Born in Rothiemay, to parents Alexander Allan and Janet Stuart.  Baptised 7th November 1802.

Married Anne Robb daughter of James Robb, farmer, at Rothiemay on the 19th May 1825.

Died  26th July 1876.  Came to reside in Portsoy in 1846 when he bought the bone mill and also became tenant of the meal mill.  Besides the heavy business in grain and manures, his firm became largely engaged as shipowners, herring curers, and as coal, wood, and pavement merchants.  Mr. Allan's son Alexander, a partner in the business, predeceased his father on the 15th February 1875.

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Mr Allan's eldest son was the Rev James Allan.  While he was brought up in the Free Church, where his father was an elder, James was a minister of the Church of Scotland, serving at Grange, Keith and Marnoch.  He was awarded an honorary Doctorate from Aberdeen University.  His wife was Cameron Jack, a native of Portsoy;  her father was a merchant in the town.

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Banffshire Reporter Friday July 28th. 1876:  -

Death of John Allan

          It is this week our sorrowful duty to have to record another heavy blow and sore bereavement which has fallen to the lot of our small community.   At half past eleven o'clock on the night of Wednesday last (26th. July), our justly esteemed townsman, Mr. John Allan, Burnside, calmly breathed his last.  The intimation of his death, though not unlooked for, as it was generally known that he was slowly sinking under the effects of the agonising disease of which he was the victim, will cause a pang of deep regret to be felt over a very wide district of the country, for of him it might with perfect truth have been said, that it had been given to very few to live more highly respected or to die more deeply regretted, even although he had reached the ripe old age of 73 years - an age which but the fewest number survive.

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          Of Mr. John Allan it may be most truly and without ostentation said that we shall never see his like again.  He belonged to an age and a class of whom but the fewest number remain until this day.  In him was most fully exemplified the saying that "an honest man's the noblest work of God."  His maxim in business always was that "honesty is the best policy," and in his many business transactions, the clever man of sharp practice would have gained no more than would have be fully vouchsafed to the most innocent and simple-minded child.  Nor did he lose his reward, for to this sterling regard for truth, honesty, and upright dealing may be attributed the steady increase and expansion to the business he conducted until it reached a magnitude which even he himself could never even so much as dreamed or anticipated.

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          Mr. Allan was a native of Rothiemay, and in his earlier years was engaged in agricultural pursuits, as probably his father had been before him.  He began his business career by purchasing small quantities of grain, on commission, for the late Mr. Allan, baker in Banff.  Soon after he commenced to buy more largely on his own account; but though he did the principal part of his business - more especially as regards storing and shipment - at Portsoy, he for a good few years continued to reside on his farm at Barnethills, in Rothiemay.  In this way he was engaged from the year 1833, when he first began to buy for Mr. Allan, until the year 1846, in which year he came to reside in Portsoy; but even then he may have regarded Rothiemay as his home, as for a time his amiable partner in life, Mrs. Allan, who died some years ago, very deeply mourned by all who had the pleasure of knowing her, still continued to reside there.

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          But the steady increase of his business here finally induced him to become a permanent resident in the town.   About the time he did so he became the proprietor of the bone mill, which had been shortly before started by Mr. John Smith, and also tenant of the meal mill.  Since then his firm have carried on a large manure business, his well known character for honesty being everywhere accepted as a sure warranty of the purity of his manures, which have upon all occasions found a ready marker, and very deservedly continue to do so.  After settling in Portsoy, his transactions in grain would seem to have greatly increased, as, year by year, in the evidence taken in striking the fiars prices for the county, it was seen that in amount, more especially as regards oats, they exceeded those of all other grain merchants in the county put together.  Besides their very heavy business in grain and manures, the firm have been largely engaged as shipowners, herring curers, and as coal, wood, and pavement merchants.   So great was the expansion of the business,  that a good many years ago Mr, Allan was induced to adopt as his partner and assistant in conducting it, his son, Mr. Alex. Allan, whose un-looked for death, on the 15th. of February last, caused such universal and deep-felt sorrow.   In short, it may be truly said that, but for the business carried on by the firm, the trade of the port would have sunk to the level of that of any ordinary fishing village.

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          Mr. Allan although he, like many of his contemporaries, had derived but few educational advantages, was a man of sound judgement and good practical knowledge, and was, besides, possessed of that best of all education, good common sense, combined with sterling honesty of purpose.  He was a Justice of the Peace, but even after he had attained to a position of affluence, he never ostentatiously thrust himself forward in public matters, but always took a lively and intelligent interest in all that related to the good of the town.  In the social circle he was much and deservedly beloved alike by rich and poor, for to the latter he was always ready to give a helping hand in the hour of need; while those with whom he was more intimately connected on all occasions found his house the peaceful abode of unostentatious hospitality.  He as an elder of the Free Church, which in him has lost a true, able, and valued friend; but although following the dictates of his conscience, he never intolerantly disagreed with the religious views of others, and his eldest son, the Rev. James Allan, is now the much respected minister of the Established Church at Keith.  His family consisted of two sons and three daughters, two of whom - Mr. Alexander and Mrs. Paterson - are no more; and three of whom - the Rev. James, Mrs. Imlach, and Mrs. Cowie (Newcastle) - still survive, and were all with him in his last moments.

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          It is arranged that his remains, shall be interred, beside those of Mrs. Allan, in the churchyard of his native parish of Rothiemay, on Tuesday next; and doubtless there will be many who will embrace the opportunity of paying a last tribute of respect to the memory of one so much and so justly respected and so deeply regretted.