He was educated at
Glasgow University, graduating in 1749. In 1752 he joined the
British Army, becoming an ensign in the
52nd Regiment of Foot. He became a lieutenant in 1759 and a captain (in the
91st Regiment of Foot) from 1760. By 1762 he was a major, and served in the campaign against the
Spanish invasion of Portugal (1762). After a period on half pay in 1763, he was appointed to the
14th Regiment of Foot in 1764. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1765. Between 1766 and 1768, Dalrymple was in
Halifax, Nova Scotia. In 1768, he was placed in command of a detachment of two regiments sent to
Boston, Massachusetts, to support embattled royal officials who were having trouble enforcing the unpopular
Townshend Acts. Troops in his command (although he was not directly involved) were involved in the
Boston Massacre, in which five Bostonians were killed during a confrontation with a group of soldiers. Amid continuing hostility, Dalrymple acceded to the request of Acting Governor
Thomas Hutchinson to remove his troops to
Castle William, an island fortress in Boston harbour. In 1772-1773 Dalrymple received a local promotion to major general and commanded a force which captured the West Indian island of
St Vincent. He returned to Britain in 1773. He continued to be in touch with his American Loyalist friends in Boston. He was saddened but not surprised by the
Boston Tea Party. After the
American War of Independence broke out in 1775, Dalrymple returned to North America. He served as
quartermaster general 1779-1783. He was promoted to brigadier general (1779) and then major general (1782). After the end of the war Dalrymple was attacked for alleged corruption, but General
William Howe stoutly defended his former subordinate and the allegations were dropped. Dalrymple then went into politics. He represented
Wigtown Burghs in the
British House of Commons from 1784 to 1790. Between 1796 and 1798 he sat for
Duleek in the
Irish House of Commons. Dalrymple was promoted to lieutenant-general 1793 and general 1798.
Lt. Governor of
Royal Hospital Chelsea 22 Mar 1798 to 2 Apr 1804; and 19 Oct. 1804 to his death. He was Colonel of the
47th (Lancashire) Regiment of Foot from 1794 to his death. ==References==