Dame Rosalind Cecilia Caroline Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn, (26 February 1869 – 18 January 1958; née Lady Rosalind Bingham) was a British aristocrat and the Duchess of Abercorn by marriage.

Family and personal life

She was born on 26 February 1869 to Charles George Bingham, 4th Earl of Lucan, and Lady Cecilia Catherine Gordon-Lennox. She married James, Marquess of Hamilton, eldest son of The 2nd Duke of Abercorn, on 1 November 1894 at St. Paul's Church, Knightsbridge. They had five children:

Community work

When the Duchess of Abercorn and her husband left Northern Ireland in 1945, it was reported “her willingness to help all charitable and other organisations for the benefit of the community has endeared her to all.”

Girl Guides

She was Deputy Chief Commissioner of Ulster Girl Guides from 1921 to 1925. In 1925 she established the Duchess of Abercorn's Fund for Girl Guides. She was Chief Commissioner of Ulster Girl Guides between 1926 and 1945. She was recipient of the Silver Fish Award, Girl Guiding's highest adult honour, in 1937.

War work

The Duchess of Abercorn's “Ulster Gift Fund” established in 1939 was affiliated to the Red Cross and St. John Ambulance. It was instrumental in coordinating the efforts of 214 Hospital Supply Depots in the making of over 3,500 supplies, plus socks, mufflers, mittens and helmets for the war effort.

Other

Honours

Rosalind, Duchess of Abercorn, was invested as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1936. She was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) by Queen's University, Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, in 1944.

Ancestry