Charles Dundas, 1st Baron Amesbury

Lord Amesbury

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

Background and education

Charles was a younger son ofThomas Dundas of Fingask,MPforOrkneyandShetland(1768–1771) and a commissioner of police inScotland(31 January 1771), who died on 10 April 1786. His mother was his father's second wife, Janet, daughter ofCharles Maitland, 6th Earl of Lauderdale.He was educated atEdinburgh AcademyandTrinity College, Cambridge.He was called to the bar from theMiddle Temple,but devoted himself to a political life.

His father's younger brotherLawrencebecame a successful banker and an MP for over 30 years. Charles's older brotherThomaswas a British Army officer who becameGovernor of Guadeloupe.

Political career

Dundas first sat for the borough ofRichmondin 1774,Orkney and Shetlandfrom 1781 to 1784, Richmond again in 1784–1786, and finally forBerkshire,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 ofMitford(afterwardsLord Redesdale), the thenspeaker,he was nominated, bySheridan,as his successor in opposition toAbbot.He, however, withdrew from the contest. Dundas wasCounsellor of Statefor Scotland to thePrince of Wales,andcolonelof the White Horse volunteer cavalry. He was raised to the peerage asBaron 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 theKennet and Avon Canal Companyand theDundas Aqueductwas named after him.

Personal life

Lord Amesbury was twice married. His first wife, Anne, daughter of Ralph Whitley of Aston Hall,Flintshire,by whom he had one daughter, Janet, wife of SirJames Whitley Deans Dundas,who brought him the considerable estate ofKintbury-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 inPimlico,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.

External links

• Stephen, Leslie,ed. (1888)."Dundas, Charles".Dictionary of National Biography.Vol. 16. London: Smith, Elder & Co.