The fifth child of James McAuslan and Christian Ritchie was William. His birth was recorded in the Barony Parish Register for 1827:

James McAslan Printer Finniston & Christian Ritchie had their fifth child born 13th Septr. named William Daniel Ritchie & John Barret wit.

This is mildly confusing, as William actually was the fifth child of the family; in the entries for the other children, a little girl who had died in infancy was generally omitted from the sequence. It may be noted that ‘Finniston’ is more conventionally rendered ‘Finnieston’.

At the time of the 1841 census, William was 13. He was entered as not having been born in the county.

As William McAslan, he is next heard of in connection his appointment as sole executor under his father’s Trust Disposition and Settlement, as executed on 29^th November 1848. On 8^th November 1872, following his father’s death, William signed the Inventory of his father’s personal estate, appearing before Alex. Stronach J.P. and swearing an oath to the truth thereof.