“They came from Scotland as Plantation Tenants, principally to William Cole and Sir John Hume.”  “A distinguished branch lived at Roscor.”  There were 55 Dundas voters in Fermanagh in 1962 according to the Rev. W.H. Dundas in his book, “Enniskillen-Parish and Towns”.  Peador Livingstone, also acknowledged the Dundas Family in his book, “The Fermanagh Story” as being a Plantation Family.  In “A History of Castle Caldwell and Its Families”, John B. Cunningham (1980) says, “...on 26 April 1708, an Independent Regiment of Foot had the following officers: 

            Sir James Caldwell, Co. and Capt.

            James Dundas, Lt.

He refers to “...a lease of land near Belleek in 1760.” 

Scottish-Irish Connections

Actually, there appear to be at least two branches of Dundas that emigrated from Scotland to Fermanagh.  One group may have come as early as 1609 with Walter Dundas (of Dundas).  They seem to have lived in Enniskillen, Churchill, Benmore and Derrygonnelly. A later group came about 1680, possibly from the Arniston branch of Dundas, according to research done by John James Dundas of Roosky.  They settled farther west near Belleek, Roscor and Bolusty.  

Another theory, held by this author, is that many of these west (Lower) Inishmacsaint Fermanagh Dundas were directly descended from Dundas of Dundas by Elizabeth Dundas, half-sister of Walter and Hugh.  She married Sir James Dundas of Newliston.  Perhaps he was the “James Dundas with Sword” listed in the 1631 Muster Roll of Fermanagh.  There were many Hugh Dundas listed in this area of Fermanagh in later years.  Hugh Dundas, Lt., a son of Walter Dundas of Magdalen served under Charles I (1625-49).  I note that Lt. Hugh Dundas (b. circa 1622) and Cornet Patrick Dundas received a settlement for service in 1667, 26 years after the Rebellion of 1641, when Charles II, paid his father's debts.

There were several later Patricks in Roscor.   This was a very unusual name to have originated in Scotland, however, we have now found others…in the Newliston-Philipston and Breastmill branch near Edinburg.  The Newliston branch began circa 1400 from James Dundas of Dundas XI.

There were hundreds of Dundases in Fermanagh in the 1850’s. In Sir Richard Griffith’s Primary Valuation of County Fermanagh in 1862, there were 61 Dundas heads of household with “Rateable Property”, although 84 properties were listed with Dundas names.  In that year, there were 12 Dundas property owners in Bolusty More, Bolusty Beg, Drumcrow West, Sruhanure, Callagheen, Drumbadmeen and Roscor.  Today, very few with the Dundas surname can be found. 

Today, their Dundas descendants are spread across Fermanagh, England, Australia, Canada and the United States.

by Bill Barber email to:   wjbarbernh <at> gmail.com