James Edward Alexander

Born in Stirling, 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. 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. Alexander published two books based on his experiences in New Zealand. He retired from active service in 1877 and on 1 July 1881 was given the honorary rank of general. ==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, 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. In 1877, he was largely responsible for the preservation and transfer of Cleopatra's Needle to England. File:General Sir James Edward Alexander c.1880.png|General Sir James Edward Alexander c.1880 File:The grave of General Sir James Edward Alexander, Old Logie Kirkyard.jpg|The grave of General Sir James Edward Alexander, Old Logie Kirkyard File:MA I173830 TePapa Colonel-Sir-J-E-Alexander full.jpg|Colonel Sir J. E. Alexander, 14th reg., circa 1860, maker unknown. Purchased 1916. Te Papa (O.011941) ==Works==

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