Alexander Carlyle MA DD FRSE (26 January 1722—28 August 1805) was a Scottish church leader, and autobiographer.

He was born on 26 January 1722 in the manse at Cummertrees the son of Rev Willam Carlyle, the local minister.

He had spent the night in his father's nearby manse, but missed the battle itself as it was over by the time he got dressed.

[5] In February 1748, under patronage of the Duke of Buccleuch, he was presented to the congregation of Inveresk and was formally ordained there in August 1748.

In 1756 he incurred the anger of the Presbytery of Dalkeith and the General Assembly for his involvement in the editing of John Home's Douglas and in its theatre production in Edinburgh.

Carlyle's autobiography recalled the Porteous Riots of 1736, and his friendship with Adam Smith, David Hume, Charles Townshend and John Home, the dramatist, for witnessing the performance of whose tragedy Douglas he was censured in 1757.