Alexander  Dallas  died  in  October  1548,  when  he  was
succeeded  by  the  elder  of  the  two  sons  just  mentioned,  but  no


228  THE  FAMILY  OF  DALLAS

record  of  the  name  of  their  mother  has  been  transmitted,  and
in  the  absence  of  evidence  it  is  perhaps  futile  to  speculate
upon  the  subject,  yet  the  surmise  cannot  be  resisted  that  they
were  the  children  of  their  father's  first  marriage  with  Isabella
Dunbar,  and  that  their  illegitimacy  was  due  to  the  verdict  of
an  ecclesiastical  court  based  upon  some  question  of  consan-
guinity. Such  proceedings  were  by  no  means  uncommon
during  the  corrupt  days  of  the  moribund  Romish  Church  in
Scotland,  being  founded  upon  canonical  obstacles  existing
between  the  parties,  and  though  no  relationship  has  been
traced  between  the  Budgate  Dallases  and  the  Dunbars,  it  is
more  than  probable  that  such  in  fact  existed.  No  doubt,
had  there  been  issue  of  the  marriage  between  Alexander
Dallas  and  Katherine  Campbell,  no  steps  would  have  been
taken  to  legitimate  these  sons.  It  must  be  confessed  that  this
suggestion  does  not  go  far  to  prove  that  they  were  the  children
of  a  marriage  which  had  once  been  solemnised  and  afterwards
annulled.
ALEXANDER  DALLAS  IL  OF  BUDGATE

Alexander  Dallas  of  Budgate  succeeded  his  father  in  the
family  estates  in  accordance  with  a  settlement  executed  some
time  during  the  year  1548.  On  8th  March  1554-5  he  served  on
the  jury  for  the  retour  of  Lord  Gordon  (Invern.  Sheriff  Ct.  Bee),
and  two  years  later,  in  April  1557,  he  was  the  defendant  in
an  action  raised  by  Alexander  Dallas  of  Cantray  and  Patrick
Dallas  his  son,  to  which  reference  has  already  been  made.
