author
Duncan McGregor
1787–1881
Best known for a vivid survivor’s account of the burning of the East Indiaman Kent, this Scottish soldier turned a moment of disaster into a gripping tale of courage, discipline, and survival at sea. His writing has endured because it feels immediate, personal, and remarkably calm in the face of catastrophe.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in 1787, Duncan MacGregor was a Scottish army officer who later became General Sir Duncan MacGregor, K.C.B. The record most clearly linked to him today is A Narrative of the Loss of the Kent, East Indiaman, by Fire, in the Bay of Biscay, on the 1st March, 1825, a firsthand account of one of the nineteenth century’s most dramatic sea disasters.
That book began as the testimony of a passenger and survivor. First published in 1825 and later reissued with his name attached, it stands out for its plain, steady storytelling: MacGregor describes the fire aboard the Kent, the conduct of the soldiers and passengers, and the desperate effort to save lives. The result reads both as adventure narrative and as a record of endurance under extreme pressure.
He died in 1881. Although not widely remembered as a literary figure, MacGregor’s reputation survives through this single powerful work, which continues to interest readers drawn to maritime history, eyewitness writing, and true stories of survival.