Why_Robert_Allen_Bungate_
Why Robert Allen Bungate:
According to family tradition the name "BUNGATE" was carried down with
the Surname as there was a dispute with a will and the money was put into
"Chancery". Apparently to have any chance of recovery of the money,
the Surname must include "BUNGATE".
There may be some truth in this however the most likely reason is that
when the eldest child, Robert, (our forebear) was born, he was born out of
wedlock so therefore was given his mothers maiden name and he was given his
fathers name Robert Allen as his Christian names.
Some time later when Robert and Ann finally married on June 11,
1798 she was already three months pregnant with their second son Thomas
who was born on December 8, 1798. He was given the surname of ALLEN
not BUNGATE.
Right up to the time of his death Robert ALLEN always had doubts
as to whether Robert Allen BUNGATE was his son and in his will he stated that
his money was to be divided "Share and share alike" between " my Daughter
Susanna, my natural or reputed son Robert Allen Bungate and my son Thomas
Allen."
The Surname BUNGATE was carried down to all of Robert Allen Bungate's
Children, Grandchildren and three of his Great -grandchildren.
In the 1860's something must have happened that caused George ALLEN
and his brothers to drop the name BUNGATE as George's brother Robert dropped
the BUNGATE from when his first child was born in 1862, His brother David
dropped the BUNGATE from when his first child was born in 1877, and
George dropped the BUNGATE after Ada Mary was born in 1870. Also when
the family migrated to Australia in 1886 they used the Surname ALLEN dropping
the BUNGATE.