Home > Thomas Dundas, 1st Baron Dundas
Thomas Dundas, 1st Baron Dundas February 16, 1741 - June 14, 1820, was a powerful figure in Britain, now remembered for commissioning the Charlotte Dundas, the world's "first practical steamboat".Following education at Eton and St. Andrews University he did the Grand Tour, then became Member of Parliament for Richmond, 1763-1768, then for Stirlingshire, 1768-1794. He married Charlotte Fitzwilliam on Thursday 24 May 1764, and they had 14 children. He was elevated to the peerage as Baron Dundas of Aske in August 1794, and was also; Lord Lieutenant and Vice Admiral of Orkney and Shetland, Councillor of state to the Prince of Wales (later George IV), President of the Society of Scottish Antiquaries and Colonel, North York Militia.
Thomas Dundas followed his father in having an interest in Grangemouth and in the Forth and Clyde Canal, and he would have been aware of the 1789 trials on the canal of Patrick Miller of Dalswinton's double hulled paddle boat powered with a steam engine fitted by William SymingtonThe "first practieal steamboat" was built by the engineer William Symington 1764 1831, born in in the lead mining village of Leadhills, Lanarkshire, Scotland. In 1785 he assisted his brother George in building a steam engine to James Watts design at the n. In 1800Events March 14 Cardinal Barnaba Chiaramonti is elected pope Pius VII. March 21 Pius VII becomes Pope April 24 US Library of Congress founded. May 15 Napoleon Bonaparte crosses the Alps and invades Italy. June 14 Battle of Marengo, Napoleon defeats the Au Dundas, as Governor of the Forth and Clyde Canal Company, engaged Symington to design a steam tug on the lines of a failed attempt by Captain John Schank for the Bridgewater Canal. At a meeting of the canal company's directors on the 5th June 1800Events March 14 Cardinal Barnaba Chiaramonti is elected pope Pius VII. March 21 Pius VII becomes Pope April 24 US Library of Congress founded. May 15 Napoleon Bonaparte crosses the Alps and invades Italy. June 14 Battle of Marengo, Napoleon defeats the Au Dundas "produced a model of a boat by Captain Schank to be worked by a steam engine by Mr Symington", and it was agreed this should be immediately put in hand.
The boat was built to Symington's design, had successful trials on the river Carron in June 1801Events January 1 Legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland completed under the Act of Union 1800, bringing about the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. January 1 Giuseppe Piazzi discovers the first (and largest) asteroid Ceres. January 20 J and further trials towing sloopImportant notice ''This article is about the modern civilian boat type. For the warships of the 1800s to World War II, see Sloop-of-war. In sailing, a sloop is a vessel with a single mast on which is hoisted a fore-and-aft mainsail and a single jib, pluss from the river ForthThe River Forth 47 km (29 miles) long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland. The Forth rises in Loch Ard in The Trossachs, a mountain range some 30 km (19 miles) west of Stirling. It flows roughly eastward, through up the Carron and thence along the Forth and Clyde Canal. The other proprietors of the canal were concerned about wave damage to the canal banks, and the Committee decided that the boat would "by no means answer the purpose".
Symington had proposals for an improved boat which were presented in the form of a model, shown to Lord Dundas, of the boat which would become famous as the Charlotte Dundas, named in honour of one of his Lordship's daughters. One account states that Lord Dundas had advised Symington to prepare the model and bring it to his Lordship in LondonLondon is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England, and with over seven million inhabitants in the Greater London area, is the second-most populous conurbation in Europe (after Moscow). From being Londinium the capital of the Roman province of Bri, where Symington was introduced to the Duke of Bridgewater who was enthusiastic enough to immediately order eight boats of similar construction for his canal. Unfortunately the Duke of Bridgewater died a few days before the first sailing, and nothing came of this order.
Lord Dundas and some of his relatives and friends were on board for the first sailing of the boat on the canal in 1803, but despite the success of the Charlotte Dundas fears of erosion of the banks prevailed, and the trials were ended leaving Symington out of pocket.
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