Alexander Wishart was born on 27 March 1858 in Arbroath, the eldest of seven children of Steven Wishart, a ship's carpenter, and his wife, Isabella Jamieson.

By age 13, Alexander found employment in one of the local mills and following an apprenticeship at the Corsar Brothers 'Applegate Works', he moved to Govan with his younger brother Robert and found work in the shipyards as an engine fitter.

By the late 1880s, Alexander had returned to Arbroath and married Elizabeth Moonlight Nairn in 1888. He was now working as a marine engineer and consequently would spend extended periods away from home at sea.

Despite this, five children were born of the marriage between 1892 and 1902.

During the war, Alexander served as chief engineer of the SS Taplow, a British cargo steamer employed by the Royal Navy as a transport ship.

In May 1917, the ship left England for Huelva in Spain, where she was loaded with copper bars and sailed for Port Talbot.

The vessel was last heard of on 5 June, when it was assumed she was torpedoed with the loss of all on board.

Alexander's death was officially announced on 10 August, and his obituary was published in the local papers later that month.

In addition to the Tower Hill Memorial in London, Alexander's is also commemorated in Arbroath.