Carpe Diem!
Day, Allen, Williams, Klein and More of Our Family

(Thanks to Doug Allen for sharing this article)

 

First copied longhand by Almer Jay Allen, then transcribed by Philip Allen (his son)
[Blue comments added by Douglas Allen, 2005]

From: The Greencastle (IN) Star-Press

ALLEN REUNION

August 3rd 1899

Ninety persons assembled at the Allen homestead 3 miles north of Greencastle, on Aug. 3, at the second annual reunion. Of these, 79 were relatives and 11 were friends of relatives. Those present from abroad were Prof. Fisk Allen of Indianapolis; Chas. McKee and family, Indianapolis; Will and John Allen, McIntosh, Fla.; Mrs. Lou Evans and Mrs. Devere and son, Crawfordsville; F. B. Gardner and family, Crawfordsville; Miss F1orence B. Deighton, Erie, Penn.; Dr. John Morrison, Emporia, Kan.; T. C. Crabbs and family, Crawfordsville; Mrs. Frank Evans, Crawfordsville.

Capt. Smiley, in his eloquent way, made a speech introducing the speaker, Dr. E. W. Fisk, the lifelong friend and pastor of both James and Joseph Allen. Dr. Fisk spoke as fo11ows:

"James Allen, at whose late residence we are assembled on this happy occasion, and to whose memory, even to the latest hour of our lives, we will delight to do honor, was the son of Joseph Allen, who was born in 1764, and was the youngest of 8 children in his father's second family - 5 sons and 3 daughters. His father's name was William Allen, who was born in 1711 and carne to this country from Ireland when 18 years of age, and landed at Philadelphia. He resided in New Jersey, where he married and where also his wife died, leaving him a daughter, who married a Mr. Ephraim Herriot in 1756, and they afterwards moved to Hampshire County, Virginia [now W. Virginia].

"This William Allen of whom we are speaking and who carne from Ireland when 18 years of age, was the son of Robert Allen, of the north of Ireland, in the county of Antrim and near the city of Lame; he lived to be 94 years old. This Robert Allen took a prominent part in the war James II waged in Ireland for regaining his crown. [Unlikely. Robert was 14 at the time. More probably it was William's grandfather Robert.] James' army of 30,000 raised in England, France, and Ireland, was totally defeated at Londonderry and later at Boyne by a force of 8,000 Irish protestants. He married Janet Hair, who lived to be 75 years old. To them were born 23 children, 19 of whom lived to years of maturity. [Other sources say 18.] He was a man of honor and note in his day, one of the land-holders of Ireland and a Ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church; a man of high standing throughout the community. It was his son, William, who carne to this country, landed at Philadelphia, lived in New Jersey, married there and afterward buried his wife there. For his second wife he married Jane Warford; with her he removed to Virginia, purchased a tract of land in Loudoun county, and settled there in 1762. To them were born 8 children - 5 sons and 3 daughters. Of these 8 children the youngest was Joseph, born in 1764.

"In adjusting his affairs William Allen gave to his son Joseph, 100 acres of land on the south side of his purchase. Joseph, as well as his brothers, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. He was present, when only 16 [17] years of age, at the surrender of the British at Yorktown.

"In 1787 he was married to Frances Wright, a member of a distinguished family in Virginia; to them were born 10 children. Are any of them living today? They were Wm. W., born Dec. 16, 1790; he was a soldier of the War of 1812 - was in the battle of the Thames, as was Maj. Black; Col. Dick Johnson commanding the Kentucky mounted riflemen. The next child was David, born in 1794; Douglas, born in 1796 [1799]. [Incomplete. Missing: Margaret 1788, John 1792, Robert 1797]

"In 1800 he sold the land received from his father to his half-brother, James, and removed to Kentucky. His son James was born June 1, 1802; Louisa in 1804; and Joseph, Dec. 20, 1812. [Missing: Wright 1807]

"James Allen's birth was June 1, 1802. Born on the threshold of the 19th Century, the most shining century the world has ever seen, he witnessed the inception and development of all the improvements that have blessed the world and made it what it is.

"Ages often stand to each other in the relation of cause and effect. If you compare the age that preceded the birth of him of whom we now speak with that which has succeeded, you will find this age is the product of that. That was the age which settled in constitutional forms the happy balance between the wise and legitimate force and authority of law on the one hand, and the proper exercise of the liberty of the individual on the other.

"He was the son of Joseph Allen and Frances Wright, of Virginia. Ah! trace his genealogy, back as far as you please, and its lateral branches wide as you may, and you find everywhere the same high-toned, hardy, vigorous, intelligent pioneer class of people. Such were the men, when the days of the Revolution carne, that shook the thirteen stars from the British crown. Such were the men that rocked the cradle of our infant government, when its life was new, and he lived to see it grow to a giant.

"James Allen whose memory is more immediately brought before us today, and at whose late residence we are assembled, was the happy result of the long trail of conspicuous ancestors we: have named. In himself he was a man of unblemished and unquestioned piety, of sterling integrity, truthfulness, and honesty. These characteristics pervaded all his transactions and dea1ing With his fellow men. He was a man of untarnished honor and unbending rectitude, and no stain of any type ever attached to his character. He was affectionate in heart and genial in disposition. Should we wonder that such a man, by his associates and neighbors, should be respected and honored and loved in life, and in death be mourned with unfeigned sorrow, his children and his children's children and their children rise as we do today and generations yet unborn rise up to call him blessed. "

The descendants of James Allen present at the reunion were Mrs. E. T. Smiley, Mrs. Lou Evans, Crawfordsville; Robert W. Allen, Mrs. Mary B. Gardner, Crawfordsville; James M. A11en. Joseph Allen was represented by Mrs. Mary Cooper and daughter, Mrs. J. T. Dobell, Mrs. Chas. L. Allen and Prof. Fisk Allen.

The initial transcriber of the article, Almer Jay Allen, was a great nephew of the subject, James Allen (grandson of James' brother Robert, b. 1797).


 

 

   
  Pamela Klein
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