James Edward Alexander Explained

Honorific Prefix:Sir
James Edward Alexander
Birth Date:16 October 1803
Birth Place:Stirling, Scotland
Death Place:Ryde, Isle of Wight
Placeofburial:Old Logie Kirkyard near Menstrie
Placeofburial Label:Buried
Branch: East India Company Army
British Army
Branch Label:Branch
Rank:General
Rank Label:Rank
Unit:
Battles:
Battles Label:Campaigns
Awards:
Alma Mater:Royal Military College, Sandhurst

General Sir James Edward Alexander [9] (16 October 1803 – 2 April 1885) was a Scottish traveller, writer and soldier in the British Army.

Alexander was the driving force behind the placement of Cleopatra's Needle on the Thames Embankment.

Background

Born in Stirling, he was the eldest son of Edward Alexander of Powis, Clackmannanshire, and his second wife Catherine Glas, daughter of John Glas, Provost of Stirling.[10]

The family purchased Powis House near Stirling in 1808 from James Mayne (his uncle by marriage) for £26,500. His father, a banker, had to sell Powis House in 1827 on collapse of the Stirling Banking Company. He received his training in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

In 1837, he married Eveline Marie Mitchell (16 April 1821 – 1906), daughter of Colonel Charles Collier Michell, RA, surveyor general of Cape of Good Hope, in Cape Town on 25 October 1837.[11]

In 1853, he obtained Westerton House in Bridge of Allan, built in 1803 by Dr John Henderson of the East India Company (a cousin and friend). Here he became an elder of Logie Kirk, walking there each Sunday.

He died in Ryde on the Isle of Wight but is buried in Old Logie Churchyard just east of his home town of Stirling. The graveyard lies several hundred metres north of Logie Cemetery and the 19th century Logie Kirk.

After his death, his trustees sold Westerton House to Edmund Pullar.

Military career

In 1820, he joined the British East India Company's army, transferring into the British Army in 1825. As aide-de-camp to the British envoy to Persia, he witnessed fighting during the war between Persia and Russia in 1826 and in 1829 was present in the Balkans during the Russo-Turkish War, 1828-1829.

From 1832 to 1834, he witnessed the War of the Two Brothers in Portugal, and in 1835 he took part in the 6th Cape Frontier War in South Africa as aide-de-camp and private secretary to Sir Benjamin d'Urban.

In 1838, he was made a Knight Bachelor for his services.[10] From 1841, he served in Canada, among others in the staff of Sir William Rowan. During the Crimean War, he commanded the 14th (Buckinghamshire) Regiment of Foot as lieutenant-colonel in the Siege of Sevastopol in 1855[10] and held an important command during the New Zealand Wars, from 1860 to 1862.[12] [13] Alexander published two books based on his experiences in New Zealand.[14] He retired from active service in 1877 and on 1 July 1881 was given the honorary rank of general.[15]

Explorer

On behalf of the Royal Geographical Society (which he had co-founded), he conducted an exploring expedition into Namaqualand and Damaraland, lasting from 8 September 1836 to 21 September 1837,[16] in the course of which he collected rock specimens, pelts of rare animals, bird skins, weapons and implements from the Herero and Nama, as well as drawing maps of the region and making a first list of Herero words.[17] [18]

Subsequently, John Arrowsmith (cartographer) made use of his data to draw a map accompanying his book of the expedition. Alexander Bay on the Orange River mouth, is named after him.[19]

In 1877, he was largely responsible for the preservation and transfer of Cleopatra's Needle to England.[16] [9]

Works

Notes and References

  1. News: War-Office, March 9, 1832 . The Edinburgh Gazette . 4050 . 16 March 1832 . 71 .
  2. News: War-Office, 11 September 1840 . The London Gazette . 19892 . 11 September 1840 . 2044 .
  3. Book: Hart, Henry George . Henry George Hart . The New Annual Army List, and Militia List, for 1854 . 15 . John Murray . London . 1854 . 165 .
  4. News: St. James Palace . The London Gazette . 19833 . 6 March 1840 . 555 .
  5. Web site: Auction: Medals, Bonds, Banknotes and Coins, 12 November 2014, Knightsbridge, London. LOT 66: A C.B. and K.St.J. group of eleven to Major General Sir James Edward Alexander, 14th Foot, late 16th Lancers and 13th Light Dragoons . Bonhams . Bonhams . 2014 . 31 October 2023.
  6. News: War Office, May 24, 1873 . The London Gazette . 232979 . 24 May 1873 . 2583 .
  7. News: Whitehall, March 26, 1834 . The London Gazette . 19143 . 4 April 1834 . 616 .
  8. Book: Hart, Henry George . Henry George Hart . The New Annual Army List, Militia List and Indian Civil Service List, for 1877 . 38 . John Murray . London . 1877 . 16 .
  9. Book: Waterston . Charles D . Macmillan Shearer . A . Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783-2002: Biographical Index . 8 December 2011 . 1 . July 2006 . . Edinburgh . 978-0-902198-84-5.
  10. Book: Dod, Robert P. . The Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage of Great Britain and Ireland for 1863 . 1863 . Whitaker and Co. . London . 87 .
  11. Book: Fergusson, Robert Menzies . Logie: A Parish History;. 1905. Alexander Gardner. Paisley.
  12. News: Matters Military: 14th, or Buckingham Regiment . The New Zealand Herald . 2 . 404 . 28 February 1865 . 6 .
  13. News: Colonel Sir James E. Alexander, in Answer to "L," of the Southern Cross . The Daily Southern Cross . 20 . 2192 . 30 July 1864 . 7 .
  14. Book: Baker, Matiu . Te Ata o Tū: The Shadow of Tūmatauenga: The New Zealand Wars Collections of Te Papa: The Shadow of Tūmatauenga, The New Zealand Wars Collections of Te Papa . Cooper . Catherine Elizabeth . Fitzgerald . Michael . Rice . Rebecca . 2024-03-01 . Te Papa Press . English.
  15. News: Memoranda . The London Gazette . 25085 . 1215 . 17 March 1882 .
  16. General Sir James Edward Alexander, Kt., C.B., K.C.L.S., &c. . Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh . 14 . 1888 . 170–174 . 10.1017/S0370164600004843.
  17. Book: Alexander, James Edward . An Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa: Through the Hitherto Undescribed Countries of the Great Namaquas, Boschmans, and Hill Damaras, Performed Under the Auspices of Her Majesty's Government and the Royal Geographic Society . 1 . London . Henry Colburn . 1838 . BHL.
  18. Book: Alexander, James Edward . An Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa: Through the Hitherto Undescribed Countries of the Great Namaquas, Boschmans, and Hill Damaras, Performed Under the Auspices of Her Majesty's Government and the Royal Geographic Society . 2 . London . Henry Colburn . 1838 .
  19. Book: Gunn . Mary . Germishuizen . G. . Botanical Exploration of Southern Africa. An Illustrated History of Early Botanical Literature on the Cape Flora: Biographical Accounts of the Leading Plant Collectors and Their Activities in Southern Africa from the Days of the East India Company Until Modern Times . 2 . Strelitzia 26 . 2010 . South African National Biodiversity Institute . Pretoria . 75–76 . 9781919976549 . BHL.

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