Alexander Dirom

Lieutenant General Alexander Dirom of Luce and Mount Annan FRS FRSE (21 May 1757 – 6 October 1830) was a British military commander who saw overseas service in Barbados, Jamaica and India. He is remembered not only as a military commander but also as an agricultural improver, which earned him Fellowship of both the Royal Society of London and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His most notable contribution was to identify the importance of salt in animal diets, leading to the widespread use of "salt-licks" from around 1800. His views on the British corn trade also paved the way to the formulation of the Corn Laws in the early 19th century.

He was born in Banffshire the son of Alexander Dirom of Muiresk (Provost of Banff) and his wife, Ann Fotheringham.

He was appointed ensign in the 61st Regiment of Foot on 8 December 1778 and lieutenant in the 88th Foot 13 October 1779. He served with the regiment in Barbados (1780) and Jamaica (1780–84) as Military Secretary to the GoC and Major of Brigade. He exchanged into the 60th (Royal American) Regiment of Foot, later the Kings Royal Rifle Corps, as a Captain in 1781 and in 1783 went to St Domingo to negotiate an exchange of prisoners of war. In 1784 he returned to England. He was Aide-de-Camp to Major General Sir Archibald Campbell (Gov.Gen. and Commander in Chief at Madras) and subsequently served in India against Tippoo Sahib in the Third Mysore War.

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