Robert Dundas of Arniston (6 June 1758 – 17 June 1819) was a Scottish judge. Dundas served as

Solicitor General for Scotland His Majesty's Solicitor General for Scotland () is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Lord Advocate, whose duty is to advise the Scottish Government on Scots Law. They are also responsible for the Crown Office and P ...

between 1784 and 1789 and as

Lord Advocate His Majesty's Advocate, known as the Lord Advocate (), is the principal legal adviser of both the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolution, devolved powers of the Scottish P ...

from 1789 to 1801. He sat as Member of Parliament for Edinburghshire from 1790 to 1801, and was Chief Baron of the Exchequer in Scotland from 1801 until his death in 1819.

Life

Robert was born 6 June 1758 at Arniston House south of

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

. He was the eldest son of Robert Dundas of Arniston, the younger and his second wife, Jean, daughter of William Grant, Lord Prestongrange. Around 1766 the family took additional accommodation at Adam's Court in Edinburgh. He was educated at the high school and the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

, and was admitted advocate in 1779. With the help of his uncle

Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, PC, FRSE (28 April 1742 – 28 May 1811), styled as Lord Melville from 1802, was a British politician who served as Home Secretary from 1791 to 1794 and First Lord of the Admirality from 1804 to 1805. He ...

he succeeded Alexander Wight as Solicitor General for Scotland in 1784 and became lord advocate in 1789. At this time he was living at Adam Square near

Greyfriars Kirk Greyfriars Kirk () is a parish church of the Church of Scotland, located in the Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is surrounded by Greyfriars Kirkyard. Greyfriars traces its origin to the south-west parish of Edinburgh, f ...

. From 1790 to 1801 he was MP for Edinburghshire. In June 1792 he was the cause and focus of the Dundas Riots, starting at his home in George Square. Following the riots he made it a personal aim to prosecute and effectively destroy the Edinburgh lawyer,

Thomas Muir of Huntershill Thomas Muir (24 August 1765 – 25 January 1799), also known as Thomas Muir the Younger of Huntershill, was a Scottish political reformer and lawyer. Muir graduated from Edinburgh University and was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1787 ...

, who he saw as responsible for most of the seditious mischief. He appeared for the crown in the great prosecutions for sedition at Edinburgh in 1793. In 1796 he was elected Dean of the Faculty of Advocates. He was joint-clerk and keeper of the general registers for seisins and other writs in Scotland from 1799 until on 1 June 1801 he was appointed chief baron of the exchequer in Scotland, but in 1801 and 1811 he turned down offers of the lord presidency. He died at his townhouse, 57

George Square, Edinburgh George Square () is a city square in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is in the south of the city centre, adjacent to the Meadows. It was laid out in 1766 outside the overcrowded Old Town, and was a popular residential area for Edinburgh's better-off c ...

on 17 June 1819.His portrait appears in Kay's ''Edinburgh Portraits.''

Family

Part of a Scottish legal and political dynasty, Dundas was the son of

Robert Dundas, of Arniston, the younger Robert Dundas of Arniston, the younger, FRSE (18 July 1713 – 13 December 1787) was a Scottish judge. He served as Solicitor General for Scotland from 1742 to 1746, as Lord Advocate from 1754 to 1760, and as Member of Parliament for Edinburghsh ...

. His great-great-grandfather

James Dundas, Lord Arniston Sir James Dundas, Lord Arniston (1620–1679) was a Scottish politician and judge.Although styled Lord Arniston like his son this was not an hereditary title but one assumed by them on becoming an ordinary lord of session (judge). He served as ...

(died 1679) and great-grandfather

Robert Dundas, Lord Arniston Robert Dundas, Lord Arniston (1650–1726) was a Scottish politician and ordinary lord of session. Life He was the eldest son of Sir James Dundas, Lord Arniston, by Marion, daughter of Robert, Lord Boyd. He was educated abroad, but returned to ...

had been MPs and judges, as were his grandfather

Robert Dundas, of Arniston, the elder Robert Dundas of Arniston, the elder, 2nd Lord Arniston (1685–1753) was a Scottish lawyer, and Tory politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1722 to 1737. In 1728 he reintroduced into Scottish juries the possible verdicts of ''guilty' ...

and his father Robert Dundas, of Arniston, the younger. In May 1787 Robert Dundas married his first cousin, Elizabeth Dundas, daughter of his uncle

Henry Dundas Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, Privy Council (United Kingdom), PC, FRSE (28 April 1742 – 28 May 1811), styled as Lord Melville from 1802, was a British politician who served as Home Secretary from 1791 to 1794 and First Lord of the Ad ...

. Together they had two daughters and three sons. Elizabeth died 18 March 1852. His heir, Robert, who lived at 69 Queen Street in Edinburgh, died in 1838. Henry, the second son, was vice-admiral in the navy, and died 11 September 1863. His daughter married John Borthwick of Crookston

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and Literature, letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". ...

(1787–1845).

Notes

References

* ;Attribution *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dundas, Robert 1758 births 1819 deaths Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Barons of the Court of Exchequer (Scotland) Members of the Faculty of Advocates Rectors of the University of Glasgow Robert Dundas Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Scottish constituencies British MPs 1790–1796 British MPs 1796–1800 Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Scottish constituencies UK MPs 1801–1802 Solicitors general for Scotland Lord advocates Deans of the Faculty of Advocates Scottish Tory MPs (pre-1912)