Sir David Dalrymple, 1st Baronet

Dalrymple's home at Newhailes, near Musselburgh

Sir David Dalrymple of Hailes, 1st Baronet (1665 – 3 December 1721) was a Scottish advocate and politician. He served as Lord Advocate, and eventually Auditor of the Exchequer in Scotland (1720).

David Dalrymple was the fifth and youngest son of James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount of Stair. He was educated at the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Utrecht, and was admitted a member of the Faculty of Advocates 3 November 1688.

He was elected to represent Culross in 1698 in the Parliament of Scotland, where he served until 1707. In 1706 he was one of the Commissioners who negotiated the Act of Union 1707 with England and was a Member of Parliament elected to the first parliament of Great Britain for Haddington from 1708 until his death in 1721.

From 1709 to 1711 and then again from 1714 to 1720 he served as Lord Advocate of Scotland, with the gap in service caused by the rise to power of a Tory ministry.

On 4 April 1691 he married Janet, daughter of Sir James Rocheid of Inverleith, the widow of Alexander Murray of Melgund. By her he had three sons and a daughter:

• His heir: Sir James Dalrymple, 2nd Baronet, of Hailes, East Lothian.
• Hugh Dalrymple-Murray-Kynnynmond (died 1741).
• Janet, who married (1) Sir John Baird, 2nd Baronet of Newbyth, MP for Edinburghshire 1715-1722; (2) General James St Clair of Dysart, M.P.

References

• The Extinct and Dormant Baronetcies of England, Ireland, and Scotland, by Messrs. John and John Bernard Burke, second edition, London, 1841, p. 620.
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
• Leigh Rayment's list of baronets
• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography