Lieutenant-General Alexander Irvine or Irwin (died 1752) was a British Army officer. On 1 October 1689 he entered the Army as an

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diff ...

in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Foot.Charles Dalton, ''English Army Lists and Commission Registers''
vol. III
(1896) pages 47-48, note 31. He was made

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

of the 1st Battalion on 22 May 1694 and promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on 2 October 1695, when serving with the regiment before Namur;Dalton (1898) page 70, note 12. his commission was renewed in 1702. In 1704 he was wounded at the

Battle of Schellenberg The Battle of Schellenberg, also known as the Battle of Donauwörth, was fought on 2 July 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. The engagement was part of the Duke of Marlborough's campaign to save the Habsburg capital of Vienna from ...

, and he was promoted to major on 3 August that year. Irwin served as a

brigade-major A brigade major was the chief of staff of a brigade in the British Army. They most commonly held the rank of major, although the appointment was also held by captains, and was head of the brigade's "G - Operations and Intelligence" section dire ...

at the

Battle of Blenheim The Battle of Blenheim (german: Zweite Schlacht bei Höchstädt, link=no; french: Bataille de Höchstädt, link=no; nl, Slag bij Blenheim, link=no) fought on , was a major battle of the War of the Spanish Succession. The overwhelming Allied v ...

, where he was again wounded, and was later present at Ramillies and Malplaquet.Dalton (1902) Part II, pages 2 and 7, note 48. He was granted

brevet rank In many of the world's military establishments, a brevet ( or ) was a warrant giving a commissioned officer a higher rank title as a reward for gallantry or meritorious conduct but may not confer the authority, precedence, or pay of real rank. ...

as a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

on 1 March 1711.Charles Dalton, ''English Army Lists and Commission Registers''
vol. VI
(1904) page 196. 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, and following promotion to

brigadier-general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

on 1 January 1743 and

major-general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

on 24 February 1744, he held important commands on the staff in Ireland, where he was also

Lieutenant-Governor of Kinsale The governor of Kinsale was a military officer who commanded the garrison at Kinsale and Charles Fort in County Cork. The office became a sinecure and in 1833 was to be abolished from the next vacancy. List of governors of Kinsale and Charles ...

. He was promoted to

lieutenant-general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

in 1748.

Richard Cannon Richard Cannon (1779–1865) was a compiler of regimental records for the British Army. Career On 1 January 1802 Cannon was appointed to a clerkship at the Horse Guards, and attained the grade of first-clerk in 1803. Under a Horse Guards order ...

,
Historical Record of the Fifth Regiment of Foot, or Northumberland Fusiliers
' (1838) page 112. Lieutenant-General Irwin may have been of the family of the

Irvine Irvine may refer to: Places On Earth Antarctica *Irvine Glacier * Mount Irvine (Antarctica) Australia * Irvine Island *Mount Irvine, New South Wales Canada * Irvine, Alberta *Irvine Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom *Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scot ...

s of Drum.John Brooke
IRWIN (IRWINE, IRVINE), John (c.1728-88).
in ''

The History of Parliament The History of Parliament is a project to write a complete history of the United Kingdom Parliament and its predecessors, the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of England. The history will principally consist of a prosopography, in ...

: the House of Commons 1754-1790'' (1964). Online version accessed 6 September 2012. By his wife Catherine he had an only son, General Sir John Irwin.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Irwin, Alexander 1752 deaths British Army lieutenant generals Royal Scots officers Royal Northumberland Fusiliers officers British military personnel of the Nine Years' War British military personnel of the War of the Spanish Succession Year of birth unknown