James Alexander, 1st Earl of Caledon facts for kids

James Alexander (born 1730 – died 1802) was an important person in Ireland. He was a wealthy landowner, a merchant, and a politician. He was also a member of the UK's House of Lords, which is like an upper house of parliament, representing Ireland.

James Alexander's Time in India

James Alexander started his career far away in India. He arrived in Madras in 1752 when he was 23 years old. He worked for the East India Company, which was a powerful British trading company. He held many important jobs there, like being a book-keeper and even the Sheriff of Madras twice.

He returned to Britain in 1763 but went back to India in 1766. This time, he worked in Calcutta as a senior member of the Bengal Council. People called him 'Coja Alexander', which meant he was a very rich merchant. He was known for being generous.

James Alexander continued to get promoted. He became a chief in important areas like Patna and Bihar. By 1772, he was a top member of the Council of Revenue in Murshidabad. He left India that same year.

His career in India was quite unusual for an Irishman at that time. He made a huge fortune, about £150,000, which was a massive amount of money back then! With this wealth, he bought a lot of land in Ireland.

Building His Estate in Ireland

In 1776, James Alexander bought a large area of land called the Caledon estate. It was in County Tyrone and County Armagh in Ireland. He paid £96,400 for it, which was a very high price.

He had already bought other properties closer to his hometown of Derry. These included Boom Hall, the Churchland estate of Moville, and land near Ballycastle. He kept adding to the Caledon estate by buying more land nearby.

Family and Becoming a Politician

James Alexander married Anne Crawford in 1774. They had two children:

• Mabella Alexander (born 1775 – died 1854)
• Du Pre Alexander, 2nd Earl of Caledon (born 1777 – died 1839)

After returning from India for good in 1772, James Alexander decided to enter politics. He became a Member of Parliament for Londonderry City from 1775 to 1790. He also served as High Sheriff of Tyrone and High Sheriff of Armagh, which were important local law enforcement roles.

He was a strong supporter of the Act of Union, which joined Ireland and Great Britain into one kingdom. He spent a lot of money, over £600,000, buying more estates in Ireland.

Because of his wealth and political support, James Alexander was given special titles. He became Baron Caledon in 1790, then Viscount Caledon in 1797, and finally Earl of Caledon in 1800. These titles made him a member of the Peerage of Ireland.

Lord Caledon passed away in Dublin on March 22, 1802, at the age of 72. His wife, Lady Caledon, had passed away earlier in 1777.