Dr James Dallas

1. James, son of Alexander Dallas, silk dyer and burgess of Edinburgh and Mary Lockhart his [second] wife, baptised in Edinburgh, 05/03/1746. His mother's father was Alexander Lockhart, merchant of Edinburgh. Alexander Dallas was the son of Alexander, cordiner burgess of Edinburgh, and his second wife Margaret Ramsay. James was "a surgeon in Florida and Jamaica, who died without issue, 10th May 1780."

2. By 1771, James Dallas was at Whitehall in St Mary, Jamaica, where he wrote a letter to his father, currently held at the National Records of Scotland. James congratulated his father on being chosen Deacon of the (Edinburgh) Corporation (of Dyers) “particularly as it seems to have been attended with some small advantage to your Dye house"). He regretted that his (youngest) brother John had been sent by their father under indenture to Dominica; his father had been “ill advised” in doing so: "Had he been bred a mason, carpenter, copper or blacksmith, he might have not only got bread, but in time acquired a fortune in the West Indies - in his present situation he will be subject to every Insult, temptation and difficulty which can render Human life in some degree miserable, and all this you'll find he will too soon inform you of ". [John Dallas (1754-1816) eventually succeeded his father in the lands of North Newton; see Family of Dallas p. 383]. He reported that his (next younger) brother Thomas, also in Jamaica, was anxious to return home to Scotland. [Thomas Dallas (1748-1808) eventually became a Writer in Linlithgow; see Family of Dallas, p. 382]. He reported that his state of health “continues but very indifferent.” He saw no point in returning home for treatment and concluded that he had no choice but to remain in his present situation “which God knows ... is but a very untoward one.”

3. Dr James Dallas contributed £19 to the University of Pennsylvania following Dr John Morgan's fundraising tour of the West Indies in 1772-1773.

4. By 1778, Dr James Dallas was at Mobill [sic], British West Florida (now Mobile, Alabama) where he was farming a plot of land belonging to one "Col. Mcilivray". In a letter from a Robert Dallas to James's father Alexander, Robert reported that “The Doctor [Jas. Dallas] ... had a very narrow escape of losing all his last negroes that he sent down there (upwards of thirty odd) on account of the former troubles ... (T)hey were all then very busy in planting of corn ... [and] his crop in that article alone would amount to nigh 6000 dollars.” The landowner is very likely Lieut. Col. John McGillivray (q.v.).

5. James Dallas of St Mary, doctor. Estate probated in Jamaica in 1784. Slave-ownership at probate: 0 of whom 0 were listed as male and 0 as female. 0 were listed as boys, girls or children. Total value of estate at probate: £1284.22 Jamaican currency of which £0 currency was the value of enslaved people. Estate valuation included £0 currency cash, £1284.22 currency debts and £0 currency plate.

1. GROS OPR Births 685/1 250 23 Edinburgh; James Dallas, The history of the family of Dallas, and their connections and descendants from the twelfth century (1921) pp. 381-382.

2. Email from Robert Hutcheon 18/01/2020 sourced to National Records of Scotland, GD314/109.

3. William Smith, Joseph Hopkinson, and Plunket Fleeson Glentworth, Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania Minute Books, Volume 2, 1768-1779 p. 75, entry for 13/12/1773. Note amounts are in Jamaican currency.

4. Email from Robert Hutcheon 18/01/2020 sourced to National Records of Scotland, GD314/109.

5. Trevor Burnard, Database of Jamaican inventories, 1674-1784.

We are grateful to Robert Hutcheon for his assistance with compiling this entry.