William Allan, JP (1770 – July 11, 1853), was a Scottish Canadian banker, businessman and politician.
Life and career
Allan was born at "the Moss", near Huntly, Scotland. He came to the British province of Quebec around 1787 under the auspices of family friend John Forsyth (of Forsyth, Richardson & Company), and he settled at Niagara a year later. In 1795, he moved to York (now Toronto) as the agent for Forsyth, Richardson & Company.
Allan also served as a director of the Canada Company, which was formed to develop and sell property within the province. In 1834, he became governor of the British America Fire and Life Assurance Company. From 1829 to 1831, he was chairman of the Home District Council.
Allan was a friend of the Reverend John Strachan, and his close connections to the Family Compact led to an appointment on the Legislative Council in 1825. He became the first president of the Toronto Board of Trade in 1834. In 1836, he was named to the Executive Council for the province after the existing council resigned en masse to protest new Lieutenant Governor Francis Bond Head's autocratic style of government. Allan retired from the two councils after the union of Upper and Lower Canada in 1841.
Allan died in Toronto in 1853.