Alexander Allison (c. 1799–1862) was an American politician. He served as the Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee from 1847 to 1849.
Early life Allison was born about 1799 in Lifford, County Donegal, Ireland. After immigrating to the United States, he established a successful dry goods business in Nashville.
Career Allison served as Mayor of Nashville from 1847 to 1849. He was appointed by Governor Neill S. Brown as one of the commissioners to establish a "hospital for the insane" in Nashville, designed by architect Adolphus Heiman. He also served on the building committee of First Presbyterian Church.
Allison enslaved twelve people in Nashville and twenty in Davidson County.
People He Enslaved According to the Nashville Public Library’s Enslaved and Free People of Color Database, Alexander Allison is recorded as having enslaved the following people. Their ages, when known, and the year the record was created are included.
Aleck – 1862 Will – 1862 Wesley – 1862 Sam – 1862 Robert – 1862 Martha Ann – 1862 Louisa – 1862 Little Anthony – 1862 Linda – 1862 John – 1862 Puss – 1862 Jim – 1862 George – 1862 Frank – 1862 Ellen – 1862 Bob – 1862 Anthony – 1862 Andrew – 1862 Amelia – 1862 Amanda – 1862 Joe – 1862 Martha Ann – 1863 Louisa – 1863 Joe – 1863 Jim – 1863 George – 1863 Amelia – 1863 Elick – 1863 Bob – 1863 Anthony – 1863 Puss – 1863 Frank – 1863 Sam – 1863 Personal life and death Allison was married to Madeline T. Alcorn. Their son James Hart Allison died at the Battle of Monterey in 1846 at the age of twenty-two, and John Allcorn Allison died of apoplexy at the age of twenty-three. They resided at 9 Summer Place in Nashville, and one of their neighbors was Samuel Morgan. He died on November 3, 1862, and he is buried in the Nashville City Cemetery.
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