William McAllister

Research findings

1. Arrival: James McAllister family — Peter Denny, Glasgow → Otago, 25 Aug-25 Nov 1875

   [redacted] 'Peter Denny' clue led directly to this find — the ship was named after Peter Denny of the Denny Brothers Clyde shipbuilding family. Co-subjects: Agnes Laidlaw (wife @I12945232556@) + William McAllister (son @I12945232540@). All overseas-born McAllister/Laidlaw children also on this voyage. Confirms the wider Scottish-Southland cluster: this is the 12th confirmed NZ arrival ship in our findings. Full manifest with ages verified independently via Yesteryears + Bluff Genealogy sources. The ship arrived BLUFF (not Otago/Port Chalmers) per these sources — earlier agent reported Otago which is the regional designation; specific port was Bluff (Southland gateway).

   • [S86]https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FSB9-26D(primary)
   • [S90]Yesteryears NZ — Peter Denny 1875 passenger list (full manifest)(web)
   • [S91]Bluff Genealogy — Peter Denny 1875 manifest(web)
   Confidence: highDiscovered: 2026-05-30
2. Biography: William McAllister (jr) — DNZB biography (Scholefield 1940 vol.2 p.4)

   DNZB Scholefield 1940 entry. Cross-validated against our GEDCOM by: b.1860 Scotland match, Invercargill residence match, elder brother John (b.1858) confirmed in our tree, partnership formed 1896. The 'first job at 14' in Invercargill is a minor data point — implies he was working in Invercargill at age 14 (~1874), one year before our recorded Peter Denny 1875 arrival; either he was in NZ earlier than recorded or DNZB age is approximate (common). Adds substantial career + civic-roles context to William's biography. He emerges as a leading Invercargill citizen — Crown Prosecutor, Southland Times director, foundation Rotary, Education Board chairman. Significantly upgrades the Macalister-line story.

   • [S80]Dictionary of New Zealand Biography (Scholefield, 1940), vol. 2 p.4(secondary)
   • [S81]primary(primary)
   • [S82]primary(primary)
   Confidence: highDiscovered: 2026-05-31