Alexander Jardine

Alexander Jardine (died 1799) was a Scottish artillery officer, spy, and writer on travel and politics. Life He was an illegitimate son of Sir Alexander Jardine, 4th Baronet. He entered the Royal Artillery as a private matross in March 1755, by Forbes Macbean. He was transferred to the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, as a cadet in June 1757. He passed out of the academy as a lieutenant-fireworker on 8 February 1758. Jardine saw service in several theatres of the Seven Years' War, including the Raid on Rochefort, the Invasion of Martinique (1759) and the Invasion of Guadeloupe (1759), and in 1762 was in Gibraltar for its defence. His subsequent career was as second lieutenant on 11 September 1762, first lieutenant on 28 May 1766, and captain-lieutenant on 28 April 1773. For four years from 1776, Jardine acted as a British intelligence agent in Spain. He was transferred to one of the Royal Artillery's invalid companies, on 1 November 1776. He became captain in 1777, brevet-major in 1783, and brevet lieutenant-colonel in 1793. On his return to England around 1780 he endured financial hardship, and appealed to highly placed friends. In 1787 he was in Jersey, a guest of Henry Seymour Conway, the Governor.