American founding father Alexander Hamilton has become a household name in recent years following Lin Manuel Miranda’s hit musical.
However, lesser known is the story of Jersey’s own Alexandre Hamilton, an army Lieutenant who met the same fate as his American namesake just a few years later…
Hamilton was discovered dead in St Ouen in 1782 having been shot and killed in a duel with fellow officer Ensign Charles Rowan who, like Hamilton, was a member of the 95th regiment.
An inquest was called by the Royal Court on 18 June 1782 and 12 local men were convened on the demand of the Solicitor General to make a report on the case.
The reason for the duel remains unknown to this day but an arrest warrant was quickly issued for both Rowan and two other officers implicated in the duel: Ensign Charles William Byrne and Lieutenant Richard Addleton who were both part of Hamilton’s regiment.
All three officers then fled the island and were never charged with Hamilton’s death.
The only remaining record of them were debts they left behind.
The Court warned the masters of any boats and vessels that they would be severely punished if they helped to transport any of the men away from the island.
This came only a year after the Battle of Jersey on 6th January 1781.
Whilst there are no records of Hamilton’s participation in the battle, he was stationed on the island that year and his regiment was instrumental.
Upon the arrival of the French troops, Lieutenant Adderton, who was implicated in Hamilton’s death, was dispatched to England to raise the alarm and seek assistance for troops in Jersey.
Byrne, also implicated in Hamilton’s shooting, read out the articles of surrender signed by Lieutenant Governor Moise Corbet after Corbet had had been captured by the French.
The British commanding officer then told the Lieutenant Governor that “the officers and men have decided to defend the island and show their loyalty to their King and country” and so refused to surrender.
Rowan, Hamilton’s killer, was in the centre of the action during the battle and is one of the British officers depicted in John Singleton Copley’s famous painting, ‘The Death of Major Francis Peirson’.
After the battle was won, it was only a few months later, in June, when his son Jean Alexandre Hamilton was born in Jersey.
His son would not even be a year old when his father was killed the next year.
Hamilton’s burial took place on 18 June 1782 at St Peter’s Church.