Alexander Murray Macgregor facts for kids
Major-General Alexander Murray Macgregor (born November 27, 1778 – died August 20, 1827) was a Scottish army officer. He served in the British East India Company, which was a powerful trading company that also had its own army in India. He was born Alexander Murray, but later added the Macgregor name.
His Life and Family
The Macgregor Clan
Alexander Murray was born on November 27, 1778. He was the only surviving son of Colonel Alexander Murray. His father was an officer in the Royal Clan Alpin Fencibles, a type of local army unit.
Alexander was part of the famous Clan Gregor (also known as Macgregor). For many years, the Macgregor name was outlawed in Scotland. Because of this, his ancestors had to use the surname Murray. In 1787, Alexander's uncle, John, became the chief of the clan. He was later given the special title of a baronet in 1795.
Becoming an Army Officer
Many of Alexander Macgregor's relatives were officers in the British East India Company. His father, uncles, and cousins all served in the army.
Alexander began his own military career in 1796. He became a captain in the 90th Perthshire Volunteers. In 1800, he moved to the Royal Clan Alpin Fencibles, where his father was a Colonel. He was promoted to the rank of major.
After the Fencibles disbanded in 1802, he joined the 67th Regiment. By 1808, he became a lieutenant-colonel in the 6th Regiment. He took part in the Walcheren Campaign in 1809. In 1812, he became a lieutenant-colonel in the 4th Ceylon Regiment. He was promoted to the rank of colonel in the Army in 1814. Two years later, he was put on the half-pay list, meaning he received half his pay without active duty. In 1825, he was promoted to Major-General.
Family and Later Years
In 1810, Alexander Murray married Lady Charlotte Anne Sinclair. She was the daughter of James Sinclair, 12th Earl of Caithness. They had seven children together.
Several of their children also had notable careers:
- Captain Alexander Nugent Murray Macgregor became an officer in the Bengal Army.
- Colonel John Murray Macgregor (1819–1891) also served in the military.
- Major-General Evan Murray Macgregor (1822–1885) served in the cavalry of the East India Company's Army. He later retired with the honorary rank of Major-General.
- Jane Helen Campbell Murray Macgregor married Colonel Alex Boyd Kerr, an officer in the Madras Rifles.
- Frances Grace Hay Murray Macgregor married Major-General Edward Every Miller.
Alexander Murray officially added the surname Macgregor to his name in 1822. He passed away on August 20, 1827. His wife, Lady Charlotte, died in 1854.
