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{{EngvarB|date=March 2019}}
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[[General officer|General]] '''John Alexander Paul Macgregor''' (1780 – 5 March 1868), born '''John Alexander Paul''', was an officer in the [[Bengal Army]].
== Early life and family ==
John Alexander Paul was born in 1780. His father, Lachlan Paul (''né'' McPhail), was a Scottish-born [[Ensign (rank)|Ensign]] in the [[Bengal Army]]. He set sail for India aboard the ''Chapman'' in March 1781, but died on 17 December that year, aged 25. John Paul's mother was Drummond Mary, only daughter of Duncan Murray or Macgregor, chief of [[clan Gregor]].<ref>Hodson 1946, pp. 140, 483</ref> After Lachlan Paul's death, his widow married John Macgregor (died 1847 aged 83), a banker of [[Edinburgh]].<ref name=":1">MacGregor 1901, pp. 393–394</ref> Her only brother, John (died 1784), a [[Commodore (rank)|Commodore]] in the [[Bombay Marine]], left his estate to John Paul on the condition that he assume Macgregor as his surname, which he did.<ref name=":0">Hodson 1946, p. 140</ref><ref>Debrett and Collen 1840, p. 360</ref> Drummond Mary and John MacGregor had several children. The sons were: [[Duncan Macgregor (army officer)|Duncan]] (died 1881), who served as a General in the [[British Army]] and received a knighthood; Peter (died 1815), a Captain in the [[Royal York Rangers (regiment)|Royal York Rangers]]; Alexander (died 1871); James Murray (died 1846); and Robert (died 1801). There were also two daughters, Mary who died in 1879, and Felicite.<ref name=":1" /><ref>John MacGregor (died 1847) erected a tombstone in Greyfrairs Kirkyard, Edinburgh. The plaque commemorates his "stepson General John A. Paul MacGregor who died in London 5th March 1868", along with Drummond Mary, the five sons and Mary, the daughter (see the entry for John at ''Find a Grave'' with images of the stones: [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/108620698&ref=acom "John Macgregor"]. ''Find a Grave''. Retrieved 11 February 2016).</ref>

Many of Macgregor's relatives were heavily involved in the military. His maternal grandfather, Duncan, was reportedly wounded in the [[Battle of Prestonpans]] in 1745 while fighting for the [[Jacobite risings|Jacobites]];<ref name=":1">MacGregor 1901, pp. 393–394</ref><ref>Mosley 2003, p. 2493</ref> Duncan's brother, Evan, also fought with him, and Evan's son [[Sir John MacGregor, 1st Baronet|John]] was an officer in the [[East India Company]], became chief of Clan Gregor and a [[baronet]], and served as [[Military Auditor-General]] in [[Bengal]]. Sir John's own son, [[Evan John Macgregor|Evan John]], was a [[Major general|Major-General]] and received a [[Knight|knighthood]].<ref>Mosley 2003, pp. 2493–2494</ref><ref>Macgregor, p. 402.</ref>

== Service ==
Macgregor was appointed a minor cadet of the Bengal Army on 22 November 1781.<ref name=":0">Hodson 1946, p. 140</ref> The practice of appointing young sons of officers to this rank was introduced by the [[East India Company]] in 1770 to recognise loyal service. The directors largely abolished the practice in 1786, finding "great reason to believe this indulgence has been much abused and we are thereby put to great expense".<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/untoldlives/2013/08/babes-in-arms.html|title = Babes in arms|date = 13 August 2013|access-date = 11 February 2016|website = British Library|publisher = |last = |first = }}</ref> Macgregor was enlisted as a full cadet in 1795 and arrived in India on 4 February 1797; he was appointed an Ensign on 15 October 1797 and a Lieutenant fifteen days later. The following June he was attached to the [[101st Regiment of Foot (Royal Bengal Fusiliers)|1st Begal European Regiment]] and fought with them in the Fourth Mysore War (1798–99), including action at [[Battle of Mallavelly|Malavelly]] and [[Siege of Seringapatam (1799)|Seringapatam]].<ref name=":0">Hodson 1946, p. 140</ref>

After the war, Macgregor transferred to the 2nd Volunteer Battalion and became its adjutant. He served in the [[Northern Circars]] in 1800, moved over to the 1st Battalion 2nd Native Infantry in 1801 and saw action with them at the Battle of Delhi in 1803, part of the [[Second Anglo-Maratha War]].<ref name=":2">Hodson 1946, pp. 140-141</ref> He was subsequently promoted to the rank of [[Captain (armed forces)|Captain]] on 1 May 1805,<ref name=":0">Hodson 1946, p. 140</ref> and served as [[Aide-de-camp|Aide-de-Camp]] to the Governor-General from July 1810 to November 1813. Macgregor was posted as [[Fort Adjutant]] at Fort William between July 1812 and March 1813, and Deputy [[Military Auditor-General (Bengal)|Military Auditor-General]] from 13 March 1813 to March 1830.<ref name=":3">Hodson 1946, p. 141</ref> During his time in that office, he was promoted to Major on 12 July 1814, [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant-Colonel]] on 1 August 1818, Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant on 1 May 1824 and [[Colonel]] on 5 June 1829;<ref name=":0">Hodson 1946, p. 140</ref> he was posted a Lieutenant-Colonel in the [[23rd Native Infantry]] in 1820, the [[11th Native Infantry]] in 1823 and the [[22nd Native Infantry]] in 1824, before he was transferred as Colonel of the 22nd Native Infantry in 1829.<ref name=":3" />

Macgregor was then appointed Military Auditor-General on 26 March 1830. He was promoted to [[Major general|Major-General]] on 10 January 1837, but relinquished his post as Auditor-General in March 1846. On 9 November, he was promoted to [[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant-General]] and the following September became Colonel of the [[54th Native Infantry]], serving until his death. His last promotion came on 20 June 1854, when he was made a full [[General officer|General]]. He died in [[London]] on 5 March 1868.<ref name=":2">Hodson 1946, pp. 140-141</ref>

== Personal life ==
In May 1807, MacGregor married Jane (died 1858), daughter of James Ness of Osgodby in [[Yorkshire]].<ref name=":0">Hodson 1946, p. 140</ref> He had several children, including:
* Thomas Paul Macgregor, later became a Lieutenant in the Bengal Auxiliary Cavalry. He moved to Scotland and married Katherine Livingstone, daughter of William Livingstone, in 1824.<ref>''[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=YGQJAAAAQAAJ The Edinburgh Annual Register for 1824]'', vol. 17, pts 1–3, 1825 (Edinburgh: Archibald Constable & Co.), p. 434</ref>
*Major-General Sir [[George Hall MacGregor|George Hall Macgregor]], KCH (born 1810), who served with the [[Bengal Army|Bengal Artillery]]. In 1845, he married Harriet (died 1873), daughter of Lieutenant-General Sir [[Thomas Whitehead (army officer)|Thomas Whitehead]], KCB, of [[Uplands Hall]] in [[Lancashire]].<ref>Hodson 1946, pp. 138, 140</ref><ref>''[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=_z89AQAAMAAJ Thom's Irish Alamanac and Official Directory of the United Kingdom and Ireland for the Year 1874]'', 31st ed., 1874 (Dublin: [[Alexander Thom (almanac editor)|Alexander Thom]]), p. 431</ref> In 1879, he married Flora Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev. Montagu Chudleigh Oxenden (died 1880), who was rector of [[Eastwell, Kent|Eastwell]] (1837–80) and [[Luddenham, Kent|Luddenham]] (1827–78) and the second son of the [[Oxenden baronets|7th Baronet Oxenden]].<ref>Foster, p. 479.</ref>
* Fanny Emily Macgregor, who died on 9 May 1839, aged 19.<ref>''[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=m0MFAAAAQAAJ The Oriental Herald and Colonial Intelligencer]'', vol. 4, 1839 (London: Madden & Co.), p. 130</ref>
* Eliza Macgregor, the second daughter, who married Sir [[Frederick James Halliday]], KCB, in 1835; he served as [[Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal]].<ref>''[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=FTVGAAAAcAAJ Alexander's East India and Colonial Magazine]'', vol. 9, January–June 1835 (London: R. Alexander), p. 604</ref><ref>Walford 1869, p. 448</ref>
* Fitz James Stewart Macgregor, who married Louisa Jane, daughter of John Wiltshire, of Shockerwick.<ref>[http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/12th-december-1846/19/births "Marriages"], ''The Spectator'', 12 December 1846, p. 19</ref>
* Frederick Sackville Macgregor, who died in 1846.<ref>[http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/25th-june-1853/19/births "Deaths"], ''The Spectator'', 25 June 1853, p. 19</ref>

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
* Debrett, John; Collen, George William (1840). [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=mvIDAAAAQAAJ ''The Baronetage of England''] (London: William Pickering).
* Foster, Joseph (1881). ''[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=uFE4AQAAMAAJ The Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage of the British Empire for 1881]'' (Westminster: Nichols and Sons, 1881).
* Hodson, V. C. P. (1946). ''List of the Officers of the Bengal Army: 1758–1834'' (London: Constable).
* MacGregor, Amelia Georgiana Murray (1901). ''[[iarchive:historyofclangre02macg|History of Clan Gregor]]'' (Edinburgh: William Brown).
* Mosley, Charles (2003). ''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage'', 107th ed., volume 2 (Wilmington, Delaware: Burke's Peerage & Gentry).
* [[Edward Walford|Walford, Edward]] (1869). ''[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=C9EkzFlBgz0C The County Families of the United Kingdom]'', 5th ed. (London: Robert Hardwicke).

{{DEFAULTSORT:Macgregor, John Alexander Paul}}
[[Category:1780 births]]
[[Category:1868 deaths]]
[[Category:British East India Company Army officers]]

John Alexander Paul Macgregor - Revision history

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