William Laird Macgregor (1816–1891) was born William Laird but he told an American woman Ellen McGowan Biddle that he added the name Macgregor when he inherited his mother’s estates.Ellen McGowan Biddle “Reminiscences of A Soldier's Wife”, p. 143 Online reference His father was a wealthy shipbuilder who was responsible for what later became the Cammell Laird and Co shipyard. William was a partner with his brothers Macgregor Laird (1808–1861) and Hamilton Laird in a firm called the African Steamship Company.Grace's Guide to British Industrial History. Online reference
