John Dalrymple, 5th Earl of Stair facts for kids
John Dalrymple, 5th Earl of Stair (1720–1789) was a Scottish soldier and politician. He was known for his strong opinions on money matters in his country.
Life Story of John Dalrymple
John Dalrymple was the oldest son of George Dalrymple. His family had a long history, and his great-grandfather was the first Earl of Stair. John became a lawyer in Scotland in 1741, but he soon joined the army and became a captain.
His uncle, John Dalrymple, 2nd Earl of Stair, really liked him. This uncle had a special rule for his title: if he didn't have a son, he could choose another male relative to inherit his earldom. He chose John. So, in 1745, John started using the title "Earl of Stair." He even voted in the House of Lords (a part of the British Parliament) as the Earl of Stair in 1747.
However, things changed. In 1748, another part of the government, the House of Lords, decided that the title should go to his cousin, James Dalrymple. So, James became the 3rd Earl of Stair instead.
John Dalrymple finally became the 5th Earl of Stair in 1768 when his cousin William passed away. In 1771, he was chosen to be a representative peer, which meant he represented Scottish nobles in the House of Lords. While there, he spoke out against the actions that led to the American War of Independence. He even presented a petition from Massachusetts in 1774, trying to help the American colonies. However, he was not re-elected to Parliament in 1774.
John Dalrymple passed away on October 13, 1789.
His Writings on Money Matters
John Dalrymple wrote many short books, called pamphlets, mostly about how the country's money was being managed. His writings often had a serious and even gloomy tone, predicting problems. Because of this, a famous writer named Horace Walpole gave him the nickname "Cassandra of the State." Cassandra was a character in old stories who could see the future but was never believed.
Some of his important writings included:
- The State of the National Debt, Income, and Expenditure (1776) – This was about how much money the country owed, earned, and spent.
- Considerations preliminary to the fixing the Supplies, the Ways and Means, and the Taxes for the year 1781 (1781) – This looked at how to plan for the country's needs and taxes.
- Facts and their Consequences submitted to the Consideration of the Public at large (1782) – This presented facts and their possible outcomes to the public.
- An Attempt to balance the Income and Expenditure of the State (1783) – He tried to show how the country could balance its earnings and spending.
- An Argument to prove that it is the indispensable Duty of the Public to insist that Government do forthwith bring forward the consideration of the State of the Nation (1783) – He argued that the public should demand the government look closely at the country's situation.
- State of the Public Debts (1783) – More about the money the country owed.
- On the Proper Limits of Government's Interference with the Affairs of the East India Company (1784) – This discussed how much the government should get involved with the East India Company, a powerful trading company.
- Address to, and Expostulation with, the Public (1784) – A message and a strong talk with the public.
- Comparative State of the Public Revenue for the years ending on 10 October 1783 and 10 Oct. 1784 (1785) – He compared the country's income for two different years.
His Family
John Dalrymple was married to a daughter of George Middleton, who was a banker in London. They had one son, also named John, who became the 6th Earl of Stair after his father passed away.
