Patron of the arts. Born Patrick Allan in Arbroath, the son of a weaving merchant, he gave up commerce and embarked on an artistic career. Training at the Trustees' Academy in Edinburgh and then in Europe, he returned to Scotland where he married the young widow Elizabeth Fraser-Baker of Hospitalfield in 1843, taking her name. He embarked on a programme of estate management which quickly restored his wife's fortunes. The couple remodelled Hospitalfield House into one of the finest 19th century country houses in Scotland. They were also responsible for Blackcraig Castle in Strathardle (1856). Elizabeth died in 1873 and lies in a Mortuary Chapel designed by Allan-Fraser in Arbroath's Western Cemetery. A devoted art collector, he was a patron of many Scottish artists and promoted international exchange as President of the British Academy of Art in Rome. He was elected to the Royal Scottish Academy in 1874 and was also known for his portraits.
Allan-Fraser lies buried alongside his wife. The Patrick Allan-Fraser of Hospitalfield Trust was established in his honour to promote young artists and run Hospitalfield for the purposes of education.
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