Alexander Balmain

Alexander Balmain (1740 – June 10, 1821) was an American Episcopal minister and teacher in Winchester, Virginia. He ministered Christ Episcopal Church, as well as serving as rector of Frederick Parish, for four decades, the longest of any rector in the parish. He was married to a cousin of President James Madison, whose marriage to Dolley Payne Todd he would also go on to consecrate.

Originally from Scotland, and trained as a Presbyterian, Balmain traveled to Virginia to become teacher to the children of Richard Henry Lee. He was later ordained as a minister and served under the rector of Augusta Parish at Trinity Episcopal Church in Staunton. On the eve of the American Revolutionary War, he chaired the local Committee of Safety and drafted the Augusta Resolves. During the war, he served as a chaplain under Peter Muhlenberg. After the war, he settled in Winchester where he became rector of Frederick Parish, with William Meade as his understudy.

Apart from his duties in the clergy, Balmain also helped George Washington map the most convenient route from the Potomac to the Ohio.^[1]

Balmain's ledger still exists and contains genealogical information from his time, such as marriage and funeral records.