Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Dirom, Alexander
DIROM, ALEXANDER (d. 1830), lieutenant-general, was the son of Alexander Dirom of Muiresk, Banffshire, by his wife, Ann Fotheringham (Burke, Landed Gentry, 1882, i. 461). His name occurs in the ‘Army List’ for the first time as a lieutenant in the 88th foot of 13 Oct. 1779. In 1790 he was acting as deputy adjutant-general of the forces engaged in the second Mysore war, which was brought to an end by the signing of the treaty of Seringapatam on 8 March 1792. During the voyage home he drew up ‘A Narrative of the Campaign in India, which terminated the war with Tippoo Sultan in 1792. With maps and plans, &c.’ [and an appendix], 4to, London, 1793. On 7 Aug. 1793 he married Magdalen, daughter of Robert Pasley of Mount Annan, Dumfriesshire, by whom he had a family (Scots. Mag lv. 412). He died at Mount Annan on 6 Oct. 1830 (Army List, November 1830, p. 88). Besides the above-mentioned work, Dirom published: 1. ‘An Inquiry into the Corn Laws and Corn Trade of Great Britain, and their influence on the prosperity of the Kingdom. … To which is added a Supplement, by Mr. W. Mackie, &c.’ (appendix), two parts, 4to, Edinburgh, 1796. 2. ‘Plans for the Defence of Great Britain and Ireland,’ 8vo, Edinburgh, 1797. 3. ‘Account of the Improvements on the Estate of Mount Annan,’ 8vo, Edinburgh, 1811. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society on 10 July 1794, and was also a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and a member of the Wernerian Society of the same city.
[Army Lists.]