Admiral
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
Sir James Whitley Deans Dundas
GCB (4 December 1785 – 3 October 1862) was a
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
officer. He took part in the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
, first as a junior officer when he took part in the
Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland
The Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland (or Anglo-Russian expedition to Holland, or Helder Expedition) was a military campaign from 27 August to 19 November 1799 during the War of the Second Coalition, in which an expeditionary force of British and ...
in Autumn 1799 and later as a
commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain.
...
when he was in action at
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
Dockyard shortly after
the capture of that City in August 1807. He also served as
Whig Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
for
Greenwich
Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross.
Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...
and then for
Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It developed around Devizes Castle, an 11th-century Norman architecture, Norman castle, and received a charter in 1141. The castle was besieged during the Anarchy, a 12th-century ...
and became
First Naval Lord in the
First Russell ministry
Whig Lord John Russell led the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1846 to 1852.
History
Following the split in the Tory Party over the Corn Laws in 1846 and the consequent end of Sir Robert Peel's second governm ...
in July 1847 and in that role his service was dominated by the needs of Whig party. He was appointed
Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean in 1852 and led all naval operations in the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
including the
bombardment of Sevastopol in October 1854 during the
Crimean War
The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia.
Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...
.
Early career
Born the son of Dr James Deans (of
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
) and Janet Deans (née Dundas), daughter of
Thomas Dundas MP, James Deans, as he then was, joined the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
in March 1799.
He initially joined the third-rate
HMS ''Kent'' and took part in the
Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland
The Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland (or Anglo-Russian expedition to Holland, or Helder Expedition) was a military campaign from 27 August to 19 November 1799 during the War of the Second Coalition, in which an expeditionary force of British and ...
in Autumn 1799 during the
War of the Second Coalition
The War of the Second Coalition (1798/9 – 1801/2, depending on periodisation) was the second war on revolutionary France by most of the European monarchies, led by Britain, Austria and Russia, and including the Ottoman Empire, Portugal, N ...
.
[ In 1802 he saw action in combat with the French ship ''Duguay Trouin'' and was also involved with the capture of ''La Vautour''.][ Promoted to ]lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
on 25 May 1805, he joined the fifth-rate HMS ''Cambrian'' and took part in capturing three privateers that year.[ After serving for a few weeks as flag-lieutenant to Admiral The Hon. George Berkeley on the ]North American Station
The North America and West Indies Station was a formation or command of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy stationed in North American waters from 1745 to 1956. The North American Station was separate from the Jamaica Station until 1830 when the ...
and having been promoted to commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain.
...
on 8 October 1806, he was given command of the fifth-rate HMS ''Rosamond'' but was injured while putting out a fire at Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
Dockyard shortly after the capture of that City in August 1807.[ Promoted to ]captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
on 13 October 1807, he briefly took command of the fifth-rate HMS ''Cambrian''.[ Following his marriage to Janet Dundas he assumed the surname of Dundas in April 1808.]
Dundas was given command of the third-rate HMS ''Stately'', flagship of Rear Admiral Thomas Bertie
Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Bertie KSO (born Hoar, 3 July 1758 – 13 June 1825) was an English officer of the Royal Navy who served during the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
His career began i ...
, in the Baltic Fleet in March 1809.[ He took command of the third-rate HMS ''Venerable'' in January 1812 and then the frigate HMS ''Pyramus'' in September 1812 and in the latter ship captured two more privateers.][ He took command of the armed frigate HMS ''Tagus'' in the ]Mediterranean Fleet
The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between t ...
in August 1815 and then the first-rate HMS ''Prince Regent'', as flag captain to Admiral Sir William Parker who was commanding on the coast of Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
, in 1830.[
Entering politics, Dundas became Whig ]Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
for Greenwich
Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross.
Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...
at the 1832 general election and, having also become Deputy Lieutenant of Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
on 16 June 1834, he sat in Parliament until he stood down at the 1835 general election in favour of a fellow Whig.[ He was then given command of the first-rate HMS ''Britannia'', as flag captain to Admiral Sir Philip Durham who was ]Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
The Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. The commanders-in-chief were based at premises in High Street, Portsmouth from the 1790s until the end of Sir Thomas Williams's tenure, his succes ...
, in 1836.[ He became Member of Parliament for ]Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It developed around Devizes Castle, an 11th-century Norman architecture, Norman castle, and received a charter in 1141. The castle was besieged during the Anarchy, a 12th-century ...
in February 1836 in place of Sir Philip Durham who had stood down as Member of Parliament for that constituency. He then resigned his seat in Parliament when he became Clerk of the Ordnance
{{Infobox official post
, post = Office of the Clerk of the Ordnance
, body =
, nativename =
, insignia = File:Badge of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps on a RML 10 inch 18 ton gun in Gibraltar.jpg
, insigniasize ...
on 21 March 1838. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath
Companion may refer to:
Relationships Currently
* Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance
* A domestic partner, akin to a spouse
* Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach
* Companion (caregiving), a caregive ...
on 25 October 1839.[
Having been elected Member of Parliament for Greenwich again at the 1841 general election, Dundas became ]Fourth Naval Lord
The Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Supplies originally known as the Fourth Naval Lord was formerly one of the Naval Lords and members of the Board of Admiralty which controlled the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom the post is currently known ...
in the Second Melbourne ministry
The second Lord Melbourne ministry was formed in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland by the Viscount Melbourne in 1835.
History
Lord Melbourne's second government came to power after Sir Robert Peel's minority government resigned in ...
in June 1841 but stood down in September 1841 when the Government fell from power.
Senior command
Promoted to rear-admiral
Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...
on 23 November 1841, Dundas became Second Naval Lord in the First Russell ministry
Whig Lord John Russell led the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1846 to 1852.
History
Following the split in the Tory Party over the Corn Laws in 1846 and the consequent end of Sir Robert Peel's second governm ...
in July 1846 before stepping up to be First Naval Lord in the same ministry in July 1847.[ As First Sea Lord his service was dominated by the needs of Whig party and he stood down as First Naval Lord when the Government fell from power in February 1852.][
Dundas was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet in 1852 and consequently ]resigned
Resignation is the formal act of leaving or quitting one's office or position. A resignation can occur when a person holding a position gained by election or appointment steps down, but leaving a position upon the expiration of a term, or choos ...
from the House of Commons, using the device of seeking appointment as Steward of the Manor of Hempholme, on 29 January 1852. Promoted to vice-admiral on 17 December 1852, he led all naval operations in the Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
in command of the Baltic Fleet
, image = Great emblem of the Baltic fleet.svg
, image_size = 150
, caption = Baltic Fleet Great ensign
, dates = 18 May 1703 – present
, country =
, allegiance = (1703–1721) (1721–1917) (1917–1922) (1922–1991)(1991–present)
...
, including the bombardment of Sevastopol in October 1854, during the Crimean War
The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia.
Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...
.[
Dundas returned to England in January 1855 and was appointed to the Turkish ]Order of the Medjidie
Order of the Medjidie ( ota, نشانِ مجیدی, August 29, 1852 – 1922) is a military and civilian order of the Ottoman Empire. The Order was instituted in 1851 by Sultan Abdulmejid I.
History
Instituted in 1851, the Order was awarded in f ...
(First Class) on 15 May 1855, advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as one ...
on 5 July 1855 and awarded the Grand Cross of the French Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...
on 30 April 1857. Promoted to full admiral
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
on 8 December 1857, he died at Weymouth in Dorset
Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...
on 3 October 1862.[
]
Family
On 2 April 1808, he married his first cousin, Janet, only daughter and heiress of Charles Dundas, later Lord Amesbury.[ His first wife died in April 1846 and, in August 1847, he married Lady Emily Moreton, fourth daughter of ]Thomas Reynolds-Moreton, 1st Earl of Ducie
Thomas Reynolds-Moreton, 1st Earl of Ducie (31 August 1776 – 22 June 1840) was the first Earl of Ducie.
He was the son of Francis Reynolds-Moreton, 3rd Baron Ducie, and his wife, the former Mary Provis. and was educated at Eton College and Exe ...
.[ By his first wife, he had a life interest in large estates in ]Flintshire
, settlement_type = County
, image_skyline =
, image_alt =
, image_caption =
, image_flag =
, image_shield = Arms of Flint ...
and Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
– centred on Aston Hall in Flintshire and Barton Court at 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 ...
in Berkshire – which, at his death, passed to his grandson, Mr. Charles Amesbury Deans Dundas. (Dundas' elder son, Charles Whitley Deans Dundas
Charles Whitley Deans Dundas (18 January 1811 – 11 April 1856) was a British Army, British soldier and politician.
Background
Dundas was the son of Admiral Sir James Whitley Deans Dundas and Janet Dundas, he was the heir of the Aston Hall esta ...
, having predeceased him in 1856.)[
]
See also
* Deans Dundas Bay Deans Dundas Bay is a Canadian Arctic waterway in the Northwest Territories. It is an eastern arm of Prince of Wales Strait in Victoria Island's Prince Albert Peninsula, situated across from Banks Island
Banks Island is one of the larger mem ...
*
References
Further reading
* ''Russian war, 1854, Baltic and Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
: official correspondence'', edited by David Bonner-Smith
David Bonner-Smith (19 May 1890 – 10 December 1950), historian of the Royal Navy, served as Admiralty Librarian from March 1932 until May 1950.
Personal life
Bonner-Smith married Vlasta Eileen Done. At the time of his death, he resided at Upland ...
and Captain A.C. Dewar. Publications of the Navy Records Society. v. 83. ( ondon Printed for the Navy Records Society, 1943)
* Note in the Bodleian Library Catalog: "Correspondence between the Admiralty and Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Napier respecting naval operations in the Baltic.--Correspondence between the Admiralty and Vice-Admiral Sir James Deans Dundas respecting naval operations in the Black Sea."
External links
*
*
*
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deans Dundas, James Whitley
First Sea Lords and Chiefs of the Naval Staff
Lords of the Admiralty
Royal Navy admirals
Royal Navy personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars
Royal Navy personnel of the Napoleonic Wars
Royal Navy personnel of the Crimean War
UK MPs 1832–1835
UK MPs 1835–1837
UK MPs 1837–1841
UK MPs 1841–1847
UK MPs 1847–1852
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies
Dundas, James
Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur
Recipients of the Order of the Medjidie, 1st class
1785 births
1862 deaths