pointed commander-in-chief of the forces, and a privy councillor: for several successive parliaments he represented his native county, Linlithgow. In 1666, he raised a regiment of foot; and, some years afterwards, also a fine cavalry corps, the “Scots Greys.” The letters of service for both are still in possession of his descendants.
General Dalyell had a son, likewise in the army, who was created a baronet of Nova Scotia, by a patent, wherein his alacrity in promoting the military service is particularly specified. Another branch of the family, Colonel John Dalyell, was killed at the battle of Malpalquet, Sept. 11th, 1709.
Commander Dalyell’s grandfather served in the wars of George I. and II. His paternal uncle, James, was aid-de-camp to Lord Amherst, and killed in North America, in 1763[1]. Two others were mortally wounded in the naval and military services; one on board the Valiant 74, and the other in India.
Mr. William Cunningham C. Dalyell was born on the 27th of April, 1784; and, after receiving the first rudiments of his education at Binns, was placed under the tuition of the late Dr. Burney, of Gosport. From that gentleman’s celebrated nautical school, he first embarked as midshipman, on board the Thetis frigate, Captain the Hon. Alexander Inglis Cochrane, attached to the Halifax station. He afterwards served under Captain (now Sir David) Milne, in the Pique and Seine frigates; and was master’s-mate of the latter ship, acting also as aid-de-camp to his gallant commander, at the capture of la Vengeance, mounting 52 guns, with a complement of 326 officers and men, near St. Domingo, Aug. 21st, 1800[2].
In December following, Mr. Dalyell was sent, as prize-master, with nine men, on board a Spanish schooner. His orders were to proceed to Jamaica; but, unfortunately, the vessel sprang a leak, in a gale of wind, and filled so rapidly that there was barely time to escape from her, in a small boat, without either clothes, provisions, or water, ere she sunk. After a fatiguing row of eighteen hours, he succeeded in reaching the western coast of Cuba, and landed with his crew on a low sandy beach, to the southward of the Colo-
- ↑ See “Munte’s History of the War in North America.”
- ↑ See Vol. I. Part II. p. 681.
