author
Duncan McGregor
1787–1881
Best known for his vivid account of one of the 19th century’s most dramatic sea disasters, this Scottish-born British Army officer turned personal experience into a gripping survival narrative. His writing carries the urgency of eyewitness testimony and the steady tone of someone used to command under pressure.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Duncan MacGregor (1787–1881), often styled General Sir Duncan MacGregor, was a British Army officer as well as an author. He is chiefly remembered in book history for A Narrative of the Loss of the Kent East Indiaman, his firsthand account of the 1825 fire and wreck of the Kent in the Bay of Biscay.
That book began as a letter to a friend and was republished in later editions, which helps explain why it continued to find readers long after the event itself. Its appeal lies in the combination of eyewitness detail, maritime danger, and a calm, humane voice shaped by military experience.
Reliable biographical detail beyond his military title, dates, and connection to The Loss of the Kent East Indiaman was limited in the sources I could confirm here, so this overview keeps to those well-supported facts.