It had been long assumed that William Symington's 1803 steamboat was named after Charlotte the daughter of Thomas, Lord Dundas. William Symington's biographer, Dr. Robert Bowie, wrote that the steamboat had been named after a daughter of Lord Dundas. In his 1828 drawing of the 1803 steamboat, William Symington refers only to a "series of experiments" and does not refer to the vessel by name. The earliest references to the name Charlotte Dundas are made in William Symington's 1822 address to "the Owners of Steam Packets" and in his Petition to Parliament dated 4 November 1825 in which he asserted he was the first individual to effectively apply the power of the steam engine to propelling vessels. In an an affidavit, dated 20th September 1827, Alexander Sclanders, who was at the helm in the March 1803 trial, refers also to that vessel as the Charlotte Dundas. [1]

[1] William Symington Letter to the Editor of the Caledonian Mercury, Caledonian Mercury Saturday 29 September 1827 Issue 16554

Charlotte was the second daughter of Thomas Dundas, First Baron Dundas of Aske. She was born on 18th June 1774. Charlotte married Rev. William Fitzwilliam Wharton M.A., vicar of Gilling, in 1808 at Aske, Yorkshire. [1]  Her fourth son, James Charles Wharton, succeeded his father as the vicar of Gilling in 1843 and held that position for half a century. He died in 1900 aged 85. The Hon. Charlotte Wharton died on 5 January 1855 aged 80 years at Skelton Castle, Yorkshire. [2] At Aske Hall, the seat of the Dundas family in Yorkshire, there is a portrait by Henry Raeburn of “The Hon. Mrs. Wharton in a white dress.” 

In his “Brief Narrative” published in 1833, William Symington’s son in law Dr. Bowie wrongly asserted that the 1803 steamboat had been “Named in honour of his lordship’s daughter, the late and lamented Lady Milton.” However, Lady Milton, was in fact Mary, the fourth daughter of Lord Dundas. She had eleven children and died tragically and suddenly during pregnancy in 1830 at the age of 43 years.  The newspapers of the day reported that the deceased was "Lady Charlotte, daughter of Thomas, first Lord Dundas." This unfortunate error was perpetuated in the 1862 biography of William Symington by Robert Rankine, grandson of the inventor. In reference to the celebrated steam boat which made the epic voyage to Port Glasgow in March 1803, Rankine wrote: [3] “The little vessel that made this splendid trip was named by Symington the Charlotte Dundas, in honour of his patron’s daughter, afterwards Lady Milton.” [4]

Bowie and Rankine were both badly mistaken. Lady Milton was formerly Mary Dundas, the younger sister of Charlotte. Their confusion is understandable because obituaries for Lord Dundas, [5] who died in 1820, and for Lady Milton herself [6] who died in 1830 had misidentified her as formerly "the Hon. Charlotte Dundas". The Derby Mercury issued a correction to this unfortunate error but this brief communication was overlooked by William Symington's biographers. [7]

In 1803, Lord Dundas had five living daughters. The eldest, Margaret, was married to Archibald Spiers of Elderslie. The others, Charlotte, Frances, Mary and Isabella, were unmarried at the time. Lord Dundas was married to Charlotte FitzWilliam. To name the vessel after the second of five daughters would seem an odd decision. However this vessel was most almost certainly named after Charlotte, the daughter of Lord Dundas, because the first vessel built for Lord Dundas had been christened "Lady Dundas" after his wife. [8]

[1] The Morning Post (London) Friday 22 April 1808

[2] Morning Post (London) Tuesday 9 January 1855 page 8

[3] Rankine was mistaken in saying this trial took place in the Spring of 1802

[4] Rankine, J. and W. H., Biography of William Symington Falkirk 1862 page 59

[5] Caledonian Mercury of Saturday 24 June 1820 page 3; The Scots Magazine 1 July 1820 page 92

[6] Leeds Intelligencer Thursday 4 November 1830 page 3

[7] The Derby Mercury November 17 1830 page 3

[8] Falkirk Herald Saturday 30 January 1869 page 3