Rising from shoemaker to shipping magnate in little more than thirty years, Allan retired in 1839 having made a fortune and created a transatlantic dynasty.

He is recognised as one of the major contributors to Scotland's commercial interests in the early 19th century, and to the establishment of the Firth of Clyde as an international centre of shipping.

During the Napoleonic Wars his brig Jean – so named for his wife – held the record for the fastest crossing between the Firth of Clyde and Quebec City.

[4] Sandy Allan had expected to become a carpenter, but after his father's death when he was twelve, he was apprenticed to a shoemaker in Kilmarnock, working ten hours a day, except on Sundays.

Vessels such as his were usually put under the protection of an armed convoy to ensure their safety, but Captain Allan grew impatient with the delay that these escorts added to his voyages.

It was Allan's responsibility as captain of the ship to both navigate across the ocean and sell the cargo on arrival, before purchasing Canadian supplies to be sold back to dry goods merchants in Scotland.

Captain Allan soon gained a reputation as an adept trader, and he was frequently known to have sold his entire cargo within a few hours of his arrival in Greenock from Montreal.

Although Glasgow furnished most of Allan's outward cargoes, the goods were transferred from there to Greenock, which was the port of loading and discharge for Canadian traders.

The first voyage of the Arabian was made from Greenock to Canada in June 1837, and on her return to the Firth of Clyde she proceeded to Glasgow, which was now possible as a result of the recently undertaken dredging operations.

Hugh possessed in a high degree the energy of his father, and in Montreal he speedily came to the front, becoming, while yet still young, a partner, and ultimately the head of the firm.

The increase of their fleets enabled the Allans to establish a branch of their service at Liverpool and a continued presence in the agency was needed there.

[7] He did live to see the initial step which ended in the substitution of steamships for sailing ships in the Allan's Canadian trade, but it needed the courage and skill of the second generation to effect the change.