He succeeded his father in the baronetcy in circa 1645 and in 1647 he was raised to the Peerage of Scotland as Lord Belhaven and Stenton, of the County of Haddington, with remainder to heirs male.
The following year he was a member of the Scottish army in England that unsuccessfully attempted to rescue Charles I, and managed to escape from the Battle of Preston.
In 1675 Hamilton surrendered his lordship to the Crown and received a new patent with remainder to his kinsman John Hamilton of Pressmannan, the husband of his granddaughter Margaret, and in failure of that line to his heirs whatsoever.
He died in June 1679, without surviving male issue, when the baronetcy became extinct.
He was succeeded in the lordship according to the special remainder by the aforementioned John Hamilton of Pressmannan.