dundas of blair castle


William Dundas of Kincavel
Son of:		Walter Dundas, 18th of Dundas
and:		Anne Monteith
born:
died:		1641. Buried at the Canongate, Edinburgh

	x 1628 Katherine Murray daughter of Ronald Murray, merchant, burgess of Edinburgh
	the following children were born of this union:
1.	Walter Dundas born 1631. "GD75, 1639: Discharge by William Dundas, brother of George Dundas of that ilk, and Katherine Murray, spouse of said William, to said George and Walter Dundas, his eldest son, apparent of that ilk, of payment of annual rent due on bond, 22 June, 1636".
2.	Ronald Dundas born 1633
3.	William Dundas born 1637
4.	George Dundas born 1640
5.	Anna Dundas born 1629 married 5/1/1691 Captain John Erskine
6.	Catherine Dundas born 1630
7.	Elizabeth Dundas born 1632
8.	Isobel Dundas born 1634
9.	Janet Dundas born 1636

William Dundas
2nd of Kincavel
Son of:		William Dundas
and:		Catherine Murray
born:		1637 Edinburgh
occupation:		Admitted an advocate at the Scottish Bar 7/2/1665 and readmitted 7/1/1676. Advocate sheriff and justiciar depute of Caithness
died:		1700
He matriculated arms before 1677, blazoned as follows; "Argent, a lion rampant Gules, on a chief Sable a salamander passant through a fire Proper".
William Dundas was succeeded by his brother George Dundas

	x Margaret Edmonstone
	the following children were born of this union:
1.	William Dundas christened 2/1/1668 Edinburgh
2.	James Dundas christened 9/4/1674 Edinburgh
3.	Ann Dundas christened 6/8/1665 Linlithgow. Married Lt Col John Erskine
4.	Anna Dundas christened 6/9/1666 Edinburgh (possibly same as row above)
5.	Christian Dundas married Sir James Stewart Earl of Bute and died 25/5/1740 and was interred in the Dundas family vault at the Carmelite Friary, South Queensferrry
6.	Catherine Dundas christened 7/7/1669 Edinburgh

George Dundas
3rd of Kincavel
		Son of:	William Dundas
		and:	Katherine Murray
		born:	1640
		occupation:	Merchant in Leith
		died:
		Succeeded his brother.

	x 9/8/1666, Helen Couper (died 1689), daughter of Sir John Couper of Gogar.
	the following children were born of this union:
1.	John Dundas christened 23/12/1670, South Leith. Married Alison Burnet and had issue:
	a.	James Dundas born 2/1/1695, South Leith
2.	William Dundas christened 26/3/1674, South Leith
3.	James Dundas christened 6/3/1678 died unmarried
4.	George Dundas christened 11/7/1683, South Leith
5.	Catherine Dundas christened 8/5/1669, South Leith
6.	Elizabeth Dundas christened 10/12/1672, South Leith
7.	Helen Dundas, born 1676 married Captain Charles Dundas of Arniston and died 1739 leaving issue
	a.	George Dundas, Captain Royal Navy, Commander of HMS Drake. Married Ann (died November 1734) and died 1733 leaving issue
		i.	Charles Dundas
		ii.	George Dundas
	b.	James Dundas a physician. Married Anne Spottiswood (d.1/8/1740) and died 11/9/1754 (Caledonian Mercury 12/9/1754) leaving issue:
		i.	Charles Dundas died without issue 11/6//1755. (Caledonian Mercury 16/6/1775).
		ii.	John Dundas died without issue
	c.	Thomas Dundas, shown as an apprentice surgeon apothecary to David Fyffe in 1728. (Eighteenth century medics)
	d.	Helen Dundas married Robert Middleton
8.	Isobel Dundas christened 5/2/1680, South Leith
9.	Jean Dundas christened 21/7/1681
10.	Margaret Dundas christened 5/7/1682

William Dundas
1st of Blair Castle and 4th of Kincavel
	Son of:	George Dundas
	and:	Helen Coupar
	born:	1674
	died:
	Joined the Old Chevalier in the Jacobite Rising of 1715, for which he was imprisoned. Although he was eventually liberated by the government, he was forced to sell the estate of Airth in 1717, which his wife had inherited. In 1720 he purchased the lands and castle of Blair, near Culross

	x Elizabeth Elphinstone daughter of Richard Elphinstone and Jean Bruce of Airth
	the following children were born of this union:
1.	Jean Dundas born 1697, Airth. Died unmarried
2.	George Dundas born 1698, Airth. Died unmarried
3.	Richard Dundas, born 1700, Airth
4.	Elizabeth Dundas born 1701, Airth, Stirling
5.	Ralph Dundas a General in the Dutch Service, Colonel of Gordon's regiment February 5th, 1776, Major-General July 9th, 1779. Took oath to Dutch Government in special circumstances in 1783. Died 1789 without issue. He left his estate to his nephew Robert Bruce Dundas
6.	William Dundas born 1702, Airth. Printed records state that he died young, although he is shown in the register of Sasines in 1720
7.	Charles Dundas born 1703, Airth. A Captain in the English Army, died 6/8/1786. Printed records show him as being unmarried
8.	Alexander Dundas born 1705, Airth. A factor in the service of the Royal African Co. Died 1744. His will mentions his estate in Africa as well as an estate in Europe, and he requests that Alexander Dundas a merchant in London is the executor. All monies etc are left to Richard Dundas his brother
9.	James Dundas a Lieutenant Colonel in the Dutch Service born 1706, Airth. Died 15/12/1761. (Public Advertiser, 12/1/1762)
10.	John Dundas shown as an apprentice to John Lermont, doctor of medicine in 1725. Became a Major in Lord Effingham's regiment and married 1739 in Wiltshire as his 2nd wife, Helen Brown (died 1764) daughter of Colonel Robert Brown. Died 1759 in London. No issue.
11.	Helen Dundas. Died unmarried 8/12/1788. (Caledonian Mercury, 18/12/1788)
12.	Anne Dundas died 1788 having married 1748 John Blaw of Castlehill
	John Blaw inherited the estate of Castlehill, and married Anne daughter of Mr Dundas of Blair, but proved a very bad husband. A great moral deterioration, indeed, seems to have gradually been characterising the Blaw family, and their fortunes were now also rapidly beginning to decline.The Kirk records state "The session having under their serious consideration a complaint made to them by Jean Dewar, on the ground of Castlehill, bearing that there are two sons of John Blaw’s of Castlehill who ly in her house, and that they are altogether destitute of anything to live upon, and that they are a very heavy burden on the neighbourhood, and destitute of education, and that their father will not contribute nor give anything towards their maintenance and schooling, although he be in the full possession of his estate". The two sons, for neglecting whom he had been summoned before the kirk-session, seem to have gone abroad, where they died, leaving no trace.
	(Culross and Tulliallan: or, Perthshire on Forth, Volume 2); "He (John Blaw) had extensive transactions in the way of fruit and farm produce with two individuals of the name of Cairns— father and son—and Blaw imagined, probably not without reason, that they had been defrauding him, and more especially had been helping themselves unduly to the apples in Castlehill orchard. One day, on the occasion of Clackmannan fair, the three met in a hostelry in that town, and a bitter altercation ensued. Young Cairns, it is said, avowed the robbery of the fruit, and held up in insulting effrontery an apple to Blaw's face. The latter, thus goaded, drew a knife and wounded severely the young man. Old Cairns interposed to save his son, and in doing so, received a mortal wound from Blaw. The son recovered, but the father died. John Blaw was tried, convicted, and hanged at Stirling. It is said that previous to his trial he made over the property of Castlehill to his brother Daniel, to avoid its forfeiture. The two sons, for neglecting whom he had been summoned before the kirk-session, seem before this to have gone abroad, where they died, leaving no trace. It was said that Daniel Blaw or some other of the relatives had made an arrangement by which John Blaw was cut down and resuscitated, after being apparently hanged. A "dummy" was then dressed up in his clothes, and deposited with some stones in a coffin, which was placed in a hearse, conveyed to Culross, and buried in the West Kirkyard. Blaw himself had meantime been conveyed to a safe concealment, from which, after a little while, he contrived to escape to Holland. There, it is said, he ultimately died. Such is the story that is told, but it cannot be averred as a fact; and indeed I have been assured by an old man whose father remembered the occurrence perfectly, that John Blaw was certainly hanged and buried. It appears, however, that some such tale had reached the ears of his wife, (Anne Dundas) who could not be persuaded in consequence that he was really dead. To satisfy her the grave was opened, and the buckles from Blaw's shoes, in which with the rest of his clothes he had been buried, were taken out and brought to his widow. The shoes themselves were allowed to remain for a long time outside the grave in the burying-ground of the West Church. The execution took place in 1769, so that John Blaw must have been, at the time of perpetrating the murder, considerably advanced in life".

Richard Dundas
2nd of Blair Castle
	Son of:	William Dundas
	and:	Elizabeth Elphinstone
	born:	1700 at Airth, Stirling
	died:	6//10/1790

	x Margaret Wedderburne (died 1797) daughter of Sir John Wedderburne of Blackness
	the following children were born of this union:
1.	Robert Bruce Dundas
2.	John Elphinstone Dundas an officer in the service of the East India Company. He was killed at the Battle of Tullycherry in Jan. 1781

Robert Bruce Dundas
3rd of Blair Castle
	Son of:	Richard Dundas
	and:	Margaret Wedderburn
	born:	1754
	died:	1835
Robert Bruce Dundas matriculated arms in 1796- Quarterd; 1st and 4th, Argent a lion rampant gules, within a border Azure, 2nd Or, a saltire and chief Gules, the last charged with a mullet of the field, 3rd Argent, an eagle displayed Sable, in chief three crescents Gules.

	x 1796 Elizabeth Drummond Spital daughter of Captain James Dummond Spital
	the following children were born of this union:
1.	Frances Bruce Dundas born 1797 died 30/9/1856 at Blair Castle. (Dundee, Perth and Cupar Advertiser. 101/1856)
2.	Margaret Elphinstone Dundas born 9/3/1798
3.	Elizabeth Vaneck Dundas born 23/5/1799, Culross
4.	Richard Leslie Bruce Dundas
5.	Jane de Villiers Dundas born 5/3/1802 married 1841 Sir John Henry Gallwey. Died 26/7/1879 at Southampton

Richard Leslie Bruce Dundas
4th of Blair Castle
	Son of:	Robert Bruce Dundas
	and:	Elizabeth Drummond Spital
	born:	2/2/1801
	died:	19/4/1854 at Edinburgh. Buried in Culross Abbey church grounds
	occupation:	Lieutenant Colonel
In 1839 an instrument of sasine was expede in Richard Leslie Dundas' favour on an extract trust disposition and deed of settlement by his father, conveying to him, the lands of Blairlogie and Lipnoch. He sold Blairlogie to Robert Bruce of Kennet in 1845.
In 1854, when suffering from galloping consumption, Richard Leslie Dundas and his sister, Margaret Dundas were residing in furnished lodgings at 7, Forth Street, Edinburgh. Here he made a trust disposition dated the 18/3/1854 and signed by a notary. He shortly afterwards moved or rather was carried by sedan chair to lodgings at 16, Albany Street where he died on the 19/4/1854. The purpose of the trust deed and settlement after payments and legacies, were for the benefit of his sisters, Frances Bruce Dundas and Margaret Dundas and of Lieutenant Adam Alexander Dundas R.N., second son of James Dundas XXV1th of Dundas, in fee, whom failing, to other members of the family of Dundas of Dundas. In an action of reduction brought against Archibald Gibson, accountant in Edinburgh, sole accepting trustee and Lieutenant Adam Alexander Dundas, the sisters, successfully proved that Lt. Col Richard Leslie Dundas was at the time of his death, labouring under the disease of which he died within the ensuing sixty days, without his having been either "at kirk or market" and that the deed was reducible ex capite lecti.
Frances Bruce Dundas died unmarried on the 30th September 1856 and her sister Margaret Elphinstone Dundas died unmarried on the 27th January 1858. They were both buried in Culross Abbey church grounds.
Richard Leslie Dundas' estate consisted of the lands and castle of Blair, lands of Pottisfollis, the salt pan of Culross, burial place at Culross Abbey Church, lands called Windmill Cross, lands called Brodie's Acre.

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