General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

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

Stair was the son of

Sir John Dalrymple, 4th Baronet Sir John Dalrymple of Cousland, 4th Baronet FRSE FSA(Scot) (1726 – 26 February 1810) was a Scottish advocate, judge, chemist and author, best known for his ''Memoirs of Great Britain and Ireland from the dissolution of the last parliament of C ...

, and Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Hamilton-Makgill and heiress and representative of the Viscounts of Oxfuird (or Oxenfoord). 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 John William Henry Dalrymple, 7th Earl of Stair (16 November 1784 – 22 March 1840) was the son of General William Dalrymple and Marianne Dorothy Harland. He incurred great scandal over his complicated marital life. He became the 7th Earl of Stai ...

, who died without issue, he inherited the title of Earl of Stair.

Military and political career

Stair was a

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

. In 1832 he was returned to Parliament for Midlothian, as seat he held until 1835. He succeeded a distant relative as eighth Earl of Stair in 1840. As this was a

Scottish peerage The Peerage of Scotland ( gd, Moraireachd na h-Alba, sco, Peerage o Scotland) is one of the five divisions of peerages in the United Kingdom and for those peers created by the King of Scots before 1707. Following that year's Treaty of Union ...

it did not entitle him to an automatic seat in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...

. 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. 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 A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

Family

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 Admiral Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan, KB (1 July 17314 August 1804) was a British admiral who defeated the Dutch fleet off Camperdown on 11 October 1797. This victory is considered one of the most significant actions in naval history. Li ...

, 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.thepeerage.com
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References

External links

* , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Stair, John Dalrymple, 8th Earl Of 1771 births 1853 deaths 46th Regiment of Foot officers Earls of Stair Knights of the Thistle Dalrymple, John, 5th Baronet Dalrymple, John, 5th Baronet UK MPs who inherited peerages UK MPs who were granted peerages Peers of the United Kingdom created by Queen Victoria