Allen Surname

1st Generation:

William's origins are unknown. He likely lived in Pennsylvania, and possibly also in Virginia, before moving out west to Kentucky during the 1780s or 1790s. They settled in the part of Bourbon County, Kentucky that is now Nicholas County. There was a William Allen in Bourbon County, Kentucky as early as 1791; yet it is not clear if that was the same person, as there appears to have been multiple William Allens in the county. The first definitive record of this William Allen in Bourbon County was in 1796. He wrote his will on June 15, 1807, and it was proven in August 1807.

William married Margaret circa 1775, probably in Pennsylvania. She was born circa 1755. She died sometime between 1807 and 1829 in Nicholas County, Kentucky.

Margaret was described in her husband's will of June 1807. She was most likely the 45+ year old female enumerated in the household of her son John in 1810. It is unknown when she died. However a clue is the will of her husband, in which he indicated that she was to have use of his real estate during her lifetime and that the real estate would be divided between three of their sons after her death. Because those sons did not sell that real estate until March 1829, it might be an indication that Margaret died during the 1820s.

1	Dorothy Allen
2	William Allen was born circa 1778 in Pennsylvania. He died after 1807. He was probably the same William Allen who married Mary Caldwell (cousin of John Caldwell who married William's niece Margaret Hill) in 1804 in Nicholas Co., Kentucky. He was then probably the William Allen who appeared on Nicholas County, Kentucky tax lists between 1805 and 1815. His whereabouts after this are unknown, but some family trees claim he was the same person as the War of 1812 veteran William Allen (died circa 1829) who settled in Madison Co., Indiana. However that is questionable because multiple histories from that line indicate describe that William Allen's wife as Mary John or Johns and that that William was born in the 1760s.
3	Ann "Anna" Allen was born circa 1780, possibly in Virginia*. She died after 1860, probably in Wishawaka, Saint Joseph County, Indiana. She married Peter Fleming Ireland on September 28, 1804 in Nicholas County, Kentucky 11. (He was born on April 8, 1785 8 and died before August 1822 in Jefferson Twp., Preble Co., Ohio 8.) They had the following children: Amanda Ireland (c. 1805-1876) md. Henry C. Quigg William A. Ireland (1807-1851) Miranda/Marinda Ireland Martha Ireland (1811-1892) md. Nathan Boys Margaret "Peggy" Ireland (c. 1814-1893) md. Harvey Little Nancy Ireland (c. 1816-1855) md. Elijah Carrick James Ireland (1819-1841) After their marriage in 1804, Ann and her husband settled in neighboring Bourbon Co., Kentucky where most of his relatives lived. They were documented there in 1805 and 1806. In 1806 or 1807, they left Kentucky and moved to Ohio. By 1812, they were living in Preble Co., Ohio; where they lived until Peter's death. Peter wrote his will on October 5, 1821 and he died sometime between then and August 1822, when his brothers John and William Ireland were granted letters of administration over his estate. Ann never remarried after her husband's death. In July 1832, Ann and her children sold their land in Ohio and moved to Indiana with many of her husband's relatives. They settled in St. Joseph Co., Indiana; where Ann remained until her death, probably in the city of Mishawaka. * Contemporary census records suggest that Ann was born in Virginia. However that seems unlikely as she had older and younger siblings that were documented in census records as being born in Pennsylvania. Perhaps though the family was mobile and lived in both states during that time period; or perhaps one or more census enumerations was simply incorrect.
4	Eleanor Allen was born on or about June 17, 1784 2. She died on September 28, 1842 2 probably in Center Twp., Boone Co., Indiana. She is buried in the Beck Cemetery, Center Twp., Boone Co., Indiana. She married Robert Brenton on or after September 12, 1811 in Nicholas Co., Kentucky 11. (He was born on or about January 4th, 1785 2 in Washington Co., Pennsylvania and died on May 22, 1863 2 in Center Twp., Boone Co., Indiana. He is buried in the Beck Cemetery, Center Twp., Boone Co., Indiana. He is buried in the Beck Cemetery, Center Twp., Boone Co., Indiana.) They had the following children: unknown female Brenton (1810s-???) Delilah Brenton (1817-1867) md. James Gray Margaret Ann Brenton (1820-1843) md. William P. Kerns Alvin Allen Brenton (1824-aft. 1900) md. Margaret Stevens Between 1811 and 1829, Eleanor and her husband lived in Nicholas Co., Kentucky. In November 1828, they sold their land there, but apparently did not move away until the next year. Sometime between November 1829 and June 1830, they moved north to Clinton Co., Indiana, where they lived briefly before settling in Boone Co., Indiana during the early 1830s. They remained there until their deaths.
5	John Allen was born circa 1787 in Pennsylvania 3. He died on April 3, 1862 in Center Twp., Boone Co., Indiana 2. He is buried in the Beck Cemetery, Center Twp., Boone Co., Indiana. He married Elizabeth Brenton on or after February 23, 1811 in Nicholas Co., Kentucky 11. (She was born on November 9, 1790 in Bourbon (now Nicholas) Co., Kentucky 2 and died on September 22, 1858 in Center Twp., Boone Co., Indiana 2. She is buried in the Beck Cemetery, Center Twp., Boone Co., Indiana.) They had the following children: Robert B. Allen (c. 1812-???) Margaret Allen (1813-1876) William Allen (1815-1898) Elizabeth Allen (c. 1817-???) Simeon Allen (1819-1889) Ann Allen (c. 1823-???) md. John H. Kersey Milly Allen (c. 1824-???) Martha Allen (c. 1826-???) md. Josiah Abernathy Dorothy Allen (c. 1829-???) md. Charles Fall John Allen (c. 1830-???) md. Mary J. Hawkins unknown female Allen (c. 1832-???) Between 1811 and 1833, John and his wife were documented in Nicholas Co., Kentucky. They sold their land there in September 1832, but likely did not move away until the following year. By May 1833, they were living in Boone Co., Indiana. There, they settled in Center Township, where they remained.
6	Sarah "Sally" Allen was born circa 1790 in Bourbon (now Nicholas) Co., Kentucky. She died after 1807. Many online family trees indicate she was married to Alexander Johnson. However that was a different person (Sarah Allen, daughter of John Allen, who lived in Shelby Co., Kentucky). My guess is that she never married and lived with her youngest brother Samuel Allen in his family in Clinton County, Indiana (likely the 40-50 year-old woman in his household in 1840; and then likely the 60-year old Sarah Allen in his household in 1850.) Presumably she died sometime between 1850 and 1860.
7	James K. Allen was born on or about January 9, 1791 9 in Bourbon (now Nicholas) Co., Kentucky. He died on December 6, 1860 9 in Jackson Twp., Clinton Co., Indiana. He is buried in the Jackson Township Cemetery, Jackson Twp., Clinton Co., Indiana. He married Nancy Hall, widow of William B. Blair, on April 9, 1826 in Nicholas Co., Kentucky 11 (She was born circa 1797 in Kentucky 3 and died between 1870-1880 in Jackson Twp., Clinton Co., Indiana.) They had the following children: William B. Allen (1826-1840) Benjamin W. Allen (1828-1863) Samuel H. Allen (c. 1834-1894) md. 1st Elizabeth Shimer md. 2nd Matilda J. Vincil James and his wife lived in Nicholas Co., Kentucky between 1826 and 1833. In February 1833, they sold their land in Kentucky, but were still living there as late as September 1833. By the following year, they had moved north to Indiana, where most of James' relatives were already living. They settled in Jackson Township, Clinton Co., Indiana; where they remained. James began using the middle initial "K." only after moving to Indiana; possibly to distinguish himself from a different James Allen who lived in the same county (although there was also a different James Allen in Nicholas Co., Kentucky).
8	Margaret "Peggy" Allen was born circa 1791-1792 in Bourbon (now Nicholas) Co., Kentucky. She died after 1807.
9	Jane Allen was born between March-April 1792 10 in Bourbon (now Nicholas) Co., Kentucky. She died on November 4, 1865 10, possibly in Clinton Co., Indiana. She is buried in the Rossville Cemetery, Rossville, Clinton Co., Indiana. She married Samuel Sosbe on October 17, 1822 in Nicholas Co., Kentucky 11. (He was born circa 1800 in Pennsylvania 3 and died before January 28, 1854 in Howard Co., Indiana.) They had the following children: James Allen Sosbe (1823-1881) Sarah Jane Sosbe (1829-1864) md. Seth Chase Martha Ann Sosbe (1836-1916) md. Edward Byron Condra Alexander Blair Sosbe (1839-1896) Between 1822 and 1830, Jane and her husband lived in Nicholas Co., Kentucky. In about 1830, they moved to Indiana. In 1831, they were in Clinton Co., Indiana. In 1837 and 1840, they were in Boone Co., Indiana. In 1850, they were back in Clinton Co., Indiana. In November 1853, they were living in Howard Co., Indiana when Samuel wrote his will. It was proven two months later on January 28, 1854. In 1860, Jane was again living in Boone Co, Indiana. The spelling of their last name has varied wildly in surviving records, including: Sosbey, Sowsby, Soesby, Soulsbury, Sosby, and Sosbee. Sosbe was the spelling adopted and used by their descendants.
10	Samuel Allen was born circa 1799 3 or in 1800 12 in Nicholas Co., Kentucky . He died on August 18, 1885 in Washington Twp., Boone Co., Indiana 5. He is buried in the Bethel Cemetery, Pike, Boone Co., Indiana. He married first Nancy Fielder on December 7, 1826 in Nicholas Co., Kentucky 11. (She died sometime between 1826-1839.) They had no known children. He married second Rachael Hall on February 28, 1839 in Clinton Co., Indiana 6. (She was born in November 1816 in Indiana 3 and died on September 2, 1904 in Washington Twp., Boone Co., Indiana 5.) They had the following children: Margaret Ann Allen (c. 1841-1905) md. Francis Evans William C. Allen (c. 1844-1923) James L. Allen (1852-1932) md. Laura Emma Sparks Ethan Loftis Allen (1854-1921) md. Annie L. Keith Oscar Murray Allen (c. 1859-1944) md. Laura Belle Hairald Samuel remained in Nicholas Co., Kentucky until about 1829. In 1829 or 1830, he moved with various relatives to Indiana; where he settled in Jackson Township in Clinton County. Then during the early 1850s, he moved to nearby Washington Township in Boone County; where he remained. Lebanon Pioneer, Aug. 20, 1885, Pg. 1: "SAMUEL ALLEN, aged eighty-five, died at his home, one mile west of Mechanicsburg, Tuesday night, after a very brief illness. He was buried at Bethel cemetery yesterday."

2nd Generation:

Father: William Allen
Mother: Margaret

Dorothy moved with her family from Pennsylvania to Kentucky in the late 1780s, when she was probably verging on adolescence. They lived in a part of Bourbon Co., Kentucky that became Nicholas County in 1799. In about 1833, Dorothy moved with her family to Boone Co., Indiana, where they settled on a farm in Jefferson Township.

Dorothy married John Hill on December 26, 1796 in Bourbon (now Nicholas) Co., Kentucky.

For information on their children, see his page.

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