubted Arran's commitment to English policy and wanted him deposed. On 18&nbsp;March 1543, Sir [[George Douglas of Pittendreich]], brother of [[Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus|Lord Angus]], told the English ambassador, [[Ralph Sadler]], that:▼

===Pro-French policy===▼

In September 1543 Arran turned around. He secretly met Cardinal Beaton at [[Callendar House]] and reconciled himself with his former enemy. Shortly after he became [[Catholic]] and joined the pro-French faction.{{Sfn|Bain|1892|p=[https://archive.org/details/cu31924091786040/page/n53/ 15, line 15]|ps=: "...&nbsp;there was an appoyntement betwixt the Governour and the Cardynall to convene and mete togither this daye at an abbey&nbsp;... orelles at Lord Levenstons house [i.e. Callender House]&nbsp;..."}} Around this time [[Friar Mark Hamilton]] wrote a history of the Hamilton family.<ref>Thomas James Salmon, [https://archive.org/details/borrowstounnessd00salmrich/page/24/mode/2up ''Borrowstounness and District'' (Edinburgh: William Hodge, 1913), p. 24]</ref><ref>J. Foggie, ''Renaissance Religion in Urban Scotland: The Dominican Order, 1450-1560'' (Brill, 2003), pp. 59, 71, 285.</ref> A seven-year war with England now called the [[Rough Wooing]] followed, which was declared on 20&nbsp;December 1543, and signed by Arran the following month.{{Sfn|Chisholm|1911a|p=[[:s:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Arran, Earls of|643, third para, line eleven]]|ps=: "war had broken out with England"}} The declaration of war was brought by [[Berwick Pursuivant|Henry Ray]] to give to the [[Parliament of Scotland]]. Arran replied that the parliament was dissolved, and so he thought it expedient not to answer Henry VIII on the points raised at the time.{{Sfn|Bain|1892|p=[https://archive.org/details/cu31924091786040/page/n277/ 238, line 41]|ps=: "My lord Governour understanding that the said officiar was direct for shawing of the said writing to the thri estatis of parliament, quhilk was befor his cuming disolvit and thai departit lang of befor : Tharfor douting giff his ansuer wald be acceptible to the King of Ingland and to his msatisfactioun or nocht, thocht nocht expedient to giff ansuer presentlie in that behalf."}}▼

In September 1547 Arran assembled a large Scottish army to resist an English invasion led by [[Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset]] but was defeated at the [[battle of Pinkie]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911a}} He was forced to abandon some of his clothes at the battlefield.<ref>James Balfour Paul, ''Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland'', vol. 9 (Edinburgh, 1911), p. 140.</ref> He nevertheless held onto the regency and continued to lead forces against the occupying troops. For two weeks in February 1548 Arran led a campaign in [[Teviotdale]] with [[André de Montalembert|Monsieur d'Essé]] to recapture [[Ferniehirst Castle]] and punish borderers. He held discussions at [[Jedburgh]] with [[Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon]] over the site and financing of a new fort.<ref>[[Annie Cameron]], ''Scottish Correspondence of Mary of Lorraine'' (SHS: Edinburgh, 1927), pp. 289-90.</ref>▼

Arran reluctantly agreed in July 1548 to Mary's marriage to [[Francis II of France|Francis]], eldest son of King [[Henry II of France]]. Henry II rewarded him by making him [[Duke of Châtellerault]] on 8&nbsp;February 1549 and a knight of the [[Order of Saint Michael]].{{sfn|Paul|1907|p=[https://archive.org/details/scotspeeragefoun04paul/page/367/ 367, line 25]|ps=: "On 8&nbsp;February 1548-49 the duchy of Chatelherault was granted to the earl and his heirs."}}{{sfn|Chisholm|1911a}}▼

On 19&nbsp;April 1550 Regent Arran and his [[Privy Council of Scotland|Privy Council]] made legislation about foodstuffs and rising prices. The people of Scotland were to reduce their diets and banqueting. Prices were set for wild birds and rabbits, swans would be 5 shillings, plovers 5 pence. River birds including herons and ducks were to be caught by hawking. It was forbidden to shoot deer or birds for the table with "half hag or culverin or pistolate". These acts were ratified by Parliament.<ref>[[John Hill Burton]], ''Register of the Privy Council'', vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1877), pp. 94-5.</ref>▼

*{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Arran, Earls of |volume= 02 |editor-last=Chisholm |editor-first=Hugh | pages = 642–644 |date=1911a}}▼

*{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Hamilton (family) |volume= 12 |editor-last=Chisholm |editor-first=Hugh | pages = 878–879 |date=1911b}} – for Walter FitzGilbert▼

*{{Cite book|last=Warnicke |first=Retha M. |authorlink=Retha Warnicke |title=Mary Queen of Scots |location=New York |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-415-29182-8}}▼