Introduction / Barbara Allan / Westray Allans / George Allan and Margaret Irvine / John Allan and Jean Harcus

John Allan and Elizabeth Balfour

John was baptised in East Parish, Westray on 6th March 1820, the son of John Allan and Jean Harcus. He married on 12th March 1846 Elizabeth Balfour, and died on 7th May 1878. Elizabeth, the daughter of William Balfour and Mary Seater, was baptised on 9th October 1821. John and Elizabeth had seven children, all born Westray:

• Mary Seator Allan, b. 12th April 1847, c. 7th July 1857, who married Henry Reid.

• Jean Allan, b. 30th March 1849, c. 3rd June 1849, married 1884, George Tulloch, died 1st Sept 1931, age 81

• Thomas Spence Allan, b. 7th May 1852, c. May 1852, drowned 21st Feb 1885

• William Allan, c. 22nd Dec 1854, d. 17th Oct 1878

• Elizabeth Balfour Allan, c. 26th Aug 1857, m. 1887 James Scott, d. 30th April 1906

• John Allan, b about 1861, who married Betsy Bain

• Georgina Allan, c. 25th Aug 1865, d. 6th Jan 1905. In 1891 she was living at Newbigging No 2, Westray, with her sister Elizabeth Scott

In the 1841 census, John was a fisherman, living at Storehouse. However, he later became a master stonemason, and built a house at Broughton that still stands at the beginning of the 21st century. In 1851 John and his family were at New House, in 1861 they were at Allan House, and by 1871 he and Elizabeth were at Broughton Place.

Their gravestone reads as follows:

Erected in Memory of John Allan who died 7th May 1878 aged 58 years and his Wife Elizabeth Balfour who died 15th March 1876 aged 54 years and their sons William B Allan who died 17th Octr 1878 and Thomas Allan born 7th May 1852 and was frowned on voyage from Bridgeness to Kirkwall 21 Feby 1885. and their daughter Georgina Allan died 6 Jan 1906 aged 39 years

Another gravestone reads:

Erected by Jane Allan in Loving Memory of her Husband George Tullock who Died 24th July 1916 Aged 71 Years also the Above Jane Allan who Died Sept 1st 1931 Aged 81 Years Till the Day Breaks And the Shadows Flee Away