The Friends of Perth & Kinross Archive: How Henry Dundas became Baron Dunira

In this talk, Alan Jacques explores the life and times of Scottish politician Henry Dundas (1742-1811), the ‘uncrowned king of Scotland’, focussing on his local connection with Dunira Estate near Comrie.

Alan recently completed a Masters Degree in History at Edinburgh University with a dissertation on Henry Dundas and the estates forfeited after the ’45 Rising, with a special focus on the estates of the Earls of Perth. In the process, he has unearthed fascinating new evidence about how Dundas acquired his splendid estate at Dunira, and his links with the Drummond and Murray families. The talk will show how he worked at many levels at once, from UK national to local and personal, and his ability to ‘serve many masters for his own ends’.