John Dalrymple, 8th Earl of Stair

General John Hamilton Dalrymple, 8th Earl of Stair, KT (14 June 1771 – 10 January 1853), known as Sir John Dalrymple, 5th Baronet, between 1810 and 1840, was a British soldier and politician.

Background

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Stair was the son of Sir John Dalrymple, 4th Baronet, and Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Hamilton-Makgill[1] and heiress and representative of the Viscounts of Oxfuird (or Oxenfoord).[2] In 1810 he succeeded in the baronetcy, and inherited Oxenfoord Castle, on the death of his father. In March 1840 following the death of his 2nd cousin John Dalrymple, 7th Earl of Stair, who died without issue, he inherited the title of Earl of Stair.

Military and political career

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Stair was a general in the British Army.[3] In 1832 he was returned to Parliament for Midlothian, as seat he held until 1835.[4] He succeeded a distant relative as eighth Earl of Stair in 1840. As this was a Scottish peerage it did not entitle him to an automatic seat in the House of Lords. However, in 1841 he was created Baron Oxenfoord, of Cousland in the County of Edinburgh, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, which gave him a seat in the upper chamber of parliament. The peerage was created with special remainder to his younger brother.[5][6] The choice of title was in honour of the title held by his mother's family, Viscount of Oxfuird of Oxenfoord. In 1847 he was further honoured when he was appointed a Knight of the Thistle.

Family

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Lord Stair was twice married. He married firstly Harriet, daughter of Reverend Robert Augustus Johnson, in 1795. After her death in 1823 he married secondly the Hon. Adamina, daughter of Admiral Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan, in 1825. Both marriages were childless. Lord Stair died in January 1853, aged 81, and was succeeded in his titles (in the barony of Oxenfoord according to the special remainder) by his younger brother, North Dalrymple. The Countess of Stair died in August 1857.[7]

References

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  1. ^ thepeerage.com
  2. ^ Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990. [page needed], [page needed]
  3. ^ Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990. [page needed], [page needed]
  4. ^ "leighrayment.com". Archived from the original on 10 August 2009. Retrieved 11 June 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990. [page needed], [page needed]
  6. ^ "No. 20007". The London Gazette. 13 August 1841. p. 2072.
  7. ^ thepeerage.com
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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Midlothian
1832–1835
Succeeded by
Military offices
Preceded by Colonel of the 46th (the South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot
1843–1853
Succeeded by
Preceded by Colonel of the 92nd Regiment of Foot
1831–1842
Succeeded by
William Macbean
Baronetage of Nova Scotia
Preceded by Baronet
(of Killock)
1810–1853
Succeeded by
Peerage of Scotland
Preceded by Earl of Stair
1840–1853
Succeeded by
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New creation Baron Oxenfoord
1841–1853
Succeeded by