Background
He married, on 8 August 1808, Eglantyne Katherine Fordyce (d 9 January 1851), who was the daughter of John Fordyce of Ayton.
He married, on 8 August 1808, Eglantyne Katherine Fordyce (d 9 January 1851), who was the daughter of John Fordyce of Ayton.
He was an officer in the 2nd Dragoons and the Fife Light Horse. Captain on 9 July 1793 in the 2nd Dragoons Major in the Army the 1 January 1798 and Major in the 2nd Dragoons, 3 April 1801 Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army 25 September 1803. Lieutenant-Colonel in the 2nd Dragoons 22 August 1805.
Colonel in the Army the 1 January 1812 Major-General the 4 June 1814.
Honorary Colonel of the Fife Light Horse in 1831 until his death in 1837. Whilst Lieutenant-Colonel of the 2nd Dragoons he was, for the misconstruction of a regulation, subjected to a Court Martial, and sentenced to be cashiered.
The Prince Regent confirmed the sentence, but immediately after restored him to the functions of his commission, neither dishonorable or unworthy motives appearing in the charges preferred and established against him. When not living at his London residence of 14 Carlton House Terrace, General Balfour spent much of his time in Fife, Scotland.
He inherited Balbirnie House in Glenrothes from his father John Balfour and it had been in the family since the 1640s.
General Balfour was heavily involved in the adaptation of Balbirnie House in Glenrothes into a grand country mansion. and expansion of its lands including the acquisition of the Forthar estate from Doctor David Pitcairn in 1830. The present mansion is largely unchanged from General Balfour"s works in 1815 which incorporated much of the earlier house at its north education The architect was Richard Crichton who added the new apartments to the south of the old house and designed the two new grand neo-classical facades.
General Balfour extend the landscaped garden and moved the roads on the estate.
