Let me tell you the historical background of your family name, Dalmahoy. Your family name originates from the barony of Dalmahoy, located in Midlothian, south of Edinburgh. The first recorded member of your family was Henry de Dalmahoy, whose name is listed on the Ragman Roll of 1296, along with many other nobles of the time, as he pledged loyalty to Edward I of England. In 1304, John, son of Gilbert of Dalmahoy, served as a juror. During the reign of Robert II, Richard de Dalmahoy was recognized on the Burrow’s Rolls as a Free Baron of Lothian. By the sixteenth century, your family had gained prominence in the local area.

On July 17, 1572, Alexander Dalmahoy of that Ilk was part of the assize responsible for the trial of George Wilkie and his son, Robert, for treason. The Wilkies were accused of conspiring with the Earl of Huntly, Kirkcaldy of Grange, and others in Edinburgh after being declared outlaws in 1571. In 1579, the same Alexander Dalmahoy, his brother William, his uncle John, and five others were indicted for besieging the House of Warriston, owned by William Somerville, the previous year. It seems they were acquitted of all charges.

In October 1581, Dalmahoy was chosen, among twenty-four gentlemen and six ministers, by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland to consider the fate of the temporal powers of the bishops following the abolition of that office. In 1614, Sir John Dalmahoy was knighted by James VI and granted the hereditary position of Under Master of the Royal Household, a role later confirmed by Charles I. This entitled your family to incorporate an augmentation to their coat of arms, consisting of a red baton adorned with golden thistles and topped with an imperial crown. In 1679, John Dalmahoy of that Ilk was elevated to the rank of baronet by Charles II. The second Baronet, Sir Alexander, married Aicia Paterson, daughter of the Archbishop of Glasgow. Sir Alexander, the fourth Baronet, served as an officer in the French king’s service and was honored as a Knight of the Order of St. Louis. Upon his return to Scotland, he resided at Carriden near Linlithgow. He was succeeded by his cousin, Sir John Hay Dalmahoy, who pursued scholarship at Hertford College, Oxford, and entered holy orders. In 1800, Sir John passed away without any children, resulting in the extinction of the title.