Claud Hamilton, 1st Lord Paisley (9 June 1546 – 3 May 1621) was a Scottish nobleman who fought at the Battle of Langside in 1568 for Mary, Queen of Scots.

[1] His father's family descended from Walter FitzGilbert, the founder of the House of Hamilton,[2] who had received the barony of Cadzow from Robert the Bruce in the 14th century.

His uncle John Hamilton, an illegitimate son of his grandfather, the 1st Earl of Arran, was commendatory abbot of Paisley Abbey around the time of his birth.

In 1553 this uncle succeeded David Beaton as Archbishop of St Andrews and agreed to pass the position as commendator to his nephew Claud, who was then about seven years old.

[28] The brothers escaped to the Kingdom of England, where Queen Elizabeth used them as pawns in the diplomatic game, and later Claud lived for a short time in France.

[30] In January 1586, Hamilton was in Paris where he met three supporters of Mary, Queen of Scots; Thomas Morgan, Charles Paget, and Albert Fontenay.

In November 1590 he broke down in tears after reading the Bible and it was thought he would not recover 'in regard of the infirmity haunting and falling on many descended of that house'.

In 1598 he allowed James, his eldest son, styled the Master of Paisley, to act on his behalf with regard to all the affairs concerning the town.