The Portland daily press., 1871-08-07
Sir Hugh Allan,

The following notice of Sir Hugh Allan
one of the largest, as he is one of the most ell
terprising ship owners in the world, is taker
from the Montreal Witness, and will be inter
esting to our readers, to many of whom he il
well known. The Allan line of Steam. ships
which come to this city during halt the year
are not surpassed in strength, beauty and
good accommodations by any ships afoat.
Our sea king was born at Saltcoats, AYR.
shire, Scotland, on the 29th Sept. 1910, and is
now hearty and strong man OF go. He was
the son of Capt. Alexander Allan, o ship
master who traded for 30 years between the
Clyde and Montreal, and has, therefore, as it
were, been brought up to the sea. In 1924,
Captain Allan's family removed to Greenock
and in the spring of 1925, Hugh, at the age
OF only IA years, was, with his fathers con-
sent, entered as clerk in the eminent and
extensive shipping firm Of Messrs Allan, Kerr
q Co., of that place, and where he acquired
the groundwork of the shipping business
His father, however, who saw that large and
lucrative Canadian trade might yet be devel
Oped, sent Hugh in the spring of 1926 out to
this country. He arrived at Montreal the
2lst of May, 1926, and during the four sue.
ceeding years he was clerk in the dry-goods
establishment of Messrs. VIM. Kerr & Co.
st. Paul street, where he gained considerable
knowledge of the requirements of the Cana
dian markets. In the autumn of 1880 he left
Montreal, and for some months he travelled
in the United States and Upper Canada.
Leaving this city in November he returned to
Scotland, where be arrived in December, 1880;
he spent year at home, in familiarizing him
self with shipbulding and the management
OF the mercantile shipping to which he had
resolved to give his future energies. He
again left Scotland and returned in May 1881
to Montreal, and entered as clerk with Me.srs
James Millar & Co. then engaged as ship
builders, shipping and Commission merchants
1t was here that Mr.. Hugh Allan, then in the
2lst year, entered upon the pursuit of the
business most cOngenial to him, and where
he had ample scope for the Development Of
the shrewd business abilities and knowledge
of the requirements of the Canadian trade
which he possessed. So well did he utilize
his information and judgment that, after
iour years cerkship, he was admitted
(1S35) a partner of the firm, which
was then Miller, Edmonstone & Co.
and three years afterwards, on the death OF
Mr.. Mlllar, the business was continued after
1889 in the name of Edmonstone & Allan
In the time of the troubles in Canada in
1887 -38, Mr.. Allan turned out and served as a
During the succeeding years, Mr. Allan paid
an occasional visit to Scotland, an effort moi
then accomplished with the comfort and safe
ty OF the. present day. His firm during 1S4l
were employed by the Governor General tc
build several gunboats for the lakes and they
afterwards built sailing ships, barges and the
most powerful tug-boats on the ST. Lawrence
Mr.. Allan, on the 18th of September, 1874
was married to Matilda, second daughter Of
Lob Cs,otfl
1S45, Messrs. Edmonstone & Allan discontir-
ued the shipbuilding business and confined
themselves to the management of their YES
sells and increasing their shipping business
until 1851, when the proposals for line OF
screw steamers between the st. Lawrence
and Great Britain were negotiated.
The further history of Mr.. Allan from 1851
to this date is so identified with the progress
of the Allan Line of steamships that they
cannot we'll be separated. The difficulties
with which the Allan Line had at first to
contend were only overcome by the rare abil-
tiles and persevering energy OF Mr. Hugh AL
Ian, who also had previously received into
partnership his brother, Mr.. Andrew Allan
who was born at Saltc oats on 1st of December
1922, and who, after receiving liberal educa.
ton, came out to Canada, and has ever taken
an active part in conducting the business Of
the firm.
Mr.. Hugh Allan, in addition 10 the man.
agement of the Ocean Steamship line ba.
been the active promoter and president q
nearly every company, with the excention n
the G. T.R,. which has been organized !,
Lower Canada. and which. while being ,
profitable investment. has also been a grea
ublc improvement. In this way. Mr.. Allar
has been the means of developing the trade
capabilities and resources of Canada to de-
hof ie llv ruh ot
first glance one can hardly realize. He was
promoter of that most successful and national
undertaking the Montreal Telegraph Compa
nv, and he is also an original shareholder. and
is now Director, of the Atlantic Cable Tele