Allan Line
of Glasgow
c.1815 Allan Line was founded by captain Alexander Allan (1780-1854)
1838 The Scottish base of the operations of this shipping line was moved from Greenock to Glasgow, taking advantage of the increased river depth achieved by dredging. The ships were commanded by Captain Allan and those of his sons based in Britain.
The increase of their fleets enabled the Allans to establish a branch of their service at Liverpool, and an emergency there required the continued presence in the agency there of a member of the family, Bryce, who had been in command of one of the ships, withdrew from the sea and took charge of the Liverpool branch.
Captain Allan retired from active duty, but he lived to see the initial step towards substitution of steamers for sailing ships in the Canadian trade
Thus the five sons of Alexander Allan were settled at the terminal ports of their vessels.
1860s J. and A. Allan established a business in Glasgow for the shipping line connecting Glasgow and Montreal.
1897 The Allan Line Steamship Co was registered
1898 Allan Brothers and Co was incorporated as a limited company as managers of Allan Line.
1904 Commissioned the first 2 turbine-powered liners for regular transatlantic service - TSS Victorian and TSS Virginian
Pre-WWI The Allans sold their business to the Canadian Pacific Railway (later the Canadian Pacific Steamship Co).
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] Allan family