Abel Rous Dottin (c.1768 – 17 June 1852) was a British army officer and politician, Member of Parliament for and .

Early life

Dottin was born in St George Hanover Square, the son of Abel Dottin, of Granada Hall,

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate) ...

, who was

High Sheriff of Oxfordshire The High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, in common with other counties, was originally the King's representative on taxation upholding the law in Saxon times. The word Sheriff evolved from 'shire-reeve'. The title of High Sheriff is therefore much olde ...

in 1764, and his wife Sarah Rous of Barbados. On his father's death in 1784, he inherited the Scotland plantation in Barbados. He matriculated at

The Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, England. The college was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield in honour of Philippa of Hainault. It is distinguished by its predominantly neoclassical architecture, ...

in 1786, at age 17.

Military career

Dottin became a cornet in the

2nd Life Guards The 2nd Regiment of Life Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry. It was formed in 1788 by the union of the 2nd Troop of Horse Guards and 2nd Troop of Horse Grenadier Guards. In 1922, it was amalgamated ...

in 1791, and was promoted to captain in 1794. In 1795, he was cited in the divorce case of William Townshend Mullins and his second wife, Frances.

In politics

In 1818, Dottin, a Tory, entered Parliament for the

rotten borough A rotten or pocket borough, also known as a nomination borough or proprietorial borough, was a parliamentary borough or constituency in England, Great Britain, or the United Kingdom before the Reform Act 1832, which had a very small electorate ...

of Gatton. He failed to be elected in 1820 at Southampton, despite heavy expenditure. In 1826 he was returned there unopposed, and again in 1830. In 1831, he did not stand, for health reasons. Re-elected in 1835, in a contested election, he remained in Parliament until he retired in 1841.

Railway director

Dottin was one of the founders of the Southampton and London Railway and Dock Company, in 1831, with George Walter, and Robert Johnston, from Jamaica and a relation. The company failed.

George Thomas Landmann Colonel George Thomas Landmann (1779 – 27 August 1854) was an English military and civil engineer. He served with the Royal Engineers in Canada, Gibraltar, Portugal, Spain and Ireland. Following his retirement from the army, he worked as a ...

in October 1831 brought Walter into planning for the

London and Greenwich Railway The London and Greenwich Railway (L&GR) was opened in London between 1836 and 1838. It was the first steam railway in the capital, the first to be built specifically for passengers, and the first entirely elevated railway. Origins The idea for t ...

, and an initial meeting was held in Dottin's house in Argyle Street, London. He was chairman of the company when it opened in 1836. In July 1837, Dottin and Walter resigned as directors. Later, Dottin was a director of the

London and South Western Railway The London and South Western Railway (LSWR, sometimes written L&SWR) was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Originating as the London and Southampton Railway, its network extended to Dorchester and Weymouth, to Salisbury, Exeter ...

Later life

Dottin received compensation for the Coverley estate in Barbados, under the

Slave Compensation Act 1837 The Slave Compensation Act 1837 (1 & 2 Vict. c. 3) was an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, signed into law on 23 December 1837. It authorised the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt to compensate slave owners in the Brit ...

; he had disposed of the Scotland plantation, also called Greenland(s), by 1823, when it was owned by John Rycroft Best. He died in Argyle Street, London on 17 June 1852.

Family

Abel Rous Dottin married in 1798, Dorothy, daughter of Robert Burnett Jones of Barbados. She died on 30 October 1853. By this marriage Dottin was connected to James Everard Arundell, 9th Baron Arundell of Wardour and

David Richard Morier David Richard Morier (1784–1877) was an English diplomat and author. Life The third son of Isaac Morier, Consul-General to the Turkey Company at Constantinople, he was born in Smyrna on 8 January 1784 and educated at Harrow School before en ...

, his brothers-in-law. His brother Samuel Rous Dottin, also an army officer, died c. 1797.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dottin, Abel Rous 1852 deaths British Life Guards officers Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies Alumni of The Queen's College, Oxford UK MPs 1818–1820 UK MPs 1826–1830 UK MPs 1830–1831 UK MPs 1835–1837 UK MPs 1837–1841 Year of birth uncertain British slave owners