About
Thomas Robert Dewar, 1st Baron Dewar, was a Scottish whisky distiller and politician. With his brother John A. Dewar, he built John Dewar & Sons into an internationally renowned Scotch whisky brand. Nicknamed 'Whisky Tom', he undertook a two-year world tour starting in 1892 to promote the brand. He served as Conservative MP for Tower Hamlets, St George, from 1900 to 1906, and was knighted in 1902. He was also a notable racehorse owner, with his horse Cameronian winning the Epsom Derby in 1931.
Major works
- A Ramble Round the Globe (1894)travel memoir
Key milestones
- 1892Embarked on a two-year world tour to promote Dewar's whisky.
- 1900Elected Conservative MP for Tower Hamlets, St George.
- 1919Raised to the peerage as Baron Dewar of Homestall.
Themes
Scotch whiskyMarketing and globalizationConservative politicsHorse racingSport patronage
Sources: npg.org.uk · api.parliament.uk