Charles Dundas, 1st Baron Amesbury (5 August 1751 – 7 July 1832) was a British politician.

Background and education

Charles was a younger son of Thomas Dundas of Fingask, MP for Orkney and Shetland (1768–1771) and a commissioner of police in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

(31 January 1771), who died on 10 April 1786. His mother was his father's second wife, Janet, daughter of

Charles Maitland, 6th Earl of Lauderdale Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...

. He was educated at

Edinburgh Academy The Edinburgh Academy is an independent day school in Edinburgh, Scotland, which was opened in 1824. The original building, on Henderson Row in the city's New Town, is now part of the Senior School. The Junior School is located on Arboretum Ro ...

and

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge or Oxford. ...

. He was called to the bar from the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn ...

, but devoted himself to a political life. His father's younger brother

Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

became a successful banker and an MP for over 30 years. Charles's older brother

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...

was a British Army officer who became Governor of Guadeloupe.

Political career

Dundas first sat for the borough of Richmond in 1774, Orkney and Shetland from 1781 to 1784, Richmond again in 1784–1786, and finally for Berkshire, which he represented in ten successive parliaments (1794–1832). He was, finally, the second eldest member in the house. He was a liberal in politics. In 1802, on the resignation of Mitford (afterwards

Lord Redesdale Baron Redesdale, of Redesdale in the County of Northumberland, is a title that has been created twice, both times in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was firstly created in 1802 for lawyer and politician Sir John Mitford (later Freeman-Mi ...

), the then

speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** I ...

, he was nominated, by Sheridan, as his successor in opposition to

Abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The ...

. He, however, withdrew from the contest. Dundas was

Counsellor of State Counsellors of State are senior members of the British royal family to whom the monarch can delegate and revoke royal functions through letters patent under the Great Seal, to prevent delay or difficulty in the dispatch of public business in t ...

for Scotland to the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

, and

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

of the White Horse volunteer cavalry. He was raised to the peerage as Baron Amesbury, of Kintbury, Amesbury, and Barton Court in the County of Berkshire, and of Aston Hall in the County of Flint, on 11 May 1832. Apart from his political career he was also the first chairman of the Kennet and Avon Canal Company and the Dundas Aqueduct was named after him.

Personal life

Lord Amesbury was twice married. His first wife, Anne, daughter of Ralph Whitley of Aston Hall,

Flintshire , settlement_type = County , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = , image_flag = , image_shield = Arms of Flint ...

, by whom he had one daughter, Janet, wife of Sir

James Whitley Deans Dundas Admiral Sir James Whitley Deans Dundas GCB (4 December 1785 – 3 October 1862) was a Royal Navy officer. He took part in the Napoleonic Wars, first as a junior officer when he took part in the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland in Autumn 1799 and ...

, who brought him the considerable estate of

Kintbury Kintbury is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England, between the towns of Newbury and Hungerford. The village has a convenient railway to and , proximity to other transport and local cultural destinations, including Roman and Norman s ...

-Amesbury (otherwise Barton Court) in Berkshire as well as other property. His second wife, whom he married on 25 January 1822, was his cousin, Margaret, daughter of Charles Barclay and widow of (firstly) Charles Ogilvy and (secondly) Major Archibald Erskine. He died 7 July 1832 at his residence in Pimlico, whereupon the title became extinct. Lady Amesbury died 14 April 1841.

Issue

* Janet Whitley Dundas. Married on 28 April 1808 to Captain James Deans RN an Aide de Camp to the King, who assumed the additional names of Whitley Dundas. Only son of Dr Deans, by Janet sister of Lord Amesbury.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Amesbury, 1st Baron, Charles Dundas 1751 births 1832 deaths People from Kintbury People associated with Orkney People associated with Shetland People educated at Edinburgh Academy Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Members of the Middle Temple Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Kennet and Avon Canal Dundas, Charles Dundas, Charles British MPs 1774–1780 British MPs 1780–1784 British MPs 1784–1790 British MPs 1790–1796 British MPs 1796–1800 Dundas, Charles Dundas, Charles Dundas, Charles Dundas, Charles Dundas, Charles Dundas, Charles Dundas, Charles Dundas, Charles Dundas, Charles Dundas, Charles Dundas, Charles UK MPs who were granted peerages Peers of the United Kingdom created by William IV