# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Dundas, James Whitley Deans

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​DUNDAS, formerly Deans, C.B., M.P. (Rear-Admiral of the White, 1841 . f-p., 18; h-p., 30.)
James Whitley Deans Dundas, born 4 Dec. 1785, is son of Jas. Deans, Esq., M.D., of Calcutta, by Janet, daughter of Thos. Dundas, Esq., M.P., of Fingask; great-grandson of Charles, sixth Earl of Lauderdale; and nephew of Thos. Dundas, a general officer of distinction, who died 3 June, 1794. He assumed his present surname on the occasion of his marriage.
This officer entered the Navy, 19 March, 1799, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Kent 74, Capt. Wm. Johnstone Hope, bearing the flags, in succession, of Lord Duncan and Sir Rich. Bickerton; in which ​ship he attended the expedition to Holland in Aug. 1799, and conveyed Sir Ralph Abercromby from Gibraltar to Egypt in Dec. 1800. He continued to serve, as Midshipman, at the blockade of Alexandria, until transferred, in July, 1801, to the Leda 38, Capt. Geo. Hope, with whom he was soon afterwards ordered to Lisbon. In Nov. 1802 he joined the Glenmore frigate, Capt. John Maitland, and, on accompanying that officer into the Boadicea 38, was present in a very spirited skirmish with the French 74-gun ship Duguay Trouin, also at the capture of Le Vanteur national lugger of 12 guns, and at the blockade of Rochefort. Being promoted (from the Monarch 74, flag-ship in the North Sea of Lord Keith) to a Lieutenancy, 25 May, 1805, in the Cambrian 40, Capt. John Poo Beresford, Mr. Dundas, in the course of the same year, assisted at the capture of three privateers, carrying in the whole 40 guns and 225 men. After officiating for a few weeks as Flag-Lieutenant, in the Leopard 50, to Hon. Geo. Cranfield Berkeley, on the North American station, he was awarded a second promotal commission, dated 8 Oct. 1806. During nearly seven months’ command of the Rosamond 18, Capt. Dundas was employed in attendance on the British Ambassador to the King of Sweden pending the siege of Stralsund, and was injured by the bursting of a shell while actively endeavouring to extinguish a fire which had broken out in the dockyard at Copenhagen a few nights after the surrender of that town to Lords Cathcart and Gambier. Assuming Post-rank 13 Oct. 1807, Capt. Dundas was next appointed – about the same period, to the command, pro tem., of the Cambrian 40 – 9 March, 1809, to the Stately 64, bearing the flag in the Baltic of Rear-Admiral Thos. Bertie – 31 Jan. and 8 Sept. 1812, to the Venerable 74, and Pyramus 36, in the latter of which ships he conveyed Sir Jas. Saumarez from Gottenborg to England, and captured, 20 April, 1813, and 18 Feb. 1814, the privateers Zebra of 10 guns and 38 men, and Ville de l’Orient of 14 guns and 97 men – 16 Aug. 1815, to the Tagus 38, on the Mediterranean station, whence he returned in Jan. 1819 – 6 Aug. 1830, to the Prince Regent 120, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Wm. Parker, with whom he served in the Tagus until the early part of 1832 – and, 5 April, 1836, to the Britannia 120, bearing the flag of Sir Philip Durham at Portsmouth, where he continued until 7 April, 1838. Since his promotion to Flag-rank, 23 Nov. 1841, he has been on halt-pay.
Rear-Admiral Dundas, who is a Deputy-Lieutenant for Berkshire, and M.P. for Greenwich, was appointed Naval Aide-de-Camp to William the Fourth 5 Sept. 1831 – a C.B. 25 Oct. 1839 – and a Lord of the Admiralty, under the Whig Administration, 23 June, 1841. He resumed his seat at the Board, as one of the Naval Lords, in July, 1846. He married, 2 April, 1808, his first-cousin, Janet, only daughter and heiress of the late Chas. Dundas, Lord Amesbury, by Ann, daughter and sole heir of Ralph Whitley, Esq., of Aston Hall, co. Flint. By that lady, who died 20 April, 1846, he had issue, with three daughters, two sons, of whom the eldest, Charles, an officer in the Coldstream Guards, was M.P. for the Flint district in 1838. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.