Richard Saunders Dundas
Encyclopedia
Vice Admiral
The Hon. Sir Richard Saunders Dundas, KCB
(11 April 1802 – 3 June 1861) was a British naval officer and was the British
First Sea Lord
from 1857 to 1858 and again from 1859 until his death in 1861.
, he was born on 11 April 1802 and educated at Harrow School
and joined the Royal Navy
in 1817.
He became a captain
in the Royal Navy
in 1824. He commanded HMS Volage on the South American Station, 1825, and HMS Warspite
in Australia, 1827. From 1828-1830 he was secretary to his father, who was serving a second term as First Sea Lord
. He later served in the Mediterranean, South Africa and the East Indies, including the First Opium War
, for his services in which he was awarded a Companion of the Bath
in 1841: ships he commanded at this time were HMS Belvidera
and HMS Melville
. He was then again (1845-6) Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty, this time Lord Haddington
, and from 1848 served in the Mediterranean as Captain of HMS Powerful
. He became a Rear Admiral
in July 1853.
in January 1853 and Second Naval Lord
in June 1854. On 19 February 1855 he was appointed to the command of the Fleet in the Baltic Sea
in succession to Sir Charles Napier. Relations between Napier and the Admiralty had been strained to say the least, and in Dundas they were appointing one of their own, with the requisite diplomatic and management skills. As Napier had before him, Dundas enforced a blockade of Russian ports and his ships raided along the coast of Finland
, co-operating also with a French Fleet under Admiral Penaud. Dundas knew he was expected to attack the fortress of Sveaborg, which Napier had declined to do, and duly did so in August. Although he inflicted heavy casualties and some material damage, the fortifications were virtually unaffected and the Anglo-French fleet exhausted its entire ammunition in the attempt. Nevertheless this was judged a success, and Dundas would have continued to command the fleet in 1856 had peace not been negotiated.
He was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 1856 and was made a grand officer of the Legion of Honour and a Vice Admiral
in 1858. He served as Second Naval Lord from April 1857 and as First Naval Lord
from November 1857 until March 1858 when he was briefly Second Naval Lord again. He served again as First Naval Lord from June 1859 until his death. He died, unmarried, of a heart attack at 13 New Street, Spring Gardens, London, on the morning of 3 June 1861. Later that day, the Prime-Minister (Viscount Palmerston) described Vice Admiral Dundas as:
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
The Hon. Sir Richard Saunders Dundas, KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(11 April 1802 – 3 June 1861) was a British naval officer and was the British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
from 1857 to 1858 and again from 1859 until his death in 1861.
Early life
The son of Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount MelvilleRobert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville
Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville KT, PC, FRS was a British statesman, the son of Henry Dundas, the 1st Viscount. Dundas was the Member of Parliament for Hastings in 1794, Rye in 1796 and Midlothian in 1801. He was also Keeper of the Signet for Scotland from 1800...
, he was born on 11 April 1802 and educated at Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
and joined the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1817.
He became a captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1824. He commanded HMS Volage on the South American Station, 1825, and HMS Warspite
HMS Warspite (1807)
HMS Warspite was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched in 1807. She served in the Napoleonic Wars and was decommissioned in 1815. After conversion to a 76-gun ship in 1817 she circumnavigated the world, visiting Australia. She was cut down to a single decker 50-gun...
in Australia, 1827. From 1828-1830 he was secretary to his father, who was serving a second term as First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
. He later served in the Mediterranean, South Africa and the East Indies, including the First Opium War
First Opium War
The First Anglo-Chinese War , known popularly as the First Opium War or simply the Opium War, was fought between the United Kingdom and the Qing Dynasty of China over their conflicting viewpoints on diplomatic relations, trade, and the administration of justice...
, for his services in which he was awarded a Companion of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
in 1841: ships he commanded at this time were HMS Belvidera
HMS Belvidera (1809)
HMS Belvidera was a 36-gun Royal Navy Apollo-class fifth-rate frigate built in Deptford in 1809. She saw action in the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 and continued a busy career at sea into the middle of the 19th century...
and HMS Melville
HMS Melville (1817)
HMS Melville was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 17 February 1817 at Bombay Dockyard.From 19 January 1836 until August 1837 she served in North America and the West Indies as the flagship of Vice-Admiral Peter Halkett and was commanded by Captain Peter John Douglas...
. He was then again (1845-6) Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty, this time Lord Haddington
Thomas Hamilton, 9th Earl of Haddington
Thomas Hamilton, 9th Earl of Haddington KT PC FRS , known as Lord Binning from 1794 to 1828, was a British Conservative politician and statesman.-Background and education:...
, and from 1848 served in the Mediterranean as Captain of HMS Powerful
HMS Powerful (1826)
HMS Powerful was an 84-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 21 June 1826 at Chatham Dockyard.From 1 January 1839 to the end of 1840 she was commanded by Captain Charles Napier, mainly in the Mediterranean and for much of the time as lead ship of a detached squadron under...
. He became a Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
in July 1853.
Naval Lord
He was appointed Third Naval LordThird Sea Lord
The Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy was formerly the Naval Lord and member of the Board of Admiralty responsible for procurement and matériel in the British Royal Navy...
in January 1853 and Second Naval Lord
Second Sea Lord
The Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command , commonly just known as the Second Sea Lord , is one of the most senior admirals of the British Royal Navy , and is responsible for personnel and naval shore establishments.-History:In 1805, for the first time, specific functions were...
in June 1854. On 19 February 1855 he was appointed to the command of the Fleet in the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
in succession to Sir Charles Napier. Relations between Napier and the Admiralty had been strained to say the least, and in Dundas they were appointing one of their own, with the requisite diplomatic and management skills. As Napier had before him, Dundas enforced a blockade of Russian ports and his ships raided along the coast of Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, co-operating also with a French Fleet under Admiral Penaud. Dundas knew he was expected to attack the fortress of Sveaborg, which Napier had declined to do, and duly did so in August. Although he inflicted heavy casualties and some material damage, the fortifications were virtually unaffected and the Anglo-French fleet exhausted its entire ammunition in the attempt. Nevertheless this was judged a success, and Dundas would have continued to command the fleet in 1856 had peace not been negotiated.
He was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 1856 and was made a grand officer of the Legion of Honour and a Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
in 1858. He served as Second Naval Lord from April 1857 and as First Naval Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
from November 1857 until March 1858 when he was briefly Second Naval Lord again. He served again as First Naval Lord from June 1859 until his death. He died, unmarried, of a heart attack at 13 New Street, Spring Gardens, London, on the morning of 3 June 1861. Later that day, the Prime-Minister (Viscount Palmerston) described Vice Admiral Dundas as:
- "a most distinguished officer, who was for forty-five years in the service of his country, and who equally distinguished himself in every sphere in which he was called upon to act. He was eminent for the good discipline and order of the ships which he commanded, he was distinguished by the gallantry and good judgment with which he conducted every naval operation in which he was engaged, he was most valuable as a public servant in the direction of naval affairs at the Admiralty. Whether at the Council Board or on the quarter deck his merits were equally eminent, and his services were equally valuable to the country."