Possibly born in 1846 - the date is by his name on a Hallifax family tree in either my mother's or my grandmother's handwriting, possibly both.  TFPL - 1997

But this is clearly contradicted by the censuses: both 1881 and 1901 have him born in 1825-6 in Scotland.  And this led to his birth on the Scotlands People index:

Date Surname Forename Parent Names Frame No.  Sex  Parish  City/County  GROS Data

15/09/1825 HAMILTON THOMAS DE COURC JAMES JOHN/HAMILTON ANNE DE COURCY FR364 M STRANRAER /WIGTOWN 899/00 0020 0030
___________________

He got his VC in Crimea.

The citation for this on the records in The National Archive, ref WO/98/3, is:

“68th Regiment   Captain Thomas De Courcy Hamilton

“For having on the night of the 11th May 1855, during a most determined sortie, boldly charged the enemy, with a small force, from a battery of which they had obtained possession in great numbers, thereby saving the works from falling into the hands of the enemy.
“He was conspicuous on this occasion for his gallantry and daring conduct.”

He was given his medal on 22 Jul 1857 in Corfu in the Mediterranean Sea by Maj-General George Buller, then being in the Durham Light Infantry.

Of Ballymacoll, Co Meath
__________________________________________________________

In the 1881 census he was living at 3 Beaufort Villas, Prestbury, Glos with his wife, Mary Ann Louisa, five children: Florence, Roger Baynes, Sydney Whitmore, Gendoline L and Ernest Richard together with a parlourmaid, a cook, a housemaid and a kitchenmaid.
_______________________

In the 1891 census he was living with hsi wife, two daughters, one son-in-law (Hallifax) and four Hallifax grandchildren with five live-in servants at Dunboyne Prestbury, Cheltenham.

In the 1901 census he was living with some of his family at Dunboyne, Prestbury, nr Cheltenham, Glos, aged 75 and a retired Major General, born in Scotland.
He had with him in his house his wife, two adult children, his grand-daughter (Muriel Hallifax, my grandmother) and a cook and a parlourmaid.

From the enumerators list in the 1911 census, Dunboyne is two houses to the left of the Pump Room, that is the third from the left of the four on the left of the Pump Room.  As at Dec 2010 it has been extended and split into two, making it a pair of semis; further, the name of Dunboyne, not to mention that of its previous owners has been completely lost.
________________________

On his death certificate he was a Major General of the 64th Regiment, retired and the informant was N M Staniford, (?) son-in-law who was present at the death and lived at 18 Promenade, Cheltenham.
_________________________

Which house was Dunboyne at No 3 Beaufort Villas?

In 1874 when he entered his son Claude for Cheltenhma College, he was at 3 Beaffort Villas

Similarly in the 1881 census

And in 1891, 1901 and 1911 for his wife, they were at Dunboyne, Prestbury.

In 1911 the house was said to have 19 rooms.  Subesqeuently it seems to have been split into a semi, though with an extension to make each residence still of a good size.

But it remains uncertain which was the one house, Dunboyne at No 3?

In the 1901 and 1911 censuses their house appears as the next one after the gardener’s cottage for the Pump Room.

In 1901 the order of the houses on the enerator’s sheets were:

  Stanley Lane (Havins)
  Pump Rooks (Davis)
  Dunboyne (Hamilton)
  Beaufort (Yardley)
  Bexley (Saville)
  St Leonards (Weir)
  St Awans (Lake)
  Harle Hill House (Wiffen)
  Clevelands Lodge (Joyner)


In 1891, the order of the houses on the enumerators sheet was:

  The Grange
  The Grange’s Stables
  Bexley
  Beaufort,
  Dunboyne,
  Gundulf,
  Pittvill Pump Room (gardener’s house)
  S.Leonard’s

In 1881, the order of the houses on the enumerator’s sheets was:

Stanley Lawn )Watts)
Pittville Pump Rood (Macalpine)
4 Beaufort Villas (Derinney)
3 Beaufort Villas (Hamilton)
2 Beaufort Villas (Yardley)
1 Beaufort Villas (Searle)
St Leonart’s (Thackwell)
St Arvan’s (Wright)
Marle Hill House (Such)
The Grange (Rushton)

In the above some houses dare omitted, possibly because they were empty at the time of thos censuses.

But, starting at the pump roof the order seems to have been fairly clearly:

  Pump Room
  No 4, Gundulf
  No 3, Dunboyne
  No 2, Beaufort
  No 1, Bexley
____________________-

His probate index:

HAMILTON Thomas de Courcy V.C. of Dunboyne Prestbury near Cheltenham a retired major-general in His Majesty’s army died 3 March 1908  Probate Gloucester 9 April to Mary Ann Louisa Hamilton widow.
Effects  £8651 16s. 4d.
___________________

In Cheltenham cemetery on the same gravestone as his wife’s:

In
Very Loving Memory
of

Major General
Thomas de Courcy Hamilton, V.C.
Born July 20th 1825
Died March 3rd 1908

Also of Mary Ann Louisa wife of the above
Died May 12. 1913 in her 82nd. year

"Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord."
_____________________

The above birth date is not the same as the dat from Scotland’s people.
______________________

Ulster’s Confirmation of Arms in 1887

Arms: Gules a mullet argent between three cinquefoils pierced ermins, on a chiel Or a heart of the first

Crest: A demi antelope argent srmed and unguled or, charged with a mullet hules holding between the hoofs a heart as in the Arms.

Motto: Qualis ab Incepto.
____________________

Gules, a mullet argent, between three cinquefoils pierced ermine, on a chief or, a heart of the first. (U.O. Confn. 1897) - Fox-Davies "Armorial Families", 7th edition, 1929, Vol I, p. 860.
____________________

Who Was Who has this on him:

HAMILTON, Maj.-Gen. Thomas de Courcy (1825-1908)

Details: HAMILTON, Maj.-Gen. Thomas de Courcy, VC 1857; JP Gloucestershire; born Stranraer, Wigtownshire, 20 July 1825; 2nd
son of late James John Hamilton of Ballymacoll, Co. Meath, Ireland, and Anne Geraldine, daughter of 26th Baron Kinsale; married 1857, Mary Louisa, daughter of late Sir William Baynes, 2nd Bt; four sons three
daughters.

Education: private tutors.

Work: Joined 90th Light Infantry, 1842; served through Kaffir War, 1846-1847 (medal); with 68th Light Infantry throughout campaign in Crimea, including battles of Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, and Siege and Fall of Sebastopol (Victoria Cross, medal with four clasps, Turkish medal, and Knight of the Legion of Honour); Brigade-Major, Colchester, 1856-1857; Brigade-Major, Ionian Islands, 1857-1862; Major, 8th Regt, 1863-1868; Lieut-Col 64th Regt, 1868-1874; Colonel, 1873; retired on full pay with hon. rank of Major-General, 1874.

Address: Dunboyne, Cheltenham.

Clubs: New, Cheltenham.

Died: 3 March 1908
____________________________________________

At their marriage, they were both of full age and unmarried; he was a "Bt" (brevet?) major in 68th Light infantry; both were living at Trnity rectory.  His father was James John Hamilton, deceased and her was Sir William Baynes, baronet.  The witnesses were William Baynes (her father), Agnes Baynes and John de C Hamilton (his elderbrother).  They were married by Henry Hamilton (his uncle).
________________________________________________________