General Alexander Dirom of Luce and Mount Annan

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL ALEXANDER DIROM OF LUCE AND MOUNT ANNAN (1757-1830)

Soldier, Landowner and Agricultural Improver

Lieutenant-General Alexander Dirom is the son of Alexander Dirom of Muiresk, Writer in Banff and sometime Provost there, and his wife, Ann Fotheringham. He was born before 21 May 1757, the date upon which his baptism was registered at Banff in Banffshire, Scotland (Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, database, FamilySearch) His baptismal record reads as follows: "Alexander lawful son of Alexander Dirom Writer in Banff and Mrs Anne Fotheringham his spouse was baptized named after Alexander Russel of Moncoffer and Alexr Innes of Rosieburn" [Registrar General for Scotland, H. M. New Register House, Edinburgh, Banff Baptisms, 1752-89, reference OPR.147/3].

Military Career

Alexander Dirom was appointed Ensign in the 61st Regiment of Foot on 8 December 1778 and Lt. in the 88th Foot 13 October 1779. He served with the regiment in Barbados (1780) and Jamaica (1780–84) as Military Secretary to the GoC and Major of Brigade. He exchanged in to the 60th (Royal American Regiment of Foot, later Kings Royal Rifle Corps) as a Captain in 1781 and in 1783 went to St Domingo to negotiate an exchange of Prisoners of War. In 1784 he returned to England. He was Aide-de-Camp to Major General Sir Archibald Campbell (Governor .General and Commander in Chief at Madras) and subsequently served in India against Tippoo Sahib in the Third Mysore War. Fellow Royal Society 10 July 1795 (Wikipedia: Alexander Dirom)

Death

Lieutenant-General Alexander Dirom died at Annan on 6 October 1830 (Wikipedia: Alexander Dirom)

Marriage

Lieutenant-General Alexander Dirom married Miss Magdalene Pasley of Cleughhead on 7 August 1793. She was the niece of Mrs. Malcolm of Burnfoot, Langholm, and it is possible that he first met his future wife through friendship in India with the Malcolm Family (the Four Knights of Eskdale). The young couple first resided at Cleughhead in Annan, then the mansion house of the estate. Mrs. Dirom’s father was Robert Pasley of Craig (neighbouring property to Burnfoot,) a Merchant in Lisbon till 1786, who however, never lived at Cleughhead after purchasing the estate but continued to reside in London till his death in 1793 (John Riddock, S.S.C., Lieut.-General Alexander Dirom (1757-1830), published in The Transactions and Journal of Proceedings of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History & Antiquarian Society, Third Series, Volumne XXXV, pp. 20-32)

Children

Lieutenant-General Alexander Dirom, and his wife, Magdalene Pasley, had twelve children (The Genealogy of the Dirom Family: Kittybrewster.com)

1. Lt John Pasley Dirom
2. Magdalene Dirom
3. Sophia Dirom
4. Captain Alexander Dirom
5. Robert Dirom
6. Leonora Anne Dirom
7. Christina Ann Dirom
8. Andrew Dirom
9. Ann Dirom
10. William Maxwell Dirom
11. Francis Moira Dirom
12. Rear-Admiral James Dirom

Biographical Accounts

1. John Riddock, S.S.C., Lieut.-General Alexander Dirom (1757-1830), published in The Transactions and Journal of Proceedings of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History & Antiquarian Society, Third Series, Volumne XXXV, pp. 20-32
2. Charles D. Macmillan Shearer, A (July 2006). Biographical index of former fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1783-2002 (July 2006), page 255
3. Wikipedia
4. Burke, Bernard, Sir. A genealogical and heraldic history of the landed gentry of Great Britain & Ireland 6th ed. London : Harrison 1879. Vol I. page 461