Marriage contract between Colonel John Campbell and Elizabeth, Duchess of Hamilton and Brandon, 1759 March 2.

Bound volume signed and dated 1759, accompanied by several loose documents primarily concerning Elizabeth, Duchess of Hamilton's prenuptial property agreements with her second husband, Colonel John Campbell. The materials are housed in a leather folio, with some items affixed or laid in, and include original contracts, scribal copies, and affidavits attesting to signatures and authenticity. As widow of James, Duke of Hamilton, Elizabeth exercised limited legal independence under the Law of Coverture, which recognized women's legal agency chiefly in widowhood. These documents demonstrate her use of this status to negotiate control over her property and financial assets prior to remarriage. A marginal annotation in one copy indicates a key motivation for the agreement: the provision of funds for the education of her son and other children