DUNDAS, Hon. George Heneage Lawrence (1778-1834), of Upleatham Park, Yorks.

Dundas returned to England in 1801 after several years’ naval service in the Mediterranean.Marshall Naval Biog. iii. 418. He entered Parliament for the family borough at the next election. He joined Brooks’s Club, 9 Mar. 1803, and followed the same voting pattern as his elder brother Charles. Like him he was listed among the Foxite opposition both to Addington and to Pitt, in 1804. After voting for the censure and criminal prosecution of Melville, 8 Apr., 12 June 1805, he was again listed ‘Opposition’ in July. In March he had offered to resign his seat in favour of Henry Grattan, whom Fox was anxious to see in Parliament, but his father was concerned about possible opposition at Richmond and commented: ‘I know it is a sacrifice for anyone to make who likes being in Parliament as much as he does’.Fitzwilliam mss, box 66, Ld. to Hon. L. Dundas, 9 Mar. 1805. On his appointment to the command of the frigate Euryalus in 1806, he vacated his seat in favour of his brother Charles. He subsequently served in the Danish and Scheldt expeditions.

Dundas was again returned for Richmond in January 1812, in the place of his eldest brother Lawrence, who had secured a seat for York in a by-election. He followed his family’s opposition line, voting for Turton’s censure motion, 27 Feb., for Williams Wynn’s motion critical of McMahon’s appointment, 14 Apr., and for Catholic relief, 24 Apr. (he was listed as C. L. Dundas in mistake for his deceased brother). On 6 May (as ‘G. Dundas’) he was in the minority against delays in Chancery.

Dundas was still on the active list and not available for re-election in 1812. Having retired from the navy with a knighthood, he came in for Orkney on his family’s interest in 1818, taking advantage of the divisions among the ministerialists there. He signed the requisition to Tierney to lead the Whig opposition in the House and adhered silently, as before, to them. His voting pattern was very similar to, but not identical with that of his eldest brother Lawrence. He favoured criminal law reform, 2 Mar., burgh reform, 1 Apr., 6 May, and voted against the naval estimates, 2 June. He opposed the seditious meetings bill until 6 Dec. 1819 when he voted for its limited duration. He did not seek reelection in 1820, but resumed the county seat in 1826. He died in office 6/7 Oct. 1834.