 In 1749, Hamilton married Harriet Eliot, the daughter of James Craggs and widow of Richard Eliot of Port Eliot (d. 1748).He remained on active service for a few years after the close of the war in 1748, but went on half-pay from 1751 to 1755.He was called back into service as commander of HMS "Lancaster", and accidentally drowned while in Portsmouth harbour.