Alexander Allanach
Alexander Allanach
Parents
- Father – John Allanach
- Mother – Helen Taylor
Birth
Alexander Allanach was baptised on 16 August 1844 in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, to Helen Taylor, age 24, and John Allanach, age 26.
Siblings
Alexander had one brother and six sisters.
- Eliza Allanach (born 1842)
- Mary Symmers Allanach (born 1847)
- Helen Allanach (born 1849)
- Margaret Allanach (born 1852)
- John Lees Allanach (born 1855)
- Helenora Allanach (born 1861)
- Jessie Taylor Allanach (born 1867)
Marriage
Alexander Allanach married Ann Jane Hanlon in New Zealand on 5 June 1877 when he was 32 years old.
Children
It is not thought that Alexander had children.
Death
Alexander Allanach died on 24 May 1897 in Gisborne when he was 52 years old.
Life Story
1844
Alexander was baptised at St Nicholas, Aberdeen on 16th August 1844. It shows John was working as a baker.
1851
Alexander is living at 89 Virginia Street, St Clements, Aberdeen with mother Helen Taylor (baker’s wife) and sister Helen (aged 2). There is extensive information on Virginia Street in the 1800s here.
1859
Alexander is indentured in May 1859 to serve on the ‘Jane Boyd’ ship in the Merchant navy for a period of 4 years. The name of the man he is indentured to is not clear but resides in Aberdeen. There is an excellent journal from 1855 that details what it was like to sail aboard from Jane Boyd as a passenger from Aberdeen to Canada here.
1861
Alexander resides at 9 Diamond Street, Aberdeen, with mother Helen (‘wife of a steward of a vessel’), and brother John. He is stated as being an apprentice seaman.
1862
On 13th July 1862 Alexander arrives in Sydney, Australia from London as part of the crew of the ‘Centurion’. He is shown as an Apprentice.
1863
On 10th May 1863 Alexander arrives in Sydney, Australia from London as part of the crew of the ‘Centurion’.
1863
Alexander obtains his second mate certificate on 9th November 1863. It is issued in London but confirms his address as 42 Union Terrace Aberdeen.
1864
Alexander arrives from London into Sydney on April 10th 1864.
The Centurion was built in 1850 in Aberdeen
1864
11 May – Adverts appear for the Jehu such as this one in the Argus (Melbourne, Victoria).
1864
Alexander arrives back in Sydney on 10 November 1864 abord the ‘Jehu’ from the Peruvian city of Callao. He served under Captain George Liddle.
We have a picture of Captain George Liddle and a copy of the report he gave journalists on his return :
“The Jehu left Callao on the 31st August, and Captain Liddle has kindly furnished the following particulars respecting affairs on the coast. The Chincha Islands were in the possession of two ‘Spanish frigates, under the command of Admiral Pezon. There was no interruption to the working of guano, but all Peruvians had been sent away. At Callao great preparations were making to commence hostilities. Peruvian war ships were being ironplated, iron rams built, and the batteries and fortifications on the
Mole Head placed in a proper state for defence, 50.000 Peruvian troops were also encamped at Piece, which is abreast of the Churches. HM.S. Leander and the American frigate Lancaster were in Callao Bay.
CALLAO. The following report of vessels connected with the Colonies has been kindly furnished by Captain Liddle, of the Jehu, which arrived yesterday The Mandane, Captain M’Dowall, would leave for Melbourne the first week in September 6 also, the Swedish barque Antelope, for Sydney and Geelong.
The City of Melbourne sailed from Callao on the 28th August, for England. The Tudor, from Melbourne, had arrived, having made a fifty-five days passage ; she had not commenced to load.
“The Invercauld, Aberdeen clipper, Captain Dalgarno, which sailed . from Melbourne on the 2nd May, had not arrived on the 31st August, and it was feared she had met with some serious disaster.
There were twenty sail of English, and forty American vessels, ” in Callao when the Jehu sailed.”
Amazingly photos exist from 1863/ 1864 showing what the Chincha Islands looked like and one even survives of the Spanish marines on the island, just as Captain Liddle reported and Alexander Allanach must have seen with his own eyes.
1865 map of the Chincha Islands and sketch – click here
There also exists a fascinating travel journal by George Washington Peck who visited Callao and the Chincha Islands in 1855 and describes how sailors spent their offshore time! Full text here.
Going back to Captain Liddle, there is a reference in his report of the Aberdeen ship ‘Invercauld’ as missing. Sadly this transpired to be true, and worst still for Captain Liddle his son was on the ship. Worst still, the Invercauld gained infamy as the crew descended into cannibalism within weeks of being stranded (whilst unbeknown to the Invercauld crew, a ship called the Grafton was shipwrecked on the other side of the island and built a functioning village society which even held elections! The wrecks show the dangers Alexander faced on this route.
1875
The electoral roll for New Zealand has the following information on Alexander :
First name(s) Alexander
Last name Allanach
Number 4
Electoral year 1875-76
Qualification leasehold
Residence Meanee
Land description Meanee Bakery on section No 9
Electorate Napier
Country New Zealand
1878
The electoral roll for New Zealand has the following information on Alexander :
Number 16
First name(s) Alexander
Last name Allanach
Electoral year 1878
Residence Taradale
Electorate Napier
Qualification leasehold
Land description Taradale Bakery
Country New Zealand
1881
The electoral roll for New Zealand has the following information on Alexander :
First name(s) Alexander
Last name Allanach
Electoral year 1881
Occupation Baker
Residence Gisborne
Electorate East Coast
Qualification Residential
Property qualification –
Country New Zealand
1883
21 February – Alexander is brought to court for allowing gambling on his premises
“Before SI. Price, Esq., R.M. Breach of the Licensing Act. Police v. A. Allanach. Mr. Finn appeared for the defendant. This was a case brought by the Police against Mr. A. Allanach, the proprietor of the Gisborne Hotel, for permitting gambling to be carried on in his licensed house. Several witnesses were called for the prosecution. Mr. Hearfield and Mr. Allanach were called for the defence. Mr. Allanach stated that as soon as he was made aware that card playing was going on he immediately stopped it. At this stage of the case, Mr. Finn applied for an adjournment in order to produce an important witness for the defence, which was granted. The case was accordingly adjourned till Saturday morning, at 1030 a.m”
1886
31 August – Alexander applies to transfer the licence of the Gisborne Hotel to James Bailey
1888
12 September – In an article
“John Tarr was charged with common assault on Alexander Allanach by striking him on the head with his fiat. The evidence went to show that Allanach was left in charge by Markie, before the former assault, and had the key of the front door. Tarr came in and asked for the key or he “would knock it out of him.” Tarr gave prevaricating evidence, and swore downright that he did not strike Allanach. Mr Brassey pointed out to the Bench that besides the attempt at defence there had been a downright attempt to show that the informants were committing gross perjury. The Bench : With regard to this case the Court is of opinion that the defendant’s evidence is utterly untrustworthy, and that defendant has gone into the box and told lies from beginning to end. We cannot help remarking that the evidence given for the defendants in these two cases has been a disgrace to the place. We don’t think there has been a single sentence of truth given from beginning to end. If there had been other witnesses for the prosecution we would have yon indicted for perjury. As far as Mr Kenny is concerned, he has done his utmost to make the witnesses speak the truth, and the Bench do not impute any blame to him. Had the defendant pleaded guilty we should have given him a nominal fine. Fined XI or three days’ imprisonment.”
1893
The electoral roll for New Zealand has the following information on Alexander :
First name(s) Alexander
Last name Allanach
Electoral year 1893
Number 28
Occupation Barman
Residence Gisborne
Electorate Waiapu
Type Residential
Country New Zealand
1896
The electoral roll for New Zealand has the following information on Alexander :
First name(s) Alexander
Last name Allanach
Number 28
Electoral year 1896
Occupation Barman
Residence Gisborne
Electorate Waiapu
Qualification residential
Property qualification –
Country New Zealand
1897
25 May – Death notice appears in Poverty Bay Herald after Alexander succumbs the previous day to a ‘ong and painful illness’.
