Walter Dundas (died 1636) was a Scottish landowner and courtier. He was the eldest son of George Dundas of Dundas and Margaret Boswell, a sister of John Boswell of Balmuto. Walter Dundas was Laird of Over Newliston, and he later inherited

Dundas Castle Dundas Castle is a 15th-century castle, with substantial 19th-century additions by William Burn, in the Dalmeny parish of West Lothian, Scotland. The home of the Dundas family since the Middle Ages, it was sold in the late 19th century and is cur ...

. He attended the University of St Andrews in the 1570s and was literate in Latin and French as well as Scots. He was knighted at the baptism of Prince Henry at

Stirling Castle Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological ...

in August 1594. It is said that James VI asked him to bring silver spoons and lend him a pair of silk stockings (these requests were made to the Earl of Mar). James VI sent him an invitation to the baptism of

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

in December 1600 at Holyrood House, asking for venison, wild meat, "brissel foulis", and capons. At

Linlithgow Palace The ruins of Linlithgow Palace are located in the town of Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland, west of Edinburgh. The palace was one of the principal residences of the monarchs of Scotland in the 15th and 16th centuries. Although mai ...

there was a private stair leading to the king's apartments. Walter Dundas encountered the queen,

Anne of Denmark Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I; as such, she was Queen of Scotland The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional fo ...

, on the stair way in the dark without recognising her, and mentioned this to James VI. The king recognised his wife from his description and ordered him not to use the route in future. He inherited the Dundas estate in 1598 and, over succeeding decades he dedicated substantial resources to enhancing it both economically and aesthetically, building a new residential block beside the medieval tower and adding a walled garden with corner pavilions and a central fountain and sundial.Marilyn Brown, ''Scotland's Lost Gardens'' (Edinburgh, 2012), pp. 189-91. He experimented in the construction of enclosed fields and exploited the limestone on his property, constructing lime kilns to process it for use on his own land to increase crop yields and to sell to neighbouring estates. He frequently represented Linlithgowshire (West Lothian) in

parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

, served on a number of parliamentary commissions, and as sheriff of the county. He appears to have favoured presbyterianism over episcopacy, providing financial support to six ministers imprisoned in

Blackness Castle Blackness Castle is a 15th-century fortress, near the village of Blackness, Scotland, on the south shore of the Firth of Forth. It was built, probably on the site of an earlier fort, by Sir George Crichton in the 1440s. At this time, Blacknes ...

for treason in 1605 and voting against the controversial

Five Articles of Perth The Five Articles of Perth was an attempt by King James VI of Scotland to impose practices on the Church of Scotland in an attempt to integrate it with those of the Church of England. This move was unpopular with those Scots who held Reformed vi ...

in the parliament of 1621. He died in January 1636 with net assets of over £21,000 Scots, including £5,000 in cash, owing almost nothing to creditors.

Marriages and family

He married Janet Oliphant, a daughter of Alexander Oliphant of Kellie. Their children included: * Elizabeth Dundas, who married James Dundas of Newliston * Margaret Dundas, who married William Scharpe of Pitleckie * Isobel Dundas, who married John Sandilands,

Lord Torphichen Lord Torphichen or Baron Torphichen is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created by Queen Mary in 1564 for Sir James Sandilands (to whom she was related), with remainder to his heirs and assigns whatsoever. The first Baron Sandilands h ...

His second wife was Anne Monteith. Their children included: * George Dundas of Dundas * William Dundas * Walter Dundas * Alexander Dundas * Marion Dundas

References

External links

Dundas Castle, fountain and sundial. HES CANMORE

Tales from the Dundas Archives (1), Centre for Scottish Culture, University of Dundee

Tales from the Dundas Archives (2), Centre for Scottish Culture, University of Dundee
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dundas, Walter Court of James VI and I 1636 deaths