Tam Dalyell of the Binns
| General Thomas Dalyell | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 1615 |
| Died | 1685 |
| Allegiance |
 Scotland (1628 to 1654, and 1660 to 1685) Russia (1654 to 1660) |
| Service/branch | Scottish Army |
| Years of service | 1628 – 1685 |
| Rank | General |
| Battles/wars | |
Russo–Polish War (1654–67)
Scottish Covenanter Wars
Sir Thomas Dalyell of The Binns, 1st Baronet (1615–1685) was a Scottish Royalist general in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, also known by the soubriquets "Bluidy Tam" and "The Muscovite De'il".
Dalyell was born in Linlithgowshire, the son of Thomas Dalyell of The Binns, head of a cadet branch of the family of the Earls of Carnwath, and of Janet, daughter of the 1st Lord Bruce of Kinloss, Master of the Rolls in England.
He appears to have accompanied Charles I's expedition to La Rochelle in 1628 (to aid the Huguenots during the Siege of La Rochelle) at the age of thirteen. Latterly as a colonel, he served under General Robert Munro and General Alexander Leslie in Ulster.
Hearing of the execution of Charles I on 30 January 1649, it is said that he refused to shave his beard as a penance for the behaviour of his fellow countrymen. He was taken prisoner at the capitulation of Carrickfergus in August 1650, but was given a free pass, and having been banished from Scotland, remained in Ireland.
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