General Sir James Edward Alexander Kt KStJ CB KLS FRSE FRGS[11] (16 October 1803 – 2 April 1885) was a Scottish traveller, writer and soldier in the British Army.

[12] In 1853, he obtained Westerton House in Bridge of Allan, built in 1803 by Dr John Henderson of the East India Company (a cousin and friend).

[12] He died in Ryde on the Isle of Wight but is buried in Old Logie Churchyard just east of his home town of Stirling.

[17] On behalf of the Royal Geographical Society (which he had co-founded), he conducted an exploring expedition into Namaqualand and Damaraland, lasting from 8 September 1836 to 21 September 1837,[18][19] in the course of which he collected rock specimens, pelts of rare animals, bird skins, weapons and implements from the Herero and Nama, as well as drawing maps of the region and making a first list of Herero words.

[20][21] Subsequently, John Arrowsmith (cartographer) made use of his data to draw a map accompanying his book of the expedition.