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Henry Dundas, 3rd Viscount Melville

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Henry Dundas, 3rd Viscount Melville
Henry Dundas, 3rd Viscount Melville
Born25 February 1801
Died1 February 1876 (1876-03) (aged 74)
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service / branch British Army
RankGeneral
CommandsCommander-in-Chief, Scotland
Battles / warsRebellions of 1837–1838
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
The grave of General Henry Dundas, 3rd Viscount Melville, Dundas Vault, Old Lasswade Kirkyard

General Henry Dundas, 3rd Viscount Melville GCB (25 February 1801 – 1 February 1876)[1] was a senior British Army officer and peer.

Military career

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The eldest son of Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville, and his wife Anne, Dundas joined the Army as a lieutenant in the 3rd (or Scots) Guards in 1819.[2] He was promoted to captain of the 83rd Regiment in 1824, major in 1826 and lieutenant-colonel in 1829. In 1837 he was active in suppressing the Canadian rebellion at the Battle of the Windmill, after which he was appointed colonel and aide-de-camp to Queen Victoria in 1841.[2]

He played a distinguished part in India as a brigadier-general in 1848–49, chosen to command the column sent from Bombay to co-operate with Lord Gough's army in the Second Anglo-Sikh War. He was second in command at the capture of Multan and then joined the main army with his force for the battle of Gujrat.[2]

He returned to England in 1850 and became 3rd Viscount Melville on his father's death in 1851. He became Commander-in-Chief, Scotland in 1854[3] remaining in that post until 1860, in which year he was made Governor of Edinburgh Castle.[2] He was raised to the rank of general in 1868.[2]

He died unmarried at Melville Castle, near Edinburgh in 1876. He is buried in the simple Dundas Vault in Old Lasswade Kirkyard, together with his ancestors and descendants.

His younger brother, Richard Saunders Dundas, was a prominent naval officer.

He was succeeded as Viscount Melville by his brother Robert.

Parliament

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He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Rochester from 1826 to 1830,[4] and for Winchelsea from 1830 to 1831.[5]

Arms

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Coat of arms of Henry Dundas, 3rd Viscount Melville
Crest
A lion's head affronteé Gules struggling through an oak bush all Proper.
Escutcheon
Argent a lion rampant Gules within a bordure Azure charged with three boars' heads couped Or two in chief and one in base.
Supporters
Dexter a leopard reguardant, sinister a stag, both Proper.[6]
Motto
Essayez (top); Quod Potui Perfecti (bottom)

Street names

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The re-routed and extended Dundas Street West and East, in the City of Toronto, is named after him.

References

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  1. ^ Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages – Peerages beginning with "M" (part 3)[self-published source] [better source needed]
  2. ^ a b c d e "Henry Dundas, 3rd Viscount Melville". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  3. ^ "The new army list and militia list January 1855". Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  4. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "R" [dead link]
  5. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 4)
  6. ^ Burke's Peerage. 1878.
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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Rochester
1826–1830
With: Ralph Bernal 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Winchelsea
1830–1831
With: John Williams 		Succeeded by
Military offices
Preceded by Commander-in-Chief, Scotland
1854–1860 		Succeeded by
Governor of Edinburgh Castle
1855–1876 		Vacant
Title next held by
Sir Archibald Cameron
Preceded by Colonel of the 32nd (The Cornwall) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry)
1862–1863 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Joseph Paterson
 Colonel of the 60th Regiment of Foot
1863–1876 		Succeeded by
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Viscount Melville
1851–1876 		Succeeded by
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