Thomas Robert "Tommy" Dewar, 1st Baron Dewar (6 January 1864 – 11 April 1930) was a Scottish whisky distiller who, along with his brother John Dewar, built their family label, Dewar's, into an international success. They blended their whisky to make it more appealing to the international palate and Dewar demonstrated particular skills in marketing, travelling the world to find new markets and promote his product, exploiting romantic images of Scotland and tartan in his advertising.

Early life

Dewar was born in 1864 in Perth, Scotland. The son of

John Dewar, Sr. John Dewar (6 January 1805 – 22 January 1880) was a Scottish businessman from Perth who founded the John Dewar & Sons Scotch whisky distillery in 1846. Personal life In 1845, Dewar married Jane Gow, with whom he had the following children: # ...

, he was exposed at a very young age to the spirit industry in Scotland as his father founded the John Dewar & Sons, Ltd. He earned his education in Perth, as well as in Edinburgh and he soon realised that farming was not his calling.

Distillery

After his father's death Dewar worked with his brother John A Dewar Jr to continue and grow their family's brand. Gifted with a charisma, Dewar was able to expand his father's business on a global scale. Leaving his brother in Scotland to run the business, Dewar set out to publicise their brand to the world. Visiting 26 countries over the course of 2 years, the Dewar's brand was put on the map as one of the premier Scotch whiskies available. Dewar kept a journal of his travels which were consolidated and published in the book titled, "

Ramble Round the Globe ''A Ramble Round the Globe'' is an 1894 book by Thomas Dewar detailing his journey around the world publicizing Dewars Scotch Whisky. The book is at least purportedly Dewar's journal, written solely for his friends who "wanted to know 'all about ...

," published by Chatto and Windus in 1894. In 1923 Dewar purchased the

Glen Ord Distillery The Singleton of Glen Ord is a whisky distillery in the Scottish Highlands and is the only remaining single malt scotch whisky distillery on the Black Isle. They produce a 12 year old, 15 year old and 18 year old single malt that's available f ...

and two years later the Dewar brothers took their company to join the Distillers Company Ltd, both joining the board. Known as "whisky Tom" he's the longest-staying guest at the Savoy Hotel in London.

Political career

Dewar was a

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

for Kent and a Lieutenant of the City of London, Sheriff of London in 1897, and then entered politics as the unsuccessful Conservative candidate at the Walthamstow by-election in 1897. At the general election in October 1900 he was elected as the Member of Parliament for Tower Hamlets, St George, holding the seat until he stood down in

1906 Events January–February * January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, ...

. During this period, Dewar was noted for his hostility to "pauper immigration" and played an active part in campaigning for the legislation that became the Aliens Act 1905. As the predominant emigrant group arriving in the East End in this period were Jews from Eastern Europe, Dewar's statements have been generally regarded as anti-Semitic.

Honours

Dewar was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

in the 1902 Coronation Honours List of King Edward VII, created a baronet, of Homestall Manor in the Parish of East Grinstead in the County of East Sussex, in the 1917 King's Birthday Honours List, and raised to the peerage as Baron Dewar, of Homestall in the County of Sussex, in 1919. However, as he never married the baronetcy and barony became extinct on his death, at Homestall, in April 1930, aged sixty-six, following which he was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium.

Sporting interests

Horseracing

Thomas Dewar became involved in Thoroughbred horse racing as an owner and breeder. He is best known for two significant horses:

Challenger Challenger, Challengers, or The Challengers may refer to: Entertainment Comics and manga * Challenger (character), comic book character * ''Challengers'' (manga), manga by Hinako Takanaga Film and TV * ''The Challengers'' (TV series), a 1979 ...

and

Cameronian Cameronian was a name given to a radical faction of Scottish Covenanters who followed the teachings of Richard Cameron, and who were composed principally of those who signed the Sanquhar Declaration in 1680. They were also known as Society Me ...

. Challenger, foaled 1927, whom Dewar bred and raced at age two but who then was sold to American interests after his death. The

stallion A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded (castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" nec ...

went on to become the

Leading sire in North America The list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the year. It is restricted to stallions which are based in N ...

in 1939. Bred by Dewar and foaled in 1928,

won the 1931

Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, also known as the Epsom Derby or the Derby, and as the Cazoo Derby for sponsorship reasons, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey o ...

and

2,000 Guineas Stakes The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) and scheduled to take place each year at ...

Sports prizes

Dewar created several Challenge Shields for various sports around the United Kingdom and abroad, as well as the Sheriff of London Charity Shield and the

Dewar Cup {{Unreferenced, date=December 2020 The Sir Thomas Dewar Cup, more commonly known as the Dewar Cup, was the trophy awarded to the winner of the National Challenge Cup/Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup competition. It is named after Sir Thomas Dewar as a tr ...

in the United States for Association football. For cycling he donated The Dewar Challenge Shield in 1901, a heavily embossed silver plaque depicting goddesses and allusions to Scotland to include thistles and a profile of a racing cyclist centrally mounted. It is inscribed; 'Theatrical Sports Five Miles Cycling Championship Shield' – 'Presented by Sir Thomas Dewar MP – To be won Three Years in Succession'. Mounted on a shaped wooden mount, it possesses 14 silver name plaques of winners between 1901 and 1928. The Lord Dewar Challenge Cup was also presented to the Serpentine Swimming Club in Hyde Park in 1925. For shooting, Dewar presented a trophy for international Smallbore rifle competition as a Postal Match. The Dewar Match is a distributed shooting event held in various locations with the results mailed in to determine an aggregate winner. Dewar's marksmanship trophy is a large silver cup standing over two feet tall with two oversized handles and ornately decorated to the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs (SMRC) of Great Britain. Engraved upon it, "International Post Trophy Match, Presented by Sir Thomas R. Dewar, Afterwards Lord Dewar, to the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs For Annual Competition"

Legacy

A Dewar Challenge Shield, donated by Dewar's granddaughter

Alice Dewar Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

, is competed for annually by three rowing clubs in

Hammersmith Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. ...

, West London: Furnivall Sculling Club,

Sons of the Thames Sons of the Thames is a rowing club in Hammersmith, London, England. It was formed in Putney in 1886 with the aim, still enshrined in its constitution, to further the sport of rowing. History Originally a tradesmen's club, thus open to those in ...

and Auriol Kensington Rowing Club.

References

Sources

External links

Dewar's World of WhiskyDewar's & Sons Scotch Whiskey Homepage
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dewar, Thomas 1864 births 1930 deaths Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom British businesspeople Knights Bachelor Scottish racehorse owners and breeders Sheriffs of the City of London Members of London County Council Thomas Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1900–1906 UK MPs who were granted peerages Barons created by George V Deputy Lieutenants