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General Sir James Edward Alexander, Kt., 
C.B., K.C.L.S., &c. 
General Sir James Edward Alexander, of Westerton, Stirling- 
shire, who was born in Stirling on the 16th October 1803, and 
whose decease took place at the Isle of Wight 2nd April 1885, was 
a collateral descendant of the family of the first Baronet, William 
Alexander of Menstrie, afterwards Earl of Stirling.* 
After passing through the College of Edinburgh and Glasgow, he 
proceeded at an early age to India to join his relative Sir Thomas 
Munro, then governor of Madras. He there devoted himself to the 
study of Oriental languages, passed the required examinations, and 
was appointed to the Madras Light Cavalry, and adjutant of the 
governor’s body guard. He was afterwards transferred to the 13th 
Light Dragoons in January 1825, and volunteering for active service 
proceeded to Burmah, was present in the field, and took part in the 
first Burmah war. 
After the peace his acquirements were recognised by his being 
appointed attache to the Persian Mission, under Sir John Macdonald 
Kinneir ; while acting with the Persian army on the field against 
the Russians, he so distinguished himself that he received the Order 
of the Lion and Sun. 
In consequence of his proficiency in Eastern languages and 
general attainments, he was offered, on return to England, a 
professorship at the College of Heylebury, but, declining this 
employment, he instead joined the senior department of the 
Military Staff College, obtained a first-class certificate, and shortly 
afterwards was promoted to a lieutenancy in the 16th Lancers. 
He then obtained a year’s leave of absence, to enable him to 
complete his military studies, and to join the Royal Engineers at 
Chatham, under Sir Charles Paisley. 
He next saw service with the Russian army of Field-Marshal 
Diebitch, then engaged in operations against the Turks. At the 
conclusion of this service, and while on his return to England, a 
slightly untoward incident occurred to him. Proceeding in a 
Russian frigate by way of Sebastopol, he was there placed in 
quarantine, in consequence of some cases of the plague having 
* He was buried in the old Logie kirkyard, near Menstrie. 
