​Elder, William, was the eldest son of George Elder, of Kirkcaldy, Scotland, and Joanna Haddo, his wife, and brother of Sir Thomas Elder (q.v.), and of Mr. A. L. Elder (q.v.). He was in the merchant service, and first came to South Australia in command of the ship Malcolm. He subsequently became a member of the eminent firm of Elder & Co., of Adelaide, but retired in 1854, and returned to reside in Scotland. He died at Cannes in April 1882, at the age of seventy-eight.