James Edward Alexander
Sir James Edward Alexander of Westerton (born October 16, 1803 in Clackmannanshire , † April 2, 1885 on the Isle of Wight ) was a British officer and travel writer.
Life
He received his education at Edinburgh , Glasgow and Sandhurst , then served in the British cavalry in India and in 1825 took part in the war in Burma. Later stationed in Cape Town as adjutant to the British Governor Benjamin D'Urban , from here he undertook a trip to the countries north of the Orange River and penetrated into the land of the Mountain Dama . In the following years he entered the Portuguese service as a staff officer. After his return he was knighted in 1838 to the Knight Bachelor and a member of the Royal Geographic Society . Soon after, he was given new responsibilities on a voyage of discovery through the forests of British North America that led him to the St. Francis River and Lake Massawippi. After his stay in Canada , he attended the Westpoint Military Academy as a guest auditor for a few days . In 1854 he took part in the Crimean War and eventually took part in the New Zealand Wars .
In 1866 he was elected a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh . Appointed general in 1882 , he died in April 1885. The South African city of Alexander Bay on the Orange River was named after him.
Works
- Travels from India to England: comprehending a visit to the Burman empire, and a journey through Persia, Asia Minor, European Turkey, & c. In the years 1825-26 . - London: Parbury, Allen, & Co, 1827
- Travels through Russia and the Crimea . (1830, 2 vols.)
- Transatlantic Sketches: comprising visits to the most Interesting Scenes in North & South America & West Indies . 2 volumes. - London: Richard Bentley, 1833
- Sketches in Portugal during the Civil War of 1834 . - London: J. Cochrane & Co, 1835
- Narrative of a Voyage of Observation among the Colonies of Western Africa, in the Flag-Ship Thalia; and of a Campaign in Kaffir-Land, on the Staff of the Commander-in-Chief in 1835 . 2 volumes. - London: Henry Colburn, 1837
- 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 volumes. - London: Henry Colburn, 1838
- Life of Field Marshal, His Grace the Duke of Wellington : Embracing His Civil, Military, and Political Career to the Present Time . 2 volumes. - London: Henry Colbourn, 1839–40
- L'Acadie: or seven years' explorations in British America . 2 volumes. - London: Henry Colburn, 1849 (online: Volume 1 , Volume 2 )
- Passages in the life of a soldier, or, Military service in the East and West . - London: Hurst & Blackett, 1857
- Salmon-Fishing in Canada by a Resident . - London and Montreal: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts, 1860
- Incidents of the last Maori War in New Zealand . - London: Richard Bentley, 1863
- Bush Fighting . - London: Sampson, Low, Marston, Low & Searle, 1873
- Cleopatra's Needle, the obelisk of Alexandria (1879)
Individual evidence
- ^ William Arthur Shaw: The Knights of England. Volume 2, Sherratt and Hughes, London 1906, p. 341
- ↑ shaper RSE Fellows 1783-2002. Royal Society of Edinburgh, accessed October 5, 2019 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Alexander, James Edward |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British officer and travel writer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 16, 1803 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Clackmannanshire |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 2, 1885 |
| Place of death | Isle of Wight |