David Allen and Mary Weldon (1714)

تمت المشاركه بواسطة

Val Tyler

*(Researched and written by Nina Cheney Harris)

David Allen was born on 26 Sep 1714 in Weston, Middlesex, Massachusetts. He was the oldest of eight children born to “Ensign” Joseph [Woodford] Allen and Abigail Price. His siblings included: Abigail born 14 May 1716 in Watertown (later part of Weston) MA, Elijah born on 11 Sep 1718 in Weston; Sarah born on 10 Aug 1720 in Weston (she died at the age of nine Nov 1729 in Weston); Daniel was born in 1721 and died the same year on 6 Sep 1721 Weston; Tabitha was born on 26 Oct 1722 Daniel was born on 31 Aug 1724 and Timothy was born on 8 Apr 1727 in Weston (sadly he died before 1730);

David Allen married Mary Weldon on 28 April 1737 in Litchfield County, Connecticut.

Mary Weldon was born on 18 Sep 1710 in Glastonbury, Hartford, CT. At the time of their marriage Mary was 26 and David was 24.

They settled down in Salisbury, Litchfield, CT where their first two children were born. Joseph Allen, was born on 17 April 1738 and Sari was born on 23 Feb 1740.

The town of Salisbury was well-known for its iron deposits discovered in 1728 in Old Hill (now Ore Hill). The town of Salisbury was incorporated in 1741, so this was a new community. Since David Allen was a blacksmith, it is possible that he may have worked in a foundry or in some way with the iron deposits in Salisbury. Blacksmiths had essential skills needed in colonial America. They worked with metal and made and repaired tools of all sorts and put shoes on horses. (The iron from Salisbury was used especially in the making of gun-barrels.)

The family then moved north about 30 miles into Berkshire County, Massachusetts. The town of Stockbridge in Berkshire County has an interesting history. John Sargeant of New Haven, CT accepted a call to establish a mission to the Indians in Berkshire County, which because of the hilly terrain, boundary disputes with New York State and hostile Indians, was settled much later than the Connecticut Valley. A few “families of Piety” were selected to accompany the minister, and four families arrived in 1737-8. Among these settlers was Josiah Jones (a neighbor of David’s family from Weston), and there were twelve unnamed families who had arrived by 1749. It is possible the David Allen was among them,. Unfortunately the earliest vital records of Stockbridge are missing (Wrigley). David Jr. was born in Berkshire County in 1744. Benjamin was born in Stockbridge, Berkshire, MA in about 1746.

The family was one of the early settlers of Stockbridge. However because of the many Indian attacks during the French and Indian War, most of the settlers vacated the area and stayed gone until 1760 when the French and Indian War ended. The Allens left Berkshire and moved back to Litchfield, CT.

Mary was born in Cornwall, Litchfield, CT on 17 Aug 1746. Sadly she died there just a few months later on 12 Oct 1746. Cornwall is about 15 miles south of Salisbury.

Elizabeth was baptized on 26 Mar 1750 in Claverack, Columbia, New York. The family were still living in Claverack in June 1753 when he settled his father’s estate. (Wrigley- New England Historical and Genealogical register). He was listed in the court documents as working as a blacksmith in Claverak at the time.

Elijah was born in Kinderhook, Columbia, NY on 26 Aug 1752 and Prudence was probably born in 1754 and then baptized in Columbia, Columbia, NY on 16 Apr 1755. Columbia, Columbia, NY is about 50 miles north of Cornwall, CT and is situated on the Columbia/Green River. Claverack is only 4 miles from Columbia. Kinderhook is 12 miles north of Columbia. Also the town of Hillsdale, where the family is found next, is near Claverack.

Mary Weldon Allen, died on 14 Jan 1754 in Hillsdale (formerly Nobletown), Albany, NY at 33 years of age. Their oldest son, Joseph was 16 other kids how old…

David Allen, died on 12 Feb 1759 in Hillsdale, Columbia, NY at the age of 44. The children were left; Joseph *(age 21); David (about 15), Benjamin (about 14), Elizabeth (nearly 9), Elijah (age 6), and Prudence (nearly 4).

David’s brother, Daniel, was appointed guardian of David’s minor son, Elijah, following his death. The family appears to have family to help which is always a blessing. The older boys were old enough to work and help support the family.

Bibliography

Allen, Kenneth R. DANIEL ALLEN, PIONEER TANNER, ( 9 DEC 1804 - 15 JAN 1892 ) http://www.allen21.com/Daniel_Allen_1804_Family_History/Daniel_Allen_Pioneer_Tanner_1-04.PDF accessed 28 Jan 2016

Allen, Kenneth Reed Revised Notes on the Origins of Joseph and Rachel Allen Parents of Dr Daniel Allen May 22, 1978, updated 11 Jan 2002

Ancestry.com. Global, Find A Grave Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.Original data: Find A Grave. Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi. [David Allen b. 26 Sep 1714 d. 12 Feb 1759 Hillsdale, Columbia, NY]

Godfrey Memorial Library, comp.. American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999.Original data: Godfrey Memorial Library. American Genealogical-Biographical Index. Middletown, CT, USA: Godfrey Memorial Library. [David Allen b. 1714 MA Blacksmith]

Lenox Hisory http://www.townoflenox.com/public_documents/lenoxma_webdocs/about accessed 14 Feb 2016

Wrigley, Irene B. David Allen of Weston, Stockbridge, Claverack and Nobletown Genealogical Journal, Volume 17, Number 1 & 2, 1988/1989

http://allen21.com/Daniel_Allen_1804_Family_History/David_Allen_of_WestonStockbridgeClaverack&Nobletown.pdf accessed 13 Feb 2016

Salisbury, CT https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salisbury,_Connecticut access 11 Feb 2016.

"Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7W6-DDM : accessed 15 February 2016), David Allen in entry for Abigail Allen, 01 Jan 1737; citing ; FHL microfilm unknown.

"Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVGM-3SX3 : accessed 15 February 2016), David Allen, 1759; Burial, , , ,, ; citing record ID 112662504, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

"Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F4JJ-VN5 : accessed 15 February 2016), David Allen, 26 Sep 1714; citing , p 3; FHL microfilm 892,239.

"Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F7W6-DDC : accessed 15 February 2016), David Allen in entry for Sari Allen, 23 Feb 1739; citing ; FHL microfilm unknown.

"New York Births and Christenings, 1640-1962," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V2CS-TY9 : accessed 15 February 2016), David Allain in entry for Elijah Allain, 26 Aug 1752; citing REFORMED DUTCH CHURCH,KINDERHOOK,COLUMBIA,NEW YORK, reference ; FHL microfilm 534,199.

Notes

"New York Births and Christenings, 1640-1962," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V2H5-ZSY : accessed 15 February 2016), David Allen in entry for Elizabeth Allen, 26 Mar 1750; citing REFORMED CHURCH,CLAVERACK,COLUMBIA,NEW YORK, reference ; FHL microfilm 974.739 C3 V26C.

"New York Births and Christenings, 1640-1962," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V2H5-6BT : accessed 15 February 2016), David Allin in entry for Prudence Allin, 16 Apr 1755; citing REFORMED CHURCH,CLAVERACK,COLUMBIA,NEW YORK, reference ; FHL microfilm 974.739 C3 V26C.

"Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F74V-8LK : accessed 15 February 2016), David Allen in entry for Joseph Allen, 27 Apr 1738; citing ; FHL microfilm unknown.