!SOURCE: Rev. Dr. Donald MacKinnon and Alick Morrison, THE MACLEODS:
THE GENEALOGY OF A CLAN, Section III, "MacLeod Cadet Families",
Edinburgh, The Clan MacLeod Society, 1970, pp. 234, 235.
Alexander Charles MacLeod was born in Madras and educated in the
Endowed Grammar School in Cheltenham. At 16 1/2, he entered
University College, London, and was registered in the Faculty of Medicine
from 1835-39. He qualified M.F.C.S. (Eng.) in 1840 and followed his
father to India, where he was nominated into the service of the East
India Company by its director and chairman, Sir James Law Lushington,
1779-1859. He was gazetted Assistant Surgeon on 8th March 1841 and
arrived at Madras on 4th July that year.
In his first two years he performed temporary duty under the
Superintending Surgeon. In 1844 he was back in Europ on sick leave: his
stay lasted 5 years. Like his father, he joined the Oriental Club in
London and worked on a treatise entitle STATE PAPER TAXATION: WITH
AN ANALYSIS OF THE NATURE AND RELATIONS OF GOLD, PAPER AND CREDIT,
with was published in 1853.
After his first marriage to Miss Neilina Marion MacKellar (born January
1827) he returned to Madras and was posted to the 43rd Regiment and
later to the 46th Regiment of the Madras Native Infantry. In August
1849 he was directed to afford medical aid to the Brigadier Commanding
Madras Troops and Staff at Jubbulpore and here his wife died, one year
after her marriage.
On 10th February 1851, he married again Sophia Maria Purves, daughter of
Major-General Henry Prior and his first wife Sophia Hester Shaw. One
of the witnesses, incidentally was Brigadier Donald MacLeod, second son
of Colonel Donald MacLeod of Colbost, Skye. In 1852 Alexander Charles
MacLeod was Assistant Surgeon to the 47th Regiment of the Madras Native
Infantry.
During the Indian Mutiny 1857-1858, he saw muh active service and
afforded medical aid to the sick and wounded at Futtpore. In all 28
medical officers were killed all on the Bengal Establishment. On the
26th October 1859 he became full Surgeon to the 47th Regiment and on
8th March 1861 he was promoted Surgeon-Major. Along with his wife
and family he returned on furlough to England, residing at Beeston, near
Nottingham. He set about earning new additional qualifications such as
Licentiate of the King''s and Queen''s College of Physicians in Ireland and
the diploma of M.R.C.P. (Lond.). Of 290 Medical Officers on the Madras
Establishment, only seven had this latter distinction. He also began to
write his book on "Acholic Diseases, comprising Jaundice, Diarrhoea,
Dysentery and Cholera", which was published in London in 1866. he
returned to India in 1862 and his Regiment, the 47th Native Infantry
being disbanded, he now held Medical Charge of the 102nd Foot and later
the 2nd Madras Light Cavalry.
He was granted sick leave in 1865 and returned to England. On 10th
August that year, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of
Surgeons of England. At this time he published his article "On the
Pathology and Treatment of Asiati Cholera" in the LANCET. His second wife
died at Montagu Street, Merylebone, and now he married for the
third time Annie (born 26th December 1847), daughter of Henry Golland
(1818-90) of Newark-upon-Trent and his wife Rebecca Staniland
(1816-1900). In March 1868, he was in Medical Charge of the 2nd Native
Infantry stationed at Waltair, Northern Circars, Madras. He was posted
to the Hyderabad Subsidiary Force in October 1869. His wife, now in
delicated health, returned to England with her 3 young children and an
ayan in January 1871. Surgeon MacLeod followed her at the end of the
year and for a time, they stayed at Nunwich Hall, near Penrith. He returned
again to India in 1872 and was attached to the Deputy Inspector-General''s
Department of the Hyderabad Subsidiary Force. He was now the senior of
the 33 Surgeons-Major on the Madras
Establishment, the only one iwth the F.R.C.S. (Eng.) and was due for
promotion to Deputy Inspector-General (one of six). He returned hom to
England in May 1873 and retired at the age of 55 in February 1874, with
the rank of Surgeon-Major and the relative rank of Lieutenant-Colonel,
Madras Army, after nearly 33 years'' service with a pension of £550 per
annum.
From about 1876, he lived at Yockleton Hall near Shrewsbury but later
moved to London where his 3 young sons were entered into the Medical
School of Westminster Hospital. Finally he took a house in South
Kensington. On 20th August 1912 he married his fourth wife, Mary
daughter of Mr. James North. He was aged 93 years and she was 57. He
died here on 20th August 1914 at the age of 95 years and was buried in
Kensal Green Cemetery.
Surgeon-Major Alexander Charles MacLeod married, firstly, Neilina
MacKellar without issue.
He married, secondly, Sophia Maria Purves Prior, with issue.