Andrew Allan (shipowner)

Andrew Allan
Born	1822-12-01 Saltcoats, Ayrshire, Scotland
Died	1901-06-27
Occupation(s)	Financier, businessman
Known for	Leadership of Allan Line Royal Mail Steamers, president of Merchant's Bank of Canada, involvement in railway companies

Andrew Allan (1 December 1822 – 27 June 1901) was a Canadian financier and businessman originally from Scotland. In 1882, he took over the leadership of the Allan family's Canadian ventures from his brother, Sir Hugh Allan, overseeing enterprises such as the Allan Line Royal Mail Steamers, banking institutions, and railway companies. Additionally, he held the position of Master of Foxhounds for the Montreal Hunt.

Early life

Andrew Allan was born in 1822 in Saltcoats, Ayrshire, as the fourth son of Captain Alexander Allan and Jean Crawford. His father established the Allan Shipping Line in 1819, which focused on moving passengers and cargo between Scotland and Montreal. After completing his education in Greenock, Andrew entered the family shipping firm, J & A Allan, headquartered in Glasgow. Due to rapid expansion in Montreal, he was dispatched there to oversee the company's operations.

Shipping

Andrew’s career began as a clerk at Edmonstone, Allan & Co., where his brother Hugh held a partnership stake. By 1846, Andrew became a partner himself, and from 1863 the company was known as H & A Allan of Montreal. Together with Hugh, he played a significant role in founding the Montreal Ocean Steamship Company in 1854. By 1857, full ownership rested with the family, who utilized iron-hulled steamships equipped with screw propellers to secure British government contracts for mail delivery and subsidies for immigrant transportation to Canada.

While Hugh primarily propelled the firm’s expansion and diversification, Andrew provided essential support. After Hugh’s passing in 1882, Andrew took charge during a period when the company reached its zenith in global cargo and passenger services throughout the late 19th century. Confronted with capital requirements for renewing the fleet by 1897, he directed the transformation of the family partnership into a limited liability entity named Allan Line Steamship Company Limited, based in Glasgow, serving as its chairman. Over his career, Andrew was a prominent representative of the family’s shipping interests and played a key role on the Montreal Harbour Commission from 1873 until his death, including several years as chairman.

Banking

Together with Hugh Allan, Andrew co-founded the Merchant's Bank of Canada in 1861, which became a cornerstone of the family's financial holdings. The bank experienced substantial growth across Ontario and western Canada, emerging as a major financial institution nationally. Andrew remained on its board from its founding until 1883 and then served as president until he died. Under his guidance, the bank pursued expansion into western regions, increasing its assets by approximately one-third despite experiencing declines in net earnings.

The bank also provided financing for many of the Allans’ personal ventures, particularly investments tied to Manitoba and the North Western Railway. Nevertheless, persistent outstanding loans to family enterprises restricted the bank’s capacity to invest more heavily in secure government bonds.

Railways

Although successful in shipping and banking sectors, Andrew Allan faced setbacks with involvement in the Manitoba and North Western Railway Company of Canada. The family committed significant capital to this venture; Andrew assumed the presidency by 1892. Despite vigorous lobbying efforts, by 1894 the railway defaulted on interest payments and entered into receivership. A conflict over control emerged between bondholders and the Allan family. Andrew played a relatively minor role during negotiations as younger family members increasingly managed affairs. Following litigation in 1898, control was transferred to a court-appointed receiver representing bondholders’ interests. In 1900, Andrew’s nephew, H. Montagu Allan, arranged for transferring the railway lease from Portage la Prairie to Yorkton to the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Additional business ventures

Andrew Allan held leadership roles in multiple manufacturing firms, including the Montreal Rolling Mills Company, Cornwall Woollen Manufacturing, Dominion Oil Cloth, Canadian Rubber Company, the Windsor Hotel of Montreal, and the Montreal Lumber Company. In 1883, he co-established the Citizens Gas Company of Montreal, which ultimately failed to outcompete the Montreal Gas Company. He also occupied a directorship at Confederation Life and took over as president of the Montreal Telegraph Company in 1882, following his brother Hugh Allan.

Personal life

From 1872 until 1901, Andrew Allan served as chairman of St. Paul's Church (Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul), elevating it to become Canada’s most affluent Presbyterian congregation through his leadership and financial contributions. He was a lifelong member of Montreal’s St Andrew's Society and held an officer position in the Royal Light Infantry. Beginning in 1862 and continuing until his passing, he led the Montreal Sailors Institute, an organization dedicated to encouraging sobriety among seafarers—supported predominantly by donations from the Allan family alongside sailors’ own collections.

His charitable efforts also included a lifetime governorship at the Montreal Protestant House of Industry and Refuge starting in 1863. Additionally, he was Master of the Montreal Hunt during the 1870s and maintained interests in both floriculture and equestrian pursuits.

While often eclipsed by his brother Hugh’s dynamic business acumen, Andrew successfully steered the Allan Line during its height and restructured family enterprises to ensure smooth succession by his sons and nephews throughout North America and Europe. He rests alongside his family at Mount Royal Cemetery in Montreal.

Family

Andrew Allan wed Isabella Ann Smith in 1848; she was the daughter of John Smith, a well-known dry goods merchant in Montreal. Isabella's sister Caroline had married Andrew’s brother Hugh Allan in 1844. The Allans’ home, Iononteh, was a distinguished greystone mansion located in Montreal’s Golden Square Mile, originally constructed in 1865 and expanded in 1873. Apart from this residence, Andrew owned a farm near Lachine, Quebec. The couple had eight children:

• Bessie Rae Allan (born 1848), who married Captain William Henry Benyon of the 23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
• Nina (Jean Crawford) Allan (1851–1922), who first married William Mackenzie of Montreal; after their divorce, she remarried Frederick Henderson Brydges and moved to Winnipeg.
• John Smith Allan, who married Adelaide Stuart Gault, daughter of Hon. Matthew Hamilton Gault; they had six children including Lady Marler. In 1892, he eloped with Edith Montagu Hebden to San Francisco.
• Hugh Andrew Allan (1857–1938), who managed the Allan Line's Boston office from 1887 to 1892 and later served as chairman in London between 1909 and 1917; he married Margaret Rae, and their daughter Rachel wed Major George Bevil Hastings Wheler.
• Andrew Alexander Allan (1860–1919), vice-president of the Allan Line based in Montreal; father to Doris Cowans.
• James Bryce Allan (1861–1945), K.C., educated at Rugby School, Oxford University, and Laval University; senior partner at Campbell, Meredith & Allan law firm representing family interests; died unmarried in England.
• William Rae Allan (1864–1926), who acted as shipping agent for the Allan Line in Winnipeg.
• Isabel Brenda Allan (1867–1959), married Sir Vincent Meredith; they had no children.