Who was John McAllister? He was my Great-Grandfather. He wasn't a war hero
(at least not that I know of) and he never rescued children from a burning building or discovered a cure for a disease. He was like most of us, a working man doing what he could to get by.
Unfortunately, I never got to
meet him as he passed on long before I was born. Great-Grand-Dad was a riveter in the shipyards of Port Glasgow, Scotland, a hardscrabble existence at best. Employment was available only when there were ships to build, so men were out of work as often at not.
My mother's parents left Scotland with her, and her sister, for England when
she was five years old, to look for work. But she remembers going back for visits. She especially talked of going home for the launch of a huge passenger-liner that her Granddad had worked on...the H.M.S. Queen Mary.
I grew up on those stories, stories of how my great-grand-parents had a tenement flat on Bay Street with a view of the River Clyde. And of how family and friends gathered to watch the majestic lady being guided down-river by tugs to the North Sea for her sea trails.
It goes without saying that dignitaries, not men with calloused hands, get invited to ship
launchings. But still, Mom told of how the men cheered wildly as the ship passed, egos swollen with pride at their great accomplishment. And she also told of how the women all cried, because the men were all out of work...again.
In May of 1999 my family and I vacationed in Scotland and of course we had to visit Port Glasgow. I found #47 Bay Street where the McAllister's had lived. The tenements are gone now, torn down for upscale "river-view" apartments. But still, for a few monments, I shared the same view they had of the River Clyde. And I could easily imagine the scene in that small apartment almost three-quarters of a century ago.
I live just two and half-hours from Long Beach, California where the Queen
Mary is now docked, but I had never gone to see her. But in October of 1999,
there was a Scottish Festival on the grounds adjoining the grand ship's
moorings. I figured that it must be fate calling so my wife and I attended the festival.
When I first laid eyes on "The Queen" I was totally awed be her presences. Her size was over-whelming. She totaly dominated the landscape. That was when I really understood the pride those working men felt as they watched her sail down-river. As I stood there admiring their work, I remembered the view of the Clyde, and all Mom's stories came flooding in. And then something clicked! Suddenly the stories were real. These people weren't just "ancestors", but family!
It was truly a grand awaking.
So, who was John McAllister? He was my Great-Grand-Father. He died long
before I was born, but in October, 1999... I met him.
by John Olinger

Port Glasgow Connections

John left a messege in the guest book and then he was good enough to share his old photographs and story for these pages after I contacted him about using the old Port' pictures.

My mom in 1956.

The group photo was taken circa 1885 in Edinburgh (although they lived in Port Glasgow), standing is my Great grand father John McAllister (17yrs) ,
and my Great-great Uncle Danny McAllister.
Seated are my Great great grand
parents Mr. & Mrs.John McAllister. One of the two boys is Great Uncle Archie McAllister,

It is a Regimental Christmas Card that my great uncle Willie Brookes sent home to his family during WWI.
He was about eighteen at the time. My Grand father, John Brookes (who was 13
or 14 at the time) kept the card until his death at 96 last year. He had it
in his possession for over eighty years! It was given to me by my cousin who
holidayed here last summer.

This page last modified on Monday, March 10, 2003

© Carol McG 2000-2007 all rights reserved, all trademarks hereby acknowledged. The photographs in this site have not to be shared or otherwise used without permission!
Please do not submitt them to any other site for display

I would like to get in touch with John again as the information I have is now out of date - if you can help or if john reads this please get in touch!