Claud Alexander

Claud Henry Alexander was born in Boulogne, France, on 31 May, 1856. He took and passed the Army Entrance Exam in 1874 and joined the 99th (Duke of Edinburgh's) Regiment in 1878.

In 1878, the regiment went to Natal and fought in the Anglo-Zulu War (1879). He was involved at Inyezane and in the Battle of Gingindlovu. Claud came back to England in 1880, then returned to South Africa briefly in 1881 before being sent to India, where he served until 1896.

Claud was promoted to Captain of the Duke of Edinburgh’s (Wiltshire Regiment) in 1881 and to Major in 1894.

Having married in 1896, he retired from the Army in December 1898.

Claud was a fine amateur rider, winning, in total, 40 races. The first two of these came on Friday, 31 March 1876, at Oatridge, which stands fourteen miles from Edinburgh. Here he plundered the first two races - the Lothians' Cup on Rattle (which won in a canter at 6-1) and the King's Dragoon Guards' Regimental Lightweight Challenge Cup on Vivandiere which, by contrast, scraped home by a head. The meeting was run in constant, torrential rain.

His best season came in 1883 when notching up 11 wins. (It is not possible to be completely certain of accuracy as there was another Mr Alexander riding at the same time to whom some wins might be attributable). 

Claud Alexander died at Weeks Gore, Winchester, on March 19 1915, and was buried at West Hill Cemetery, Winchester.