Alexander Irwin

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Lieutenant-General Alexander Irwin (or Irvine; died 1752) was a British Army officer.

On 1 October 1689 he entered the Army as an ensign in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Foot. [1] He was made adjutant of the 1st Battalion on 22 May 1694 [2] and promoted to captain on 2 October 1695, when serving with the regiment before Namur; [3] his commission was renewed in 1702. [1] In 1704 he was wounded at the Battle of Schellenberg, [1] and he was promoted to major on 3 August that year. [4] Irwin served as a brigade-major at the Battle of Blenheim, where he was again wounded, and was later present at Ramillies and Malplaquet. [5] He was granted brevet rank as a colonel on 1 March 1711. [6]

On 27 June 1737, after nearly forty-eight years' service in various parts of Europe, Irwin was appointed colonel of the 5th Regiment of Foot, [7] and following promotion to brigadier-general on 1 January 1743 [5] and major-general on 24 February 1744, [7] he held important commands on the staff in Ireland, [8] where he was also Lieutenant-Governor of Kinsale. He was promoted to lieutenant-general in 1748. [7]

Lieutenant-General Irwin may have been of the family of the Irvines of Drum. [9] By his wife Catherine he had an only son, General Sir John Irwin. [8] [9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Charles Dalton, English Army Lists and Commission Registers, vol. III (1896) pages 47-48, note 31.
  2. ↑ Charles Dalton, English Army Lists and Commission Registers, vol. IV (1898) page 22.
  3. ↑ Dalton (1898) page 70, note 12.
  4. ↑ Charles Dalton, English Army Lists and Commission Registers, vol. V (1902) page 51.
  5. 1 2 Dalton (1902) Part II, pages 2 and 7, note 48.
  6. ↑ Charles Dalton, English Army Lists and Commission Registers, vol. VI (1904) page 196.
  7. 1 2 3 Richard Cannon, Historical Record of the Fifth Regiment of Foot, or Northumberland Fusiliers (1838) page 112.
  8. 1 2 Dasent, Arthur Irwin (1892). "Irwin, John"  . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography . Vol. 29. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  9. 1 2 John Brooke, IRWIN (IRWINE, IRVINE), John (c.1728-88). in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1754-1790 (1964). Online version accessed 6 September 2012.