Thomas Robert Dewar, 1st Baron Dewar (6 January 1864 – 11 April 1930) was a Scottish

whisky Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from Fermentation in food processing, fermented grain mashing, mash. Various grains (which may be Malting, malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, Maize, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky ...

distiller who, along with his brother John Dewar, built their family company John Dewar & Sons 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 Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

, Scotland. The son of

John Dewar, Sr. John Dewar (6 January 1805 – 22 January 1880) was a Scottish businessman from Perth, Scotland, 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 foll ...

, 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 Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

and he soon realised that farming was not his calling.

Distillery

After his father's death Dewar worked with his brother

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

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 two 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,'' published by Chatto and Windus in 1894. In 1923 Dewar purchased the Glen Ord Distillery and two years later the Dewar brothers took their company to join TheDistillers Company Ltd, both joining the board. Known as "whisky Tom" he's the longest-staying guest at the

Savoy Hotel The Savoy Hotel is a luxury hotel located in the Strand in the City of Westminster in central London, England. Built by the impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan opera productions, it opened on 6 August 1 ...

in London.

Political career

Dewar was a justice of the peace for Kent and a Lieutenant of the City of London,

Sheriff of London Two Sheriffs of the City of London are elected annually by the members of the City livery companies. Today's Sheriffs have only ceremonial duties, but the historical officeholders held important judicial responsibilities. They have attended the ...

in 1897, and then entered politics as the unsuccessful

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

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 The Aliens Act 1905 (5 Edw. 7. c. 13) was an Act of Parliament (UK), act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.Moving Here The act introduced immigration controls and registration fo ...

Honours and arms

Dewar was included as a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised Order of chivalry, orders of chivalry; it is a part of the Orders, decorations, and medals ...

in the 1902 Coronation Honours List of

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria and ...

, and was knighted by the King at

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...

on 18 December 1902. He was created a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

, 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 Golders Green Crematorium and Mausoleum was the first crematorium to be opened in London, and is one of the oldest crematoria in Britain. The land for the crematorium was purchased in 1900, costing £6,000 (the equivalent of £136,000 in 2021), ...

Sporting interests

Horseracing

Thomas Dewar became involved in

Thoroughbred horse racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and Horse industry, industry involving the Horse racing, racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter know ...

as an owner and breeder. He is best known for two significant horses: Challenger 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 M ...

. 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 an adult 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, "cre ...

went on to become the

Leading sire in North America The list below shows the leading Father, sire of Thoroughbred Horse racing, 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 Stallio ...

in 1939. Bred by Dewar and foaled in 1928,

won the 1931

Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, more commonly known as the Derby and sometimes referred to as the Epsom Derby, is a Group races, Group 1 flat Horse racing, horse race in England open to three-year-old Colt (horse), colts and Filly, fillies. It is run at Ep ...

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 (1.6 km) and scheduled to take place each year ...

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 The Sheriff of London Charity Shield, also known as the Dewar Shield, was a football competition played annually between the best amateur and best professional club in England, though Scottish amateur side Queen's Park also took part in 1899. Th ...

and the Dewar Cup 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, 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. It ...

, West London: Furnivall Sculling Club, Sons of the Thames and

Auriol Kensington Rowing Club Auriol Kensington Rowing Club is a rowing club in Hammersmith, west London, [England. The club was formed in 1981 by the amalgamation of Auriol Rowing Club which was founded in 1896 and Kensington Rowing Club which was founded in 1872. The clu ...

References

Sources

External links

Dewar's World of WhiskyDewar's & Sons Scotch Whiskey Homepage
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dewar, Thomas Dewar, 1st Baron 1864 births 1930 deaths Nobility from Perth and Kinross Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Whisky distillers Scottish brewers English justices of the peace Knights Bachelor Scottish racehorse owners and breeders Sheriffs of the City of London Members of London County Council

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 ...

Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1900–1906 UK MPs who were granted peerages Barons created by George V Deputy lieutenants 19th-century Scottish businesspeople 20th-century Scottish businesspeople