William Allan (English politician)

Sir William Allan DL (29 November 1837[1] – 28 December 1903) was a Scottish Liberal Party politician and engineer.

His father suffered financial failure, causing Allan to begin work as an apprentice at age 10.

His early life included crew experience on steamships which were at one stage gun-running to America during the American Civil War, and he wrote of a number of dangerous escapades during this time.

[3] He was knighted in the 1902 Coronation Honours,[4] receiving the accolade from King Edward VII at Buckingham Palace on 24 October that year.

[2] His son, Walter Beattie Allan, published a book which was an illustrated account of his life, for his grandchildren.