Allan, James. Builder and Contractor, Park Place, Cardiff, was born at Fochabers, a village in the county of Moray (N.B.) in April, 1841. His father, Mr. Robert Allan, was a farmholder there, and young James Allan received his early education at the Mills' School Institute. Fochabers. On leaving school he abandoned the idea of becoming a farmer, and started life as an apprentice to a stone mason at Elgin. After finishing his apprenticeship he came to Cardiff under Mr. Euston Gibbs. contractor for the Rhymney Railway, and remained with him tor nearly twenty years. When Mr. Gibbs retired he started business on his own account, and like the majority of those who come from the north of the Tweed, he has proved very successful. During the time he has been at Cardiff he has carried out a number of the largest undertakings let to contractors by the Cardiff Corporation. He erected the new Cardiff Market, St. Mary Street, from plans prepared by the Borough Engineer. He also undertook and carried out very successfully all the building work and the enclosing of the Roath Park. He has been engaged by a number of the principal residents in Cardiff, and many of the private villa residences, hotels, warehouses, and large works of almost every description have been erected by him. One of his great works in this way was the erection of the Western Mail Offices, St. Mary Street, offices which are the most complete and extensive of any works of a similar nature in the country; also the fine building in Bute Terrace erected for the Cardiff Gaslight and Coke Company. There, as in other undertakings for which he held the contract, he has given the utmost satisfaction to those who engaged him. He has long been a member of the Cardiff Master Builders' Association, and is much respected by all engaged in the same profession, as well as by those who are in his employ.
Source : Contemporary Portraits 1896
James Allan married Margaret and had two sons James Leonard and Robert Alexander.
They lived at "Tullock", Park Place, Cardiff.
James Allan died 13 July 1917, aged 75.