Clan Dundas
Encyclopedia
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Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
's most historically important families. Once widely regarded as one of the most noble in the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. The fortunes of the family are now almost lost, with its lands sold to the state, its castles reclaimed and its stately homes either bought by the state, or in the hands of private investors, as is the case with their former home in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, which serves as the worldwide headquarters for The Royal Bank of Scotland
Royal Bank of Scotland
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the...
.
It was, and still is, a noted family tradition to name the first born son Robert, after Lord Robert Dundas VI, Earl of Dundas, advisor to the last queen of Scotland
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
before the Act of Union. Lord Dundas is considered the most influential person in instrumenting the union, and as such, can be considered the key in creating the United Kingdom in its current form.
History
The Dundas Family has established its position as one of the most important in the history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent, in the history of the United Kingdom. Although no longer widely known, and with its fortunes severely reduced, the Dundas clan has been instrumental in some of the most important events in Scottish history. It was in the 18th century that the family was key in allowing the Act of Union with England to commence, thereby creating the 'United' Kingdom in its current form (The Republic of Ireland excluded).Origins of the Clan
The word 'Dun deas' in Gaelic means 'south fort'. The Dundas family occupied lands on the southern shores of the Firth of ForthFirth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
. The family is believed to descend from 'Helias', son of 'Hutred', a younger son of Gospatrick, Prince of Northumberland. The Clan Dunbar
Clan Dunbar
-Origins of the Clan:The Clan Dunbar descends from Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria, grandson of Crínán of Dunkeld and Seneschal of the Isles and nephew to King Duncan I of Scotland, who became Earl of Northumberland after his father’s death. William the Conqueror deprived Gospatric of the title in...
and Clan Moncreiffe
Clan Moncreiffe
-Origins of the Clan:The Moncreiffes are of great antiquity, and possibly descend through a female stem of the Celtic Royal Dynasty. The name Moncreiffe is derived from the Barony of Moncreiffe in Perthshire. Their lands take their name from the Gaelic name Monadh Croibhe meaning hill of the sacred...
also descend from the stock of Gospatrick.
Records from the reign of William the Lion mention Serle de Dundas, Serle and Robertus de Dundas who both signed King Edward I of England's
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
Ragman Roll.
Wars of Scottish Independence
During the Wars of Scottish IndependenceWars of Scottish Independence
The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries....
the Clan Dundas fought alongside William Wallace
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence....
against the English. Later they would also fight alongside King Robert I of Scotland
Robert I of Scotland
Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...
against the English. However chief Sir George Dundas was killed at the Battle of Dupplin Moor
Battle of Dupplin Moor
The Battle of Dupplin Moor was fought between supporters of the infant David II, the son of Robert the Bruce, and rebels supporting the Balliol claim in 1332. It was a significant battle of the Second War of Scottish Independence.-Background:...
in 1332. James Dundas built Dundas Castle
Dundas Castle
Dundas Castle is a 15th century castle, with substantial 19th century additions by William Burn, near South Queensferry, to the west of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was the home of the Dundas family, and remains in private hands.-History:...
in 1424.
Civil War
Chief George Dundas the eighteenth laird led the Clan Dundas during the civil war on the side of the Covenantors. George Dundas was also on the committee that tried James Graham, 1st Marquess of MontroseJames Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was a Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed...
.