MEMOIR OF SIR J. G. DALYELL. xi 



who succeeded him, and died without issue, — 2nd, William, who died 

 without succession, — 3d, John, who carried on the line of the fiimily ; he 

 had one son named William, who succeeded him about the year 1426. 

 Sir William had two sous, 1st, Robert, who died without issue, — 2nd, 

 Alexander, whose descendants carried on the line of the family. Sir Alex- 

 ander Menteth died early in the reign of Queen Mary, his second son 

 James, carried on the line of the fomily, and left one son. James Men- 

 tcithof Auldcathie-'= married Magdalene, daughter of Sir Thomas Dalyell, 

 Bai-t., of Binns, and assumed the name of Dalyell. 



Dalyell, as a patronymic, is of considerable antiquity in Scotland. 

 The family of Binns is one of the oldest cadets. Tradition carries it to a 

 remote period ; for it is said that the favourite of one of the ancient 

 kings having been taken by his enemies and hanged in sight of the camp, 

 the kuig oftered a great reward to whoever should cut the body down. 

 No one, however, would undertake the perilous enterprize, until a valorous 

 gentleman in his retinue at length stepped forward, exclaiming Dali/ell ! 

 which, in the language of the times, is said to have signified / dan'. He 

 accordmgly left the camp, and regardless of danger, succeeded in restoring 

 the body of the favourite. Nor did his courage pass unrewarded ; for the 

 king bestowed lands upon him and his posterity, and assigned for then- war 

 armorial the body of a hanged man, with the motto, I dare; which is actual- 

 ly the arms of all bearing the name of Dalyell at this day. Hence it is not 

 improbable that there was some foundation for the story, the authentic 

 record of which has been lost in the lapse of time. But however this may 

 be, we know that there were formerly several eminent persons of the name 

 in Scotland ; and the chronicles of old exultiugly relate the prowess of 

 Sir William Dalyell, who lost an eye at the battle of Otterburn, in 1388. 



We shall pass over the lineal descendants of this iiimily until 1571, 

 when Thomas Dalyell was born, who died in 1G42, and was succeeded by 

 his son Thomas DaWell. The latter early entered the military service, 

 and, during the reign of Charles the First, commanded the town and garri- 



* 8ir Thomas Dalyell, first P.aroriL't of Binns, had a son Thomas, and two daughters, 

 named Magdalene and Janet. Sir Thomas, second Baronet of Binns, died unmarried and 

 was succeeded by his eldest sister Magdalene, who married James Mcnteith of Auldcathie. 

 Magdalene's son, Sir James, succeeded his uncle ."^ir Thomas, the second Baronet of Binns. Sir 

 James, third Baronet of Binns, was succeeded by his eldest son. Sir Robert, fourth Baronet. 



