Family of 18th century MP Henry Dundas say he is being wrongly treated like a ‘mass murderer’ by BLM activists over ‘simply untrue’ claims he was linked to slave trade
- Henry Dundas is commemorated at the Melville Monument in St Andrews Square
- Statue was graffitied as his role in delaying abolition of slavery was highlighted
- But direct descendants of Dundas have accused campaigners of ‘sensationalism’
- A family member said: ‘It boils down to him being falsely accused of something’
The family of an 18th century MP, Henry Dundas, said he has been wrongly treated like a ‘mass murderer’ by Black Lives Matter activists.
Dundas, a conservative politician and lawyer, is commemorated at the Melville Monument in St Andrews Square, Edinburgh.
The statue was graffitied during Black Lives Matter protests with campaigners highlighting Dundas’ role in delaying the abolition of slavery in the 1800s.
The monument was re-dedicated by council officials to ‘more than half a million Africans whose enslavement was a consequence of Henry Dundas’s actions’ in July.
But direct descendants of Dundas have accused campaigners of ‘sensationalism’ and spreading ‘misinformation’ in a new BBC documentary, ‘Scotland, Slavery and Statues’.
Althea Dundas-Baker and her daughter Henrietta (pictured), who are direct descendants of Henry Dundas, believe the conservative politician and lawyer has been ‘falsely accused’
Henry Dundas, above, the 1st Viscount Melville, is commemorated at the Melville Monument in Edinburgh. A BBC documentary reveals the sharp divide between historians over his role
Althea Dundas-Baker, the current owner of Arniston House, Dundas’s birthplace in Midlothian, slammed campaigners and said Dundas has been ‘falsely accused’.
She said: ‘It is simply untrue that my ancestor prolonged the slavery.
‘He had very little to do with it. The people that seem to be so determined to put out this message are in the wrong.
‘We take it personally. It boils down to him being falsely accused of something. He is not here to defend himself. As ancestors and family members, it is our duty.’
Her daughter, Henrietta, added: ‘It is factually incorrect that Henry was responsible.
‘Effectively he has been made out to be a mass murderer when, in fact, he was in favour of abolishing slavery.
‘He was an abolitionist. His intention was to end slavery, but there had to be a political process.
‘He’s been falsely accused of something that is not correct.’
The top of the Melville Monument in Edinburgh, pictured. It was re-dedicated to ‘more than half a million Africans whose enslavement was a consequence of Henry Dundas’s actions’
Sir Geoff Palmer (pictured), Scotland’s first black professor, had the wording on the plaque on the Melville Monument in St Andrew Square altered to reflect Dundas’ involvement in slavery
Protest signs on the railings close to the Melville Monument. The statue was graffitied during protests with campaigners highlighting Dundas’ role in delaying the abolition of slavery
The documentary reveals the sharp divide between historians over his role and motives.
It recalls the long-standing efforts by Sir Geoff Palmer, Scotland’s first black professor, to get the wording on the plaque on the Melville Monument in St Andrew Square altered to reflect his involvement in slavery.
The documentary features an interview with Marianna Spring, a BBC specialist on the spreading of misinformation, or ‘fake news’, on social media.
She said: ‘When it comes to those arguing that he [Henry Dundas] was not an abolitionist and that the plaque needed to be put up on the statue, we noticed that the conversation tends to be historians or other pro Black Lives Matter protesters and campaigners.
‘That all appears to be authentic. On the other side of the debate, with those who argue that Henry Dundas was an abolitionist, we see examples of inauthentic accounts.
‘They exclusively talk about the particular debate about this statue.’