James Allan (1808-1880)

He was born at Saltcoats, Ayrshire, and joined the shipping business established by his father that under him and his brothers would become the famous Allan Shipping Line. Trading between Scotland and Canada, James acquired his practical and commercial experience as a mariner and from 1837 captained the barque "Arabian". By the time he retired from the sea, he had gained an invaluable knowledge in the construction and management of sea-going vessels and headed up the Glasgow office of J. & A. Allan where he gained a reputation for, "sound judgment and judicious personnel management. A modest man, he took little part in public affairs but did undertake the chairmanship of both the Clyde Pilot Board and the Clyde Lighthouse Trust". After his death, the Glasgow business of the Allan Line (that by then had branches in Liverpool, Montreal, Boston and Quebec too) was taken over by his brother, Alexander. He lived between Glasgow and his summer home at Skelmorlie and was survived by four sons and four daughters (listed). He was a strong advocate of the Temperance Movement.