Alexander Gerard

Alexander Gerard (17 February 1792 – 15 December 1839) was a Scottish army officer in India, and an early surveyor and explorer of the Himalayas. Early life He was born in Aberdeen on 17 February 1792. His father was Gilbert Gerard, a theological writer; his grandfather was Alexander Gerard, a church minister and academic. He was brother of James Gilbert Gerard, a surgeon in India, and Patrick Gerard, a writer on geographical science in India. In 1808 he graduated from King's College, Aberdeen, and in that year he received a Bengal cadetship. He was appointed ensign in the 13th Bengal Native Infantry on 9 September 1808. Surveyor He was employed in the survey of the route from Delhi to Lahore in 1812. In 1814 he was promoted to lieutenant, and he surveyed the Saharanpur district, which he completed in 1819. He was surveyor of the Narmada valley in 1825, and surveyor in Malwa and Rajputana in 1826 and 1827.