James Alexander

Born as the younger son of a Londonderry alderman, Alexander went to India as a young man where he made a fortune in the civil service of the East India Company. Both at Patna and Murshidabad, Alexander took what has been called 'a rich harvest out of the early revenue administration'.

He was successful and in 1772, in his early forties, he was able to return in Ireland with an immense fortune. One of the great landowners, he possessed estates worth around £600,000, including Caledon Castle, which he purchased and improved. From 1775 to 1790 he was a MP for Londonderry.

In 1790 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Caledon and in 1793 was created 1st Earl of Caledon. At time of his death his fortune was worth around £700,000, or just over £3.2bn in 2010's terms.