Today January 8th is the anniversary of the death of the first Earl of Stair on January 8th 1707 ` Here is a little bit of Scottish history that pertains to Wigtownshire and the Dalrymples of Stair Sam Heron ` James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount of Stair (May 1619 - 29 November 1695), and his son John Dalrymple the Master of Stair (1648 - 8 January 1707) had quite an influence on Scotland's history. Sir John 2nd Viscount of Stair eventually became the first Earl of Stair at Castle Kennedy just out side Stranraer, Wigtownshire in 1703. Sir John was also made Lord Newliston, Glenluce and Stranraer and Viscount of Dalrymple, at the same time he was given the earldom. Although originally from Ayrshire, the Dalrymple beginning in Wigtownshire seem to be around 1677 when Castle Kennedy was obtained by Sir James Dalrymple of Stair. I also note that James's wife, John's mother was Margaret Ross, co-heiress of Balneil in Wigtown. Castle Kennedy was destroyed by fire in 1716 and was replaced by Lochinch Castle which was completed in 1867. There seems to have been an occupancy by the Dalrymple family at nearby Culhorn House, Inch for a while according to the 1841 and 1851 Census. John, Master of Stair, is principally remembered for the part he played in the massacre of Glencoe. He also played a crucial role in influencing the 1707 Treaty of Union between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England, that created the Kingdom of Great Britain and saw the end of Scotland's own parliament for 292 years from 25 March 1707 until 12 May 1999. At that time the 25 March was still New Year's Day in England (until 1752), Scotland had changed its New Year's Day to January 1st in 1600. John's father, James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount of Stair, served as one of the Scottish commissioners who went to London in 1670 to the Treaty of the Union; but the project faltered at that time. James collated and recorded 'The Laws of Scotland' several years prior to the 1707 Treaty of Union between Scotland and England. This is the Scottish Law that was so different from the English law at that time and still is today. Scottish law continued to be practiced as it had been practiced before the Treaty of the Union as one of the conditions of the Treaty of the Union. Thankfully it had been written down by James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount of Stair. John Dalrymple 2nd Viscount of Stair, and the son of James Dalrymple, was born at Stair House in the parish of Stair, in Kyle, Ayrshire. In 1689 king William II, (William of Orange) appointed him Lord Advocate of Scotland and in 1691 he was appointed Joint Secretary of State over Scotland with James Johnston. John Dalrymple is notoriously remembered for his part in the 1692 Massacre of Glencoe; he believed that he was doing something good for the benefit of all of Scotland. The Scottish parliament, in 1695, as a result of public revulsion and unrest, including Lowlanders, demanded an enquiry into the massacre. When the report from the enquiry was complete, they voted that "the killing of the Glencoe men was murder" and the government was condemned for having "barbarously killed men under trust". Responsibility for the crime lay with the King's Scottish ministers, but King William was guilty of a "great breach of duty" in shielding the Master of Stair from any punishment beyond dismissal from the Secretaryship of State. The Master of Stair subsequently returned to government in 1700 as a member of the Privy Council of Scotland. He was created first Earl of Stair in 1703 by Queen Anne. So the 1st Earl of Stair was a person of notoriety who was complicit in the Glencoe Massacre in February 1692 and he played a crucial role in the 1707 Treaty of Union between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England, that created the Kingdom of Great Britain and suspended the Scottish parliament for 292 years. His father James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount of Stair (May 1619 - 29 November 1695) was a Scottish lawyer and statesman. James is acknowledged by some because of his great legal work, 'The Institutions of the Law of Scotland deduced from its Originals, and collated with the Civil, Canon and Feudal Laws and with the Customs of Neighbouring Nations', as being the person who first made a complete written record of Scottish Law as it was practiced at that time. The Laws of Scotland: Stair Memorial Encyclopaedia (commonly referred to as the Stair Memorial Encyclopaedia) is the authoritative source for law in Scotland. It incorporates law derived from every source and, while concentrating on the specialties of Scots law, it also covers law common to the whole of the United Kingdom. Each statement of law is supported by citation of authority, and there are references to sources of further information, both primary and secondary. The Encyclopaedia may still be cited with approval before the courts. In 1981, three hundred years after James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount of Stair's first publication of his original work, a restatement of the Laws of Scotland was commissioned. ` So that is a summary of how much just one family influenced Scotland's future and her history .... and the family still has an affinity with Wigtownshire. In passing I note that in the 1841 Census - Stair (8th Earl of) Rt. Hon. John, 69, army, Scotland and Lady Stair,55, Scotland were recorded as being at Culhorn House in the Parish of Inch together with twenty-six (26) staff. In the 1851 Census there were twelve (12) staff shown at Culhorn House with 'householder absent". This would again be the 8th Earl of Stair In the 1881 Census in Edinburgh the 10th Earl Of Stair John H. Dalrymple 62 born in Inveresk and the Countess of Stair Louisa. Dalrymple 57, with two daughters Annie 25 and Emily 22 born in London were residing at Gardeners Castle: Cranston, Edinburgh. with thirty-four (34) staff several being from Wigtownshire. By then in 1881 Culhorn House in Inch was described as being in ruins but Lochinch Castle had been completed in 1867. The only locally recorded births that I could find relative to the 'Stairs' were: ************************************************** DALRYMPLE HAMILTON, North de Coigny Christening Birth Date: 31 Oct 1853 Birthplace: Inch, Wigtown, Scotland Recorded in: Inch, Wigtownshire, Scotland Death Date: 4 Nov 1906 Father: John Hamilton Earl Of Stair DALRYMPLE Father's Father: North Hamilton Earl Of Stair DALRYMPLE Father's Mother: Margaret PENNY Mother: Louisa Jane Henrietta Emily DE FRANQUETOT Mother's Father: Augustin Louis Joseph Casimir Gustave Duc de Coigny DE FRANQUETOT Mother's Mother: Henrietta DUNDAS ******************************************************* DALRYMPLE, Mary Evelyn Christening Female: Christening Date: 22 Aug 1852 Recorded in: Inch, Wigtownshire, Scotland Father: John DALRYMPLE - Mother: Louisa Much of this information is from Wikipedia in addition to other sources.

Just to add that there is some info on Culhorn House (building, alternations and such) at http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/search_item/index.php?service=RCAHMS&id=216171 which has names of a few masons etc. In 1760 in the Inch Kirk Bell subscribers list there is a Mrs Seabellow Clieland in Culhorn, likely to be at Culhorn house. She gave six shillings which was a large amount, the third largest in the list. 'The Honble Captin Dalrymple of Str' gave a whole pound. I'm guessing that Seabellow Clieland (Sibilla, Sibyl?) was part of the Dalrymple family. Anybody know more? Jenny On 08/01/2011 07:07, Sam Heron wrote: > Today January 8th is the anniversary of the death of the first Earl of Stair on January 8th 1707 > ` > Here is a little bit of Scottish history that pertains to Wigtownshire and the Dalrymples of Stair > Sam Heron > `