BURKE'S COLONIAL OEXTRY. 223 aiisnit of #pn5an. ALTSON, WILLIAM, Esq. of Cannonbar station, Njngan, New South Wales, Australia, member of the Legislative Assembly, h. 7th April, 1855; m. 29th June, 1887, Ellen Maud, daughter of James Milson, Esq. of Elamang, Sydney, New South Wales. Hi'ncngt. The family of Alison from very early times resided in the parish of Avondale, Lanark- shire. The Gaelic name is McAlister, and was changed into Alison when the clan was driven from Loupe, Argyllshire, by the fol- lowers of King Robert the Beuce. Alex- ander McAlister, a descendant of Gromerled, the Lord of the Isles, took the side of Baliol, and, with his brother John, was attacked by King Robert the Bruce in his principal stronghold called Castle Sweyn, in Knapdale. Compelled to flee he was taken pri-oner on liis way to Ayrshire and was confined in Dundonald Castle, where he d. in 1300. His brother John escaped to the abode of Sir Winter de Hamilton, in Hamilton, the an- cestor of the dukes of that name, who also at first took the side of Baliol. To preserve liim and his followers from the wrath of Bruce, Sir Winter de Hamilton placed them in Avondale. There they have continued for t;00 years, and a great many of the small estates in that neighbourhood are still owned by their descendants. Their original estate of Loupe was confiscated and given to the youngest brother, who remained faithful to £ruce, and that branch of the clan retained the ancient name of McAlister to the present century and are frequently mentioned in Scotch history. The Alison family are also alluded to several times in the time of the Covenanters. One Archibald Alison, of Windyedge, a farm belonging to the ancient estate of Cairnduff, fought at the battle of Drumclog against Claverhouse, afterwards Viscount Dundee, and also at the battle of Bothwell Bridge ; but at the skirmish at Ayrsmoss, he was taken prisoner and suifered martyrdom at the Grassmarket of Edinburgh in 1679. His dying testimony is recorded in the well-known volume called The Cloud of Witnesses. The sword of Michael, his brother, is still in the hands of the family, a sword which he wielded at the battles of Drumclog and Bothwell Bridge, and at the siege of Londonderry. His estate is still in the possession of a cousin of the present William Alison, Esq. James Aliso:n^, Esq. of Windyedge, co. Ayr, m. 6th April, 1813, Jeannie, daughter of William Jamieson, Esq. of Middlecroft, co. Perth (she d. 4th December, 1874), and d. 1st February, 1861. His eldest son, William'Alison, Esq. of Dunavon, Strath- aven, Lanarkshire, Scotland, J. P. and com- missioner of supply for co. Lanark, b. 1815 ; m. at Sydney, New South Wales, 8th Feb- ruary, 1842, Eliza, daughter of the late Captain Charles Hope Thompson, of Queens- ferry, and d. 31st March, 1885, having had issue, I. James, of Bonnyton, Ayrshire, a com- missioner of supply for co. Ayr, b. 1854, unm. II. William, of whom we now treat. III. Charles, m. Constance, daughter of Dr. Cox, of Sydney, New South Waks. I. Ellen, m. George Russell, Esq., and has issue, two sons and one daughter. II. Jane Jamieson, unm. III. Christina, unm. IV. Eliza, m. Walter Hussey Tivian, Esq., and has issue six daughters. T. Adeline, unm, Besidence — Cannonbar station, Nyngan, New South Wales, Australia. JHatartftm* xif aSEpantrra. MACARTHUR, REV. GEORGE FAIRFOWL, of Wyandra, Ashfield, near Sydney, New South Wales, senior chaplain to the volunteer forces of New South Wales, and for seventeen years head-master of The King's School, Parramatta (retired in 1886), h. 19th January, 1825; m. 16th May, 1849, Mai'garet Anne (h. 4th September, 1827), younger daughter of Charles Frederick Priddle, Esq. of Petersham, New South Wales, by Jane Isabella Wardell, his wife, a co-heiress of Robert Wardell, Esq., LL.D., of Petersham, New South Wales, and has had is^^ue.
