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Sgian Dubh
The familiy name comes from their lands in the parish of Kyle in Ayrshire. How the lands gained their name, however, is debated. Many believe it derives from the Gaelic 'dal-a-chrumpuilll', which means 'dale of the crooked pool', however, Gaelic was never prevalent in the district, so this could be unlikely. It could also be a description of a historic event, 'dal-ry-mole' means 'valley of the slaughter of kings', as those who trust in this version believe that the ancient kings Fergus and Coilus fought in the valley and died. However, this explanation also derives from Gaelic, and is therefore less likely than the derivation from the Saxon 'dahl hrympel' which suggests the topogrpahy of the lands. The first records of a Dalrymple are in a charter of Robert II in 1371, in which three generations of Dalrymples are named. The marriage of William de Dalrymple to Agnes Kennedy, granddaughter of Malcolm de Carrick de Stair, in 1540, led to the acquisition of the lands of Stair Montgomery and thedevelopment of the name of Dalrymple of Stair. The family fought for the Protestant cause with Mary Queen of Scots at Langside in 1568. James Dalrymple of Stair, born in 1619 led an illlustrious life, attending Glasgow Univeristy at the age of Fourteen and graduating as a Master of Arts in 1637. In 1638 he commanded a company in the Earl of Glencairn's regiment, while still serving he accpeted the post of Professor of Philosophy at Glasgow in 1641, resigning six years later to become a lawyer. He ws sent to Breda to bring Charles II home to assume his father's throne. Dalrymple was appointed a parliamentary commissioner for the administration of justice in Scotalnd while he was there, and this appointment was approved by the administrator Oliver Cromwell. At the Rstoration, he was made a Lord of Session and a knight by Charles II, and became President of the Court of Session in 1671. He fled to the Netherlands, following a conflict with James VII, then the Duke of York, but returned with William of Orange, and reappointed Lord President. He died in 1695, after being named Viscount Stair in 1690, but his text on Scottish law, 'Institutions of the Law of Scotland', has become a major work in the study of civil law in Scotland, and is often referred to in modern court cases. The second Viscount Stair, was also a lawyer, and was raised the title of Earl of Stair having become Lord Advocate. The second Earl followed a military career, attaining the rank of Field Marshal and ambassador to the court of Louis XIV in France. The present Earl is captain general of the scottish royal bodygaurd, the Royal Company of Archers, and Gold Stick-in-Waiting to HM Queen Elizabeth. |
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