From the old barony of the same name in Moray. The first of the family was Willelmus de Rypeley, an Englishman, who obtained a grant or confirmation of the lands of Dolays Mykel from William the Lion (Dallas, p. 28). Archebaldus de Doleys appears as juror on an inquisition on the lands of Mefth in 1262 (APS., I, p. 101; Bain, I, 2323). William de Doles witnessed a charter by Malcolm de Moravia of the lands of Lamabride to his son, William de Moray c. 1278 (REM., p. 461), and c. 1284 he witnessed another charter as William de Dolays, knight (ibid., p. 462), and in 1286 witnessed the gift by Hugh Herock to the church of Elgin (ibid., p. 221). He is probably the William de Dolays, sheriff of Forres, who appears in 1292 (Bain, II, 597). In 1429 we have mention of the lands of John de Dolas (RMS., II, 124), and six years later William Dolasse appears as procurator in Brechin (REB., I, 78). Henry Dolas, a native of Arbroydt (Arbroath), had letters of denisation in England in 1475 (Bain, IV, 1426), Duncan Dolace was a tenant of the bishop of Aberdeen in 1511 (REA., I, p. 373), and William Dollas and Hew Dollace were tenants of Ballachattrechin in Islay in 1686 (Bk. Islay, p. 497). Dallass 1655, Dallyas 1510, Dolles 1512.

"It has always been supposed, from the name and location of the family, that it was of native Celtic origin, and that it was lineally descended from the Mackintoshes. The more commonly accepted view, however, is that it was a small but independent clan affiliated to Mackintoshes or to Clan Chattan. In Adam's What is my tartan? it is definitely stated that Dallas is dependent upon Mackintosh, and similar statements are to be found elsewhere. The available facts are, however, insufficient to substantiate the idea of dependence. The few notices of the early barons give no indications of close relations with Clan Chattan, and in later times the Dallases are found much more intimately associated with the lairds of Cawdor and Kilravock than with the Mackintoshes. In 1513 Henry Dallas of Cantray joined with the Mackintoshes in what is known as the second heirship of Petty, but his being married to a daughter of John Keir Mackintosh of Rothiemurchus might well account for the part he took in the affair. Again, in a 'contract of appoyntment betwix the Laird of Calder and M'intosche' in 1581, Alexander Dallas of Budgate is mentioned as one of the 'kin' of Lachlan Mackintosh of Dunachten but he too was married to a Mackintosh, which may account for the relationship. Other instances of kinship or of friendship might be cited in support of the contention that the Dallases were affiliated to Clan Chattan. Dallas of Cantray and some of his kinsmen served with the Mackintosh Regiment on the disastrous field of Culloden, but these facts seem hardly sufficient to establish the position that the Dallases, like the Macgillivrays, Macbeans, Macqueens, and others, were incorporated in the great Celtic Clan Chattan" (Dallas, p. 11—12). Dollase 1558.

The System of Stiles, by George Dallas, published in 1697, was "the earliest book to bear upon its title-page the name of Dallas.".Stolen from Fore bears

(Celtic) belonging to Dallas (Elgin) = the Waterfall-Field [Gaelic dail (dal), a field; eas (ass), a waterfall]

“Dale House” in Old Scots.

(Scottish) One who came from the old barony of Dallas (place on the plain), in Moray.

A parish in co. Moray. The name is traced by Douglas to the year 1298, as De Dallas. Other ancient orthographies are De Doleys and Dollas.

Local: from Dallas in Elginshire. The name signifies a watered meadow; dail, a meadow, and uis, water. Sir William de Doleys was living in 1286; in 1367 John de Dolais was Thane of Cromdale.

(Welsh.) From Deallus, knowing, skillful.

(Scotch), Watered valley. Dail, field, meadow, plain, valley; uis, water. Dallas or Dollas is in co. Elgin.

Sir William de Doleys, knight, was living in 1286; and in 1367 appears John de Dolais, Thane of Cromdale. About half a century later, the barony of Cantray came into the pos­session of one of the family, whose descendant, James Dallas, Laird of Cantray, was killed at Culloden. A scion of this branch, Robert Charles Dallas, of Dallas Castle, Jamaica, Esq., native of Scotland, had, int. al., Robert Charles (father of Sir George Dallas, Bart., and of Sir Robert Dallas, Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas of England); Alexan­der James Dallas, Secretary of the Treasury of the U.S.A.; and a dau. Charlotte, wife of Capt. Byron, R.N., and mother of the present Lord Byron.

The Secretary, who d. 1817, had three sons; viz., (1.) Com­modore Alexander James Dallas, U.S.N., ob. 1844; (2.) George Mifflin Dallas, of whom below; (3.) Judge Trevanion Barlow Dallas, of Pittsburg, Pa., ob. 1841.

The Hon. George M. Dallas was born in Philadelphia in 1792. In 1831, he was elected a Senator of the U.S.; in 1837, appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipo­tentiary to the Court of St. Petersburg; from 1845 to 1849, he filled the high office of Vice-President of the United States of America, and ex officio President of the Senate; and he now represents his country at the Court of St. James. He m. Sophia, dau. of Philip Nicklin, Esq., by his wife Juliana, dau. of Chief Justice B. Chew, and has issue.

A location name in Moray.