Hew Dalrymple, Lord North Berwick

Who was Hew Dalrymple, Lord North Berwick?

Sir Hew Dalrymple, Lord North Berwick was a Scottish judge and politician.

The third son of James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount of Stair, he was Commissary of Edinburgh; Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland for New Galloway burgh from 1690, and for North Berwick burgh from 1702.

Dalrymple was Dean of the Faculty of Advocates from 1695. He was created a baronet in the baronetage of Nova Scotia in 1698 and succeeded his father in the same year as Lord President of the Court of Session, taking the judicial title Lord North Berwick. He held this post until his death. He was a Commissioner for the articles of union between England and Scotland in 1702 and 1703. He planted the Act of Union Beech trees to commemorate the event and six of these survive to this day.

In 1699 Dalrymple bought the barony and Castle of Tantallon from James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas, but allowed the castle to fall into further ruin.