DALRYMPLE, Adolphus John (1784-1866), of High Mark, Wigtown.

Dalrymple’s father, who had taken over command of the British army in Portugal following Wellesley’s successful campaign of 1808, was made the ministerial scapegoat for the signing of the unpopular convention of Cintra. Censured by a board of inquiry and never again entrusted with a command he was, after appealing to administration on several occasions, rewarded with a baronetcy in 1814.1Sir H. Dalrymple, Mem. of Procs. as connected with Affairs of Spain (1830). Dalrymple himself received promotion at about the same time.

It was as a supporter of administration that he came in temporarily for Weymouth in 1817 on the interest of the Johnstone trustees and at the instigation of Masterton Ure, who was then on terms with Dalrymple’s father-in-law. Dalrymple was left without a seat at the general election.2See WEYMOUTH AND MELCOMBE REGIS. He was, however, soon provided for and early in 1819 replaced George Fludyer in Lord Lonsdale’s seat at Appleby, a borough of which his father-in-law, a close associate of Lonsdale, was recorder.

In the House Dalrymple opposed Catholic relief, 9 May 1817, and otherwise supported ministers. He voted with them for the suspension of habeas corpus, 23 June 1817, and against opposition attacks on its effects, 10, 11 Feb., 5 Mar. 1818. He was in the ministerial minority on the ducal grant, 15 Apr. 1818. He seconded Lyttelton’s motion on behalf of pensioned officers’ widows, 28 Apr. 1818. On 18 May 1819 he voted against the censure on government and on 10 June for the foreign enlistment bill. He was dissuaded from absenting himself in January 1820.3Lonsdale mss, Lowther to Lonsdale, 19, 22 Jan. 1820. He died 3 Mar. 1866.