The 4th Marquess of Zetland, a North Yorkshire landowner, died 24 January, 2026, aged 88.
The Marquess was seated at Aske, near Richmond, North Yorkshire. A peer of the Turf, he was a founding director of the British Horseracing Board 1993-97, and member of the Jockey Club (Steward 1992-94); and appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of North Yorkshire in 1997.
The Dundas family estates were acquired in the 18th century by Sir Lawrence Dundas, scion of a long-established Scots family, who became the chief merchant-adventurer of his day. Having made a fortune supplying bread and forage to allied troops in Germany during the Seven Years’ War, he bought swathes of land in Sligo, Roscommon, Fife, Stirlingshire, Clackmannanshire, Orkney, Shetland, Hertfordshire and Yorkshire, where Aske Hall, near Richmond, remains the family seat. He was also a great patron of the arts, and commissioned such treasures as the Dundas Suite of ornate furniture, designed by Robert Adam and made by Thomas Chippendale, two sofas and two chairs of which were sold at Christie’s in 1997 for more than £3 million. Dubbed “the Nabob of the North”, Dundas became among the country’s largest landowners, but despite his best endeavours he never obtained a peerage – he was a mere baronet by the time he died in 1781. His son, though, was made Baron Dundas in 1794, his grandson rose to Earl of Zetland (an ancient variant of Shetland), and the 3rd earl became a marquess in 1892.
Lawrence Mark Dundas was born 28 December, 1937, the eldest of the three sons of the 3rd Marquess of Zetland (1908-1989), and his wife the former (Katherine Mary) Penelope Pike (1914-2003), scion of that landed gentry family, the second daughter of Col Ebenezer John Lecky Pike CBE MC (1884-1965), of Little Glebe, Fontwell, co. Sussex, by his wife Olive Constance Snell (1888-1962), only daughter of Edward Snell, of Monk Okehampton, co. Devon.
He was educated at Harrow then Oxford University, and served in the Grenadier Guards (2nd Lieutenant).
Lawrence Dundas was styled Earl of Ronaldshay from 1961 (when his father succeeded to the family honours), until succeeding as 4th Marquess, 5 October, 1989.
He was 4th Marquess of Zetland (United Kingdom, let. pat. 22 Aug 1892), 6th Earl of Zetland (United Kingdom, let. pat. 2 Jul 1838), 4th Earl of Ronaldshay (United Kingdom, let. pat. 22 Aug 1892), 7th Baron Dundas, of Aske in the County of York, Great Britain, let. pat. 13 Aug 1794), and 8th Baronet, styled "of Kerse" (Great Britain, let. pat. 16 Nov 1762).
The 1st Marquess was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in Queen Victoria's reign and a prominent freemason, the 2nd Marquess was sometime Secretary of State for India, and the 3rd Marquess was chairman of the racecourses at Catterick and Redcar, and was Provincial Grand Master, North and East Ridings of Yorkshire, of the Society of Freemasons 1956-89.
His siblings include Lord David Dundas (born 2 June, 1945), the pop singer and actor, best known for his chart success in the pop genre during the 1970s, including his biggest hit "Jeans On", as well as his later career in film and television scores, and Lord Bruce Dundas (born 6 Jan, 1951), and Lady Serena Kettlewell (1940-2012).
He married 4 April, 1964, Susan Rose Chamberlin (born circa Apr, 1940), 2nd daughter of Guy Ronald Chamberlin (1911-1991), of Shefford House, Great Shefford, Newbury, co. Berkshire, by his wife the former Geraldine Mary Payne-Cook (1913-1963). The marriage took place a few months after Susan and her mother had been swept off the rocks by a wave and her mother drowned at Polzeath, Cornwall.
The Zetlands had issue, two sons, Robin, styled Earl of Ronaldshay (born 5 March, 1965), and Lord James Dundas (born 2 May, 1967), and two daughters, Lady Henrietta (born 9 Feb, 1970), and Lady Victoria (born 2 Jan, 1973).
His elder son succeeds as 5th Marquess of Zetland. He is married with four daughters, and his heir presumptive is his younger brother, Lord James Dundas.
Those mighty tomes Burke's Peerage and Debrett's incorrectly state that the father of the Marchioness of Zetland was Guy Richard Chamberlin, when in fact his father was Guy RONALD, as recorded at the General Register Office.
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