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General '''Alexander Duncan''' (1780–1859) was a Scottish officer of the [[East India Company]] army in Bengal.

==Early life==
[[File:The grave of General Alexander Duncan, Warriston Cemetery.jpg|thumb|The grave of General Alexander Duncan, Warriston Cemetery]]
Alexander Duncan was the third son of the physician [[Andrew Duncan, the elder]].<ref>{{cite ODNB|id=8212|first=Lisa|last=Rosner|title=Duncan, Andrew, the elder}}</ref> The family lived on Bristo Street in Edinburgh's South Side.<ref>Williamsons Edinburgh street Directories 1775 to 1785</ref> When his father got the position as Professor of Medicine at [[Edinburgh University]] the family moved to Adam Square.<ref>Williamson's Edinburgh street Directory 1795</ref> Alexander attended the Edinburgh High School a short distance away to the east.

He arrived in India as a cadet in 1795, and served there in the East India Company's forces until 1840, when he returned to the United Kingdom with the rank of Major-General.<ref name="Rockwood">{{cite book |title=The Fred Rockwood Collection of British Medals |date=2014 |publisher=Dix Noonan Webb |page=23 |url=https://archive.org/details/rockwoodcollection2014dixn/page/n21/mode/2up/}}</ref>

===Military service in India===
In 1800 Duncan served in [[Awadh]], and then was in the [[Doab]] of the [[Yamuna]], in actions at [[Sasni]] and [[Bijai Garh]]. He took part in the [[Second Anglo-Maratha War]], being present at the [[Battle of Laswari]], and was promoted to Captain in 1805.<ref name="Rockwood"/>

Duncan was [[brigade major]] at [[Fatehgarh]] from 1806. In the [[Bundelkhand Agency]], he was on active service at [[Kalinjar Fort]] in 1812. He was given command of the 1/2 [[Bengal Native Infantry]] in Awadh, in 1815.<ref name="Rockwood"/>

During the [[Third Anglo-Maratha War]] of 1817–8, Duncan again commanded the Bengal Native Infantry unit. It was attached to the Narbada Field Force, and he was commended for his conduct in the action at [[Sohagpur]] in 1819, by [[Sir Richard Jenkins]], Resident at [[Nagpur]].<ref name="Rockwood"/>

In 1824 Duncan was given the command of the [[105th Mahratta Light Infantry|5th Bombay Native Infantry]]; and in 1828 he was put in charge of the Malwa Field Force, following shortly the command of the [[6th Jat Light Infantry|43rd Bengal Native Infantry]], and then was promoted to Colonel.<ref name="Rockwood"/>

In the early stages of the [[First Anglo-Afghan War]], Duncan was a general commanding one of two divisions of the Army of the Indus, under [[Henry Fane (British Army officer)|Sir Henry Fane]] as Commander-in-Chief; the other divisional commander was Sir [[Willoughby Cotton]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Abbott |first1=Augustus |last2=Low |first2=Charles Rathbone |authorlink2=Charles Rathbone Low
|title=The Afghan War, 1838-1842: From the Journal and Correspondence of the Late Major - General Augustus Abbott - |date=1879 |publisher=R. Bentley and son |page=[https://archive.org/details/afghanwarfromjo00lowgoog/page/n73 61] |url=https://archive.org/details/afghanwarfromjo00lowgoog |language=en}}</ref> Fane, in poor health, resigned his command at the beginning of 1839, and [[John Keane, 1st Baron Keane|Sir John Keane]] took over.<ref>{{cite ODNB|id=9133|first=James|last=Lunt|title=Fane, Sir Henry}}</ref> As the campaign got under way, Duncan commanded the reserve division at [[Firozpur]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=MacFarlane |first1=Charles |title=History of British India: From the Earliest English Intercourse ... |date=1858 |publisher=G. Routledge |page=534 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-8RSAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA534 |language=en}}</ref> While most of the Army marched through the [[Bolan Pass]], Duncan's division remained behind with the lines of communication troops and the forces in [[Sindh]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hough |first1=William |title=A Narrative of the March and Operations of the Army of the Indus, in the ... |date=1840 |publisher=W. Thacker and Co. |page=6 |url=https://archive.org/details/anarrativemarch03houggoog/page/n56/mode/2up |language=English}}</ref>

With the end of the Afghan campaign, Duncan's time in India was over.<ref name="Rockwood"/>

===Later life===
Duncan originally retired to Edinburgh, close to his family, living at 13 Abercromby Place in the [[New Town, Edinburgh|Second New town]].<ref>Edinburgh Street Directory 1845</ref>

Duncan received steps in rank, to Lieutenant-General in 1846, then to full General in 1854.<ref name="Rockwood"/> He lived at [[Gattonside House]], near [[Melrose, Scottish Borders|Melrose]], in the 1850s, and died there on 14 May 1859.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sutherland and Knox |title=Noblemen and Gentlemen's Seats, Villges |date=1857 |page=177 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oOYNAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA177 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Tancred">{{cite book |last1=Tancred |first1=George |title=The Annals of a Border Club (the Jedforest)|date=1899 |publisher=J. Menzies |pages=324 |url=https://archive.org/details/annalsabordercl00tancgoog/page/n354/mode/2up/ |language=English}}</ref><ref name="Rockwood"/> He is buried in [[Warriston Cemetery]] in north Edinburgh. The grave lies opposite Alexander Smith near the east gate.

Gattonside House was sold by his son Colonel Duncan, of the 43rd Bengal Native Infantry, to Robert Blair Maconochie.<ref name="Tancred"/>
[[File:Gattonside House, Melrose, Scotland.jpg|thumb|[[Gattonside House]], near Melrose, 2018 photograph]]

==Family==
Duncan's wife Mary Mabel died in 1857 at age 79.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Review |date=1857 |publisher=Bradbury, Evans |page=739 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_bLPAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA739 |language=en}}</ref> [[Charles Rogers (author)|Charles Rogers]] stated that they had a family of seven sons and five daughters.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rogers |first1=Charles |title=Genealogical Memoirs of John Knox and of the Family of Knox |date=1879 |publisher=Grampian Club |page=[https://archive.org/details/genealogicalmem02rogegoog/page/n74 64] |url=https://archive.org/details/genealogicalmem02rogegoog |language=en}}</ref>

* The eldest daughter Jane Alexandrina (died 1868) married in 1822 Patrick Dudgeon (1798–1846) of [[East Craig]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Britain) |first1=Society of Writers to H. M. Signet (Great |title=The Society of Writers to His Majesty's Signet, with a List of the Members and Abstracts of the Minutes of the Society, the Commissioners and the Council and the Early History of the Scottish Signet |date=1936 |publisher=Society at the University Press |page=138 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7T7IqG-HgnQC |language=en}}</ref>
* Elizabeth Mary (died 1883), second daughter, married in 1830 [[Windsor Parker]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Farrer |first1=Edmund |title=Portraits in Suffolk houses (West) |date=1908 |publisher=B. Quaritch |location=London |pages=288–289 |url=https://archive.org/details/portraitsinsuffo00farruoft/page/396/mode/2up}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Crawford |first1=William |title=Knox Genealogy: Descendants of William Knox and of John Knox the Reformer |date=1896 |publisher=G. P. Johnston |page=11 |language=en}}</ref>
*Frances Gertrude, the third daughter, married in 1837 [[William Erskine Baker]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage |date=1878 |publisher=Burke's Peerage Limited. |edition=1380 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YyJNAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA1380 |language=en}}</ref>


John Æneas Duncan (died 1857), of the [[31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot]] and [[29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot]], was the fifth son.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Review |date=1857 |publisher=Bradbury, Evans |page=685 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yZ_PAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA685 |language=en}}</ref> The youngest son, William Toome Duncan, died in 1837 at age 18.<ref>{{cite book |title=Asiatic Journal |date=1837 |publisher=Parbury, Allen, and Company |page=265 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tysYAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA265 |language=en}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duncan, Andrew}}
[[Category:1780 births]]
[[Category:1859 deaths]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Edinburgh]]
[[Category:British East India Company Army generals]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the First Anglo-Afghan War]]
[[Category:Burials at Warriston Cemetery]]

Alexander Duncan (army officer) - Revision history

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