General James Balfour 1743-1823

The third child born to Ann Ramsay and George Balfour, James, opted for the Army. He joined the 83rd Regiment on 22 March 1762, and sailed to India, where he served with distinction and was appointed General in 1809.

He had inherited the Whitehill Estate from his brothers. His brother George was his heir, and after his death, his sister’s husband, William Wardlaw inherited it. William passed it to their son Robert, who promptly left the Navy to manage it.

The Ramsay papers include a pocket notebook that the teenage James used to keep meticulous accounts during his time in London. He travelled there in March 1761 with a servant, David Tyrie, and four recruits, to obtain his commission. His accounts show that he set out with £210 but his outlay on regimental uniform, kit, food and clothes amounted to considerably more. He also purchased books, violin strings, and music. He travelled around, and sent items home, as a shopping list reminding him to collect a French verb book and buy some acorns and beech mast and other tree seeds with a barrel of German acorns and some English Elm seeds, indicates.

The notebook appears to have been among personal effects that were retained after his death. A number of pages have been removed.

Other items in the notebook:

2 cavalry rotation schedules 1767-77

Shopping list for regiment, plus violin and music

Note of things left in his box, including harness and fiddle

Returned envelope, addressed to Dick Nemo Esq., Royal Cresc. Edinburgh

A court plaister in its wrapping