The Viscount Melville | |
|---|---|
 Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville by Sir Thomas Lawrence | |
| First Lord of the Admiralty | |
| In office May 1804 – May 1805 | |
| Monarch | George III |
| Prime Minister | William Pitt the Younger |
| Preceded by | The Earl of St. Vincent |
| Succeeded by | The Lord Barham |
| Secretary of State for War | |
| In office July 1794 – March 1801 | |
| Monarch | George III |
| Prime Minister | William Pitt |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Lord Hobart |
| President of the Board of Control | |
| In office June 1793 – May 1801 | |
| Monarch | George III |
| Prime Minister |
|
| Preceded by | The Lord Grenville |
| Succeeded by | Viscount Lewisham |
| Home Secretary | |
| In office 8 June 1791 – 11 July 1794 | |
| Monarch | George III |
| Prime Minister | Pitt |
| Preceded by | The Lord Grenville |
| Succeeded by | The Duke of Portland |
| Lord Advocate | |
| In office 24 May 1775[1] – August 1783 | |
| Monarch | George III |
| Prime Minister | |
| Preceded by | Sir James Montgomery |
| Succeeded by | Henry Erskine |
| Member of Parliament for Edinburgh | |
| In office 1790–1802 | |
| Preceded by | Sir Adam Fergusson |
| Succeeded by | Charles Hope |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 April 1742 Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Died | 28 May 1811 (aged 69) Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Nationality | |
| Political party | Independent Whig |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville |
| Parents |
|
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh |
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, PC, FRSE (28 April 1742 – 28 May 1811), styled as Lord Melville from 1802, was the trusted lieutenant of British prime minister William Pitt and the most powerful politician in Scotland in the late 18th century.
Dundas was instrumental in the encouragement of the Scottish Enlightenment,[2] in the prosecution of the war against France, and in the expansion of British influence in India. Prime Minister Pitt appointed him Lord of Trade (1784–1786), Home Secretary (1791–1794), President of the Board of Control for Indian Affairs (1793–1801), Secretary at War (1794–1801) and First Lord of the Admiralty (1804–1805). As a political boss, Lord Dundas's deft and almost absolute power over Scottish politics during a long period in which no monarch visited the country led to him being nicknamed "King Harry the Ninth", the "Grand Manager of Scotland" (a play on the masonic office of Grand Master of Scotland), and "The Uncrowned King of Scotland."[3][4][5] He was, however, a controversial figure, over his amendment to a motion for abolition of the Atlantic slave trade, which called for gradual abolition. At that time, the leaders of the abolitionist movement sought an immediate end to the slave trade, while the West Indian interests opposed any abolition at all.
- ^ Dictionary of National Biography, Volumes 1–20, 22
- ^ Fry, Michael (1992). The Dundas Despotism. Edinburgh Univ Pr. pp. 62–65, 141. ISBN 978-0748603527.
- ^ "Henry Dundas' private papers bought for Scots archive". Glasgow: BBC News Scotland. 3 July 2012. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
- ^ Schofield, Claire (10 June 2021). "Who was Henry Dundas? Why the Edinburgh statue of the Scottish advocate is being changed to reflect his links to slavery". Edinburgh Evening News. National World Publishing Ltd. Archived from the original on 20 January 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
- ^ MacPherson, Hamish (10 June 2020). "Henry Dundas: The Scotsman who kept slavery going". The National. Newsquest Media Group Ltd. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2023.