Little is known of John Alston-Youngest. A sugar merchant from Glasgow with this name is listed as a member of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce in the year 1783-84, and as a member of the Pig Club in 1798-1807, although it is not possible to prove whether this was one man, or two generations of the same family. In 1791, Robert Adam was commissioned to make designs for John Alston-Youngest. These designs show alterations to an unknown older house on a corner plot facing Millar Street. They are not thought to have been executed on account of the inscription on Adam volume 35/75, The Front was never altered.

It has been suggested by Dougan that the designs were made for plot 1, at the south east corner of Millar Street. This was the original home of John Miller who developed the street, and was the first person in Glasgow to define the height, style and use of a property in the deeds as a condition of sale. John Alston-Youngest was the grandson of John Miller.

Literature:
A.T. Bolton, The architecture of Robert and James Adam, 1922, Volume II, Index pp. 14, 60; D. King, The complete works of Robert & James Adam and unbuilt Adam, 2001, Volume II, p. 121

With thanks to researcher, Mark Dougan.

Frances Sands, 2015
Updated 2021