Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 1 Vol 7.djvu/226

 224 STAIR. taking his seat, 21 Jan. 1700/7. He had, in 1702, served under the Duke of Marlborough, to whom he was aide-de-ciiuip ; was, as Lieut. Col., first in the breach at the taking of Peer ; served with the storming party at Venlo ; Col. of the Cameronians (26th Foot), and of the Scuts GreyB, 1706, being in command at Ramilliea in that year. In 170S (being then Ear! of Stair), lie greatly distinguished himself at the battle of Oudenarde, and in ] 7011, was at the siege of Lille and the battle of Malplaquet ; was Euvoy to Augustus, King of Poland, 1 709-1 0 ; was at the siege of Douay, 1710, and of Bouehain, 1711, becoming General in 1712 ; Hf.i: Peek [S.1, 1707-10, 1715-34, and 1744-47 ; K.T., 25 March 1710. At the accession of Geo. t, which he had greatly promoted, he was made P.C. ; a Lord of the Bed- chamber ; Col. of the Iuniskillen Dragoons ; and Envoy, being afterwards, Feb. 1719, Ambassador, to Paris. This (at that period) most important office be filled with the utmost magnificence, but, owing to his difference with the well-known financier, Law (then Comptroller Gen.), was re-called in 1720. He was Vice- Admiral of Scotland, 1729 to 1733, when he was deprived of that office and of his command of the afsd. dragoons, having been a leading opponent of the ministry of Walpole. On the dissolution thereof in 1742, he was made FlKLD Marshal, as also Gov. of Minorca, and Com. in chief of the allied forces in Flanders, serving, under the King, at the battle of Dettiugen, ll) June 1743, tho' resigning his command soon afterwards. He was, however, in 1743 and 1745, replaced as Col. of the Iuniskillen Dragouns ami of the Scots Greys, and in 1774, was Com. in chief of the forces in South Britain ; Gen. of the Marines, 1746. He M, in 1714, Eleanor, (") widow of James (Primrose), 1st Viscount Primrose [S.] (who d. 13 June 1706), 4th am) yst da of James (C.uipnEU.), 2d EARL op Loudoun [S.], by Margaret, da. of Hugh (MONTOOMERT), Karl of Eglixton [S ] He d. s.p. at Queeusberry Hmise, Edinburgh, fl May 1717, aud was bur. 23 in some state in the family grave at Kirkliston, in his 74th year. Will pr. 1747. His widow, well known in the society of Edinburgh, d. there 21 aud was bur 24 Nov. 1759, at Kirkliston. This Earl had, in consequence of his next hr. having n>. the duo jure Countess of Dumfries [S.], and of his wish to keep the Stair titles distinct from that more ancient Earldom, obtained, after resignation, a norodamus of all his peerage dignities, 27 Feb., confirmed by Act of Pari. [S.], 21 March 1706/7, to himself and the heirs male of his body, whom failing, to such of the male descendants of the 1st Viscount as he should appoint, ('') anil, failing such appointment, to his br., William for life, and to the second and other younger sons of his said brother in tail male with certain complicated provisos, and a final rem. to the heirs male of the body of the 1st Viscount. He accordingly executed a deed, 31 March 1747, nominating John Dalrymple, the 1st s. and h. of his yst. br., George, to succeed him in his titles and estates, but this deed tho' valid, as to the estates, was held by the House of Lords, 4 May 1743, to be invalid aa to the peerage dignitia, presumably on the ground of having been executed ufter( c ) the Union. Earldom [SJ ~ 3 ami J,. James (Daluymple), Earl of jj j Stair, &c. [s.], nephew, being 3d but 2d surv. s.( d ) V 1747 ot tlle Hon - "Uliam Dalrymple, of Glenmure, Viscountcy [S.] j ' by Penelope, mo jure Countess of Dumfries [S.l, j v which William ft. 3 Dec. 1744. He was admitted as l "' J an Advocate, 1728, aud sue. to the peerage [S.J as such second surv. son, under the novndamus of that dignity, 27 Feb. 1706/7, tho' to none of the estates. He d. unin. 13 or 30 Nov. 1760, at Castle Mucdowall. (*) " She is the heroine of the strange story, which formed the foundation of Scotts novel, My Aunt Maryatei's mirror, iu the Chronicles of the Cano/igate." Tho " beautiful and strong minded " she had " been most cruelly treated by her first husband," and "declared she would never marry again." Stair, however, "by appearing at her bedroom window compelled her to marry him to save her reputa- tion." [Nut. Bioejr.] (b) See vol. ii, p. 14, note "a," tub " Breadalbane," for a list of these Scotch peerages by designation. 0=) See "Her. and Gen.," m, 527. Itiddell, however (p. 281), remarks thereon " upon what explicit and revelant inductions aud reasonings the decision went, I have ever attempted, in vain, to ascertain." ( d ) His next elder br. (who was the favourite nephew of the old Earl), Capt. the Hon. John Dalrymple, d. tram, at Newlistou, 23 Feb. 1742.