HAILES

hailes, david dalrymple, lord (1726-1792), scottish lawyer and historian, was born at edinburgh on the 28th of october 1726. his father, sir james dalrymple, bart., of hailes, in the county of haddington, auditor-general of the exchequer of scotland, was a grandson of james, first viscount stair; and his mother, lady christian hamilton, was a daughter of thomas, 6th earl of haddington. david was the eldest of sixteen children. he was educated at eton, and studied law at utrecht, being intended for the scottish bar, to which he was admitted shortly after his return to scotland in 1748. as a pleader he attained neither high distinction nor very extensive practice, but he rapidly established a well-deserved reputation for sound knowledge, unwearied application and strict probity; and in 1766 he was elevated to the bench, when he assumed the title of lord hailes. ten years later he was appointed a lord of justiciary. he died on the 29th of november 1792. he was twice married, and had a daughter by each wife. the baronetcy to which he had succeeded passed to the son of his brother john, provost of edinburgh. another brother was alexander dalrymple (1737-1808), the first admiralty hydrographer, who distinguished himself in the east india company's service and as a geographer. lord hailes's younger daughter married sir james fergusson; and their grandson, sir charles dalrymple, 1st bart. (cr. 1887), m.p. for bute from 1868 to 1885, afterwards came into lord hailes's estate and took his family name. lord hailes's most important contribution to literature was the _annals of scotland_, of which the first volume, "from the accession of malcolm