Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville

Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville ( born March 14, 1771 in Edinburgh, † June 10, 1851 at Melville Castle near Dalkeith, Scotland ) was a British statesman.

Early years and family

Dundas was born in 1771 as the only son of Henry Dundas, Viscount Melville later. It first went to Edinburgh to school, he attended the Georg -August- University Göttingen, the University of Edinburgh and the Emmanuel College, Cambridge. In 1788 he was admitted as a lawyer in Lincoln 's Inn.

Six years later he became private secretary to his father, and also a member of the lower house. In the same year he married Anne Saunders, with whom he had six children. His eldest son inherited his title, the second son, Richard Saunders Dundas, became First Sea Lord.

Political career

After he had been an inconspicuous deputy for many years, he ran the first time with several speeches during the impeachment proceedings against his father in the public eye. In 1807 he was then President of the Board of Control, which oversaw the East India Company. His activities in this regard, which lasted until 1812, was interrupted in 1809 for six months, where he was Chief Secretary for Ireland. In 1811 he inherited the title from his father.

As First Lord of the Admiralty from 1812 to 1827 and First Sea Lord from 1828 to 1830, he led the Royal Navy to victory in the Napoleonic Wars. In peacetime, then Dundas tried in many ways to mitigate the massive downsizing of the fleet. The rise of steamboats he was initially skeptical about; he feared that the Royal Navy will lose its supremacy on the seas.

In addition, Dundas sat for the exploration of the Arctic a.

Dundas died in 1851 at Melville Castle.

Honors

Dundas was incorporated in 1817 as a member ( "Fellow" ) to the Royal Society. In his honor, the Melville Island and the Strait Viscount Melville Sound in northern Canada and the Melville Island bear his name in northern Australia.