Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, worked to frustrate efforts to end the trade by using his influence as home secretary, setting the move back 15 years. s. of Robert Dundas† of Arniston by 2nd w. Anne, da. Furthermore, some locations named after Henry Dundas might come under pressure to address their association with his name. b. Henry Dundas' actions ensured slavery continued for longer. of John, 2nd Earl of Hopetoun [S], s.p. I had better declare my own interest, which has two aspects. One reason Dundas could be entrusted with doing a deal was that he had often done deals in the past, especially if the deal extended the liberties of the subject. BBC News "Henry Dundas descendant defends ancestor's record" 14-6-20. The Melville Monument in Edinburgh has become a focal point for Black Lives Matter protests. BBC Scotland will tonight broadcast a documentary called “Scotland, Slavery and Statues”, which deals with the current controversy over Henry… He was the first Secretary of State for War and became, in 1806, the last person to be impeached in the United Kingdom, for misappropriation of public money.Although acquitted, he never held public office again. of Sir William Gordon, 1st Bt., of Invergordon, Ross. This documentary follows the debate over how controversial politician Henry Dundas should be remembered. These MPs had thrown out all previous abolitionist motions. cr.Visct. The Melville papers - which include the documents of Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville - contain about 11,000 records which span 150 years. Henry Dundas, nicknamed the ‘Great Tyrant’, used his position as home secretary, to set the move back 15 years in 1792. "In 2020 this was dedicated to the memory of the more than half a million Africans whose enslavement was a consequence of Henry Dundas's actions. 2. "This represents Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville (1742 - 1811). Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, also known as ‘the Great Tyrant’ was an active supporter of slavery. Video, The dressmaker helping Australia with modified masks, Who's behind the recent killings in Iraq? The Category A listed column dominates St Andrew Square, in the heart of the New Town which Dundas helped to establish. Until recently, few Scots who stood under Edinburgh’s Melville monument or sauntered along Dundas Street; Canadians who walked down Toronto’s Dundas Street or gathered in Dundas Square; and residents of Dundas, Ontario, knew or cared about Henry Dundas, first Viscount Melville, (1742-1811) and his support for the slave trade. Video. Who's behind the recent killings in Iraq? Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, was a Scottish advocate and Tory politician, who entered the Cabinet in 1791 as Secretary of State. A descendent of Scottish aristocrat Henry Dundas hit back against accusations that his ancestor supported slavery and said that the practice in the UK would have been abolished decades later if not for his distant relative, the BBC reported on Sunday. He entered the Royal Naval College at Portsmouth in 1815, and in February 1818 joined the Ister at Leith. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. Anne Strange. As a result of this delay, more than half a million enslaved Africans crossed the Atlantic. "This represents Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville (1742 - 1811). What happens to your body in extreme heat? During his time as Home Secretary Dundas is said to have proposed that slavery be … Indeed, with his acute sense of the state of opinion in the House of Commons and in the country, Dundas might have made a better reformer. Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, is not to modern eyes a sympathetic personality. That supremacy was now used to suppress the transatlantic slave trade. A 150ft column with a statue of the politician – known as the Melville Monument – stands in St Andrews Square and was vandalised during the Black Lives Matter protest in the Scottish capital on Sunday. Dundas passed legislation to free them. and coh. This 10’ video explains how Henry Dundas delayed the abolition of slavery for fifteen years and supported slavery as a means to ensure the economic benefit of the UK. Genealogy for Henry Dundas (1742 - 1811) family tree on Geni, with over 200 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Dundas had nothing to do with the eventual success of slave trade abolition. Britain slunk out of Saint Domingue in defeat as Napoleon rose to power in 1798-99. Henry Dundas (1742 – 1811) was a Conservative politician, Scottish Advocate and the first Secretary of State for War - some historians claim that he delayed the abolition of slavery in 1792. BBC - Your Paintings - Henry Dundas, Viscount Melville; BBC - Your Paintings - The 1st Viscount Melville; view all Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville's Timeline. Hogging vaccines endangers all nations, warns SA, Biden to halt new drilling on federal lands, The comic in jail for jokes he didn't crack, Why convicting Trump just got a lot harder, When your 'pandemic puppy' doesn't work out, Dave Grohl: 'I dreamt I was shot in the back', The dressmaker helping Australia with modified masks. A descendent of Scottish aristocrat Henry Dundas hit back against accusations that his ancestor supported slavery and said that the practice in the UK would have been abolished decades later if not for his distant relative, the BBC reported on Sunday. Melanie Newton Le 7 juin 2020, lors d'une manifestation Black Lives Matter, le monument de Melville a été tagué par des militants anti-esclavage [2]. 28 Apr. Scotland thereby abolished slavery on its own soil, except in a single detail that still allowed white people to be held in bondage if they happened to have been born into it, an outdated custom among miners and salt panners. Nicola Sturgeon has surpassed herself in these hard Covid times, but ... Henry Dundas's biographer rejects claims politician was against slavery, Michael Fry: Henry Dundas stood against the slave trade, this proves it. The Melville Monument is a 150-foot high monumental column.One of the most prominent memorials in Edinburgh, it commemorates Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, whose statue surmounts the column.. He had, for example, led the way in Parliament in showing there was a large body of MPs ready to accept the reality of an American victory in the War of Independence. Collectively they paid for his memorial, the statue that still stands today atop a column in St Andrew’s Square, Edinburgh, his home town. VideoWho's behind the recent killings in Iraq? In Ireland, the same was true of Catholics and Presbyterians. Dundas' critics have said the MP's gradualist approach was instrumental in deferring the abolition of slavery. He was impeached in the United Kingdom for misappropriation of public money and although acquitted, he never held public office again. Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, Baron Dunira PC FRSE (28 April 1742, Arniston, Midlothian – 28 May 1811, Edinburgh) was a Scottish advocate and Tory politician. Birth of Hon. Secondly, I have an interest because I am also the author of the most recent biography of Dundas, published in 1993 by Edinburgh University Press. Published from its offices at 200 Renfield Street Glasgow and printed in Scotland by Newsquest (Herald & Times) a division of Newsquest Media Group Ltd, registered in England & Wales with number 01676637 at Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe HP10 9TY – a Gannett company. He said that after a failed attempt by politicians to get the abolition of slavery through parliament, "the only way to get it abolished and a majority vote through parliament was to insert the word 'gradual' into the legislation". Henry Dundas biographies: in the History of Parliament and DNB (by Michael Fry) Steve McKenzie of BBC Highland chronicles here outstanding black African and Caribbean contributions to Scotland, including Andrew Watson the first black international footballer. Brian Monteith "Obliterating our history by removing statues is path to repeating mistakes" The Scotsman, 15-6-20. Her daughter, Henrietta, added: "It is factually incorrect that Henry was responsible. The Category A listed column dominates St Andrew Square, in the heart of the New Town which Dundas helped to establish. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then please contact the editor here. ", Dundas statue to be dedicated to slavery victims, Tranent girl, six, raises money to help homeless people, 'Deeply unpleasant' smell was so bad locals thought there'd been a leak at Mossmorran, Here are 19 of the best pubs in Edinburgh - chosen by our readers, Calls grow among Scots property experts to extend LBTT relief, 25,000 first COVID vaccinations completed in Fife, “On track” to meet roll out demand as 25,000 of Fife’s most vulnerable now vaccinated, Information about BBC links to other news sites, EU demands AstraZeneca vaccine doses made in UK. READ MORE: Michael Fry: Henry Dundas stood against the slave trade, this proves it. Sir Tom Devine: Scapegoating of Henry Dundas on the issue of Scottish slavery is wrong - and BBC documentary was a miserable failure. There have recently been calls for his statue to be toppled, or at least for its column to be adorned with an extra inscription warning us not to treat him as a man that modern Scots would like to meet: too reactionary, too imperialist, etc. This is a video on behalf of Sir Geoff Palmer to help encourage the Council to change the wording on the plaque of the Henry Dundas Statue, Edinburgh. While home secretary in 1792 and first Secretary of State for War in 1796 he was instrumental in deferring the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade. A direct descendant of Henry Dundas has said the slave trade would have been abolished decades later had it not been for his ancestor. Henry Dundas (1742 – 1811) was a Conservative politician, Scottish Advocate and the first Secretary of State for War - some historians claim that he delayed the abolition of slavery in 1792. VideoThe dressmaker helping Australia with modified masks, A raccoon, pony and other White House pets. 1742, 2nd surv. As it was, he became Pitt’s right-hand man in a government that been elected with a mandate for radical reform in the UK, but saw too many of its hopes dashed as the French Revolution dragged it into 20 years of war with an old enemy in a new guise. But Bobby Dundas said "any attempt to... [give] people the idea he was in favour of slavery would be a profound injustice". A BBC Scotland spokesman said: ‘We reject criticism that the documentary Scotland, ... particularly relating to Henry Dundas, ensuring the content was accurate and enlightening. For instance, I made the point that, with his cheeky sharp practice, Dundas was a fairly typical sort of Scottish politician, not only of the 18th century but also of the 21st. "Despite this, the monument before you to Henry Dundas was funded by voluntary contribution from officers, petty officers, seamen and marines and erected in 1821, with the statue placed on top in 1827. 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