Duncan Dunbar (shipowner)
Duncan Dunbar | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Duncan Dunbar in January 1862, by Camille Silvy | |
| Born | September 1803 |
| Died | 6 March 1862 (aged 58) |
| Occupation | shipowner |
Duncan Dunbar (September 1803 – 6 March 1862) was a Scottish businessman and London-based shipowner who established what was described as the largest shipping line in Great Britain.[1] He was also the first chairman and a founder of the London Chartered Bank of Australia.[2]
Early life
Dunbar was born in September 1803 at 7 Fore Street, Limehouse, Middlesex. His father, Duncan Dunbar senior, had moved to London in the 1790s and established a successful business as a brewer and wine merchant at Dunbar Wharf.[1] Dunbar was 22 when his father died in 1825 and inherited the business with his brother John.[1]
Business
Dunbar possessed what was described as the largest sailing fleet in the world in the mid-19th century. Most of his ships were built in his own shipyard in Moulmein, Burma.[3] He also founded the London Chartered Bank of Australia in 1852.[4]
Ships
Duncan Dunbar owned a large fleet of sailing ships, which were employed in the New Zealand and Australian emigrant trades, the transportation of convicts, the carriage of cargo, and as troopships, including during the Crimean War. His vessels were built both in Britain and at his shipyard in Moulmein, Burma. A substantial part of his fleet was built at Sunderland by James Laing & Sons.[5]
Dunbar was particularly active in the transportation of convicts to Western Australia. Twelve of the 33 ships that transported convicts there between 1850 and 1868 were owned by him.[6] Ten of his vessels were chartered by the Admiralty for the transportation of convicts, carrying 2,235 men on eleven voyages. Six of these were built at Sunderland: Minden, Nile, Phoebe Dunbar, Pyrenees, Sultana, and the barque Ramillies.[7]
Notable vessels
| Vessel | Year | Builder | Association with Dunbar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isabella | 1818 | Owned by Dunbar | |
| Agincourt | 1844 | James Laing & Sons | Built for Dunbar; owned by him from 1845 |
| Sea Park | 1844 | James Laing & Sons | Owned by Dunbar; transported convicts to Western Australia |
| Randolph | 1849 | James Laing & Sons | Built for and owned by Dunbar |
| Phoebe Dunbar | 1850 | James Laing & Sons | Built for Dunbar & Sons; named for his mother, Phoebe |
| Hougoumont | 1852 | Built for Dunbar | |
| Dunbar | 1853 | James Laing & Sons | Built for Dunbar |
| Northfleet | 1853 | Built for Dunbar | |
| La Hogue | 1855 | James Laing & Sons | Built for Dunbar |
| Cospatrick | 1856 | Built at Moulmein for Dunbar | |
| Duncan Dunbar | 1857 | James Laing & Sons | Built for Duncan Dunbar & Co. |
Death
Dunbar died at his home at Porchester Terrace, Paddington, on 6 March 1862[1] and was buried at Highgate Cemetery.[8] Dunbar left £1,500,000 in his will.[1] All 39 of his ships were sold within two years of his death.[1] Dunbar was a Conservative and frequently declined offers of a seat in Parliament, saying that he was "much too busy"; he gave the same reason for remaining a bachelor.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Dunbar-Nasmith, David. "Duncan Dunbar and his Ships". On Duncan Dunbar I and II. Archived from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
- ↑ "London Chartered Bank". Sydney Architecture. Archived from the original on 12 July 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
- ↑ "Lincelles 1862". Royal Sappers and Miners in Western Australia. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
- ↑ "Former London Chartered Bank". Victorian Heritage Council. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
- ↑ "The Sunderland Site Page 145". The Sunderland Site.
- ↑ Shardlow, Ross (December 2004). "Phoebe Dunbar" (PDF). Maritime Heritage Association Journal. 15 (4).
- ↑ "The Voyage of the Minden" (PDF).
- ↑ Dunbar, Duncan. "Highgate Cemetery". Burial Grounds. Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
External links
Media related to Duncan Dunbar (junior) at Wikimedia Commons