161. Allen's in England, early Christian converts, Roger Alling, immigrant ancestor, down to Philo Allen convert in 1835.
My mother Ruth Allen (Miles)'s direct Allen ancestor was in New England in
New Haven in 1640, when he was 28 years old. There were several with the
surname of Allen there already, so he took the surname of Alling. They were Allings until about 1800, when they reverted back to the original name of Allen.
This is the history of Roger Alling, our Allen immigrant ancestor, down to Philo Allen who joined the Church in 1835.
The origin of the Allens is lost in the unrecorded ages. The name is very ancient, and supposed to be of Saxon origin, and to have been originally written Alwyne -- signifying "beloved of all." It is a very common name in England, appearing often in history. The origin of the name Alling, more ancient than Allen, is probably from the Athelings--, a dark brunette race of the Angles, who came with the Saxons from Germany to Britain in the 500's. They drove out the Scots and took possession of the country, giving it the name Angle-land (England), and their mixture produced the Anglo-Saxon race.
The word Atheling means "a person of royal blood", and they were a hereditary aristocracy, and thoroughbred brunette race, unlike the other Angles and Saxons, who were "a light haired, fair complexioned people." These Allings located in the north of England, and were converted to Christianity by the Culdee Missionaries, while the other Angles and Saxons in the south and west were still heathen barbarians. As the Allings were the first of the Anglo-Saxon converts, so the Allings and the Allens were among the leading Christians of England in early as well as modern times.
The primary seat of learning for the Celtic Culdee Church was to be found at the Abbey of Dull, in Perthshire, central Scotland.
It is believed to date from around 700 A.D and continued for six centuries until it was supplanted, in 1311, by the Abbey of St. Andrews, on the east coast of Scotland. There is an ancient tradition that the Culdee Abbey at Dull was located on an earlier religious site dating from the 1st century A.D. Its founder was said to be a certain Mansuetus, a member of the Caledonian royal lineage, who was reputedly baptised by Joseph of Arimathea at Glastonbury.
In The History of the Culdees: the Ancient Clergy of the British Isles A.D.177-1300 by Rev. Duncan McCallum (1855) we find: "It is certain that Culdees introduced Christianity into the island in the third century....In the north, the Culdees quoted the apostle John as their authority for departing from the dogmas of the Church of Rome....The Culdees did not change the terms used by the Druids, the ancient priests of the Celtae. Their language being a dialect of the Celtic."
Our ancestor Roger and many of his descendants were of quite dark complexion. (So was my mother, Ruth Allen.) He used the surname Allen in England, but changed the form to Alling when he came to New England, perhaps to restore this ancient name and perpetuate their identity. There were around forty different Allens who emigrated early to various parts of this country, and Roger and John who settled in New Haven, were the only who used the spelling Alling. Their descendants used the spelling "Alling" until about 1800, when our ancestor "Cornelius Alling" became "Cornelius Allen", his father being "Samuel Alling."
Roger Allen (Alling), 1612, was the son of James Allen, blacksmith of Kempston, Bedfordshire, England. The will of James mentions three sons and three daughters: Roger, who married Mary Nash, (our ancestor) and migrated to New Haven, Connecticut, Joana Allen, who migrated to New Haven, Connecticut, and married Abraham Doolittle, William Allen, married, lived in England, Martha Allen, married Richards Parks in England, Mary Allen, married a Mr. Warner in England, and the youngest, John Allen, whom we presumed stayed in England, as he was the executor of his father's will.
When Roger was 28 years old he came over with Captain Lamberton, and served as the steward for the last part of the voyage, after the original steward died. A report was given in court of this voyage by Mr. Lamberton on May 6, 1640. Roger Alling appears in New Haven, Connecticut, and he was given a desirable location in the original "layout" in 1641. Roger was admitted to the church in 1641 and on the 29th of November was admitted a member of the bar or court. He was married in 1642 to Mary Nash, and in 1646 he was allotted pew No. 5 in the meeting house, and his wife Mary in the corresponding pew across the aisle. Males and females were seated separately. He learned the blacksmith trade from his father, as in August, 1646, he took John Potter for an apprentice for 8 years to learn the blacksmith trade, and he was to supply his board and clothing, and to get 5 shillings at the end of the time.
Roger's father died in England in 1657, and he returned to England to receive his inheritance and that of his sister, Joana, who was living in New Haven with her husband. He was gone several months, and while he was gone he was chosen to be a "Public Brander of Horses", and keep a record of what horses or mares were sold and shipped out of New Haven. He was also "a farmer, a large landholder, and an active business man, much above ordinary ability, of sound judgment, or strict integrity, of sterling worth, and with an humble and earnest religious character." He held many offices of trust in the community and church.
In describing him, it reads that "With scarcely an exception, his descendants have been honest, industrious and good citizens. " The early New Englanders were described -- "The early fathers were a type of the character that New England is proud to claim as peculiarly its own. They were men who make the most of their surroundings; who reap prosperity from a rugged soil; who join honesty to thrift; who love liberality as they scorn extravagance; who know there is no station in life, however lowly, or however high, that cannot be filled with dignity; no reward of life which cannot be gained by industry, integrity, good sense, and good morals."
We come through his first son, Sergeant Samuel Alling, born in 1645, who was also a blacksmith. He married (1) Elizabeth Winston, who bore him seven sons, and died soon after the last son was born in 1682. He married (2) Sarah Chedsey, and they had one son and three daughters. Seven of his sons and his three daughters all lived to maturity and all had families. We descend through Samuel's son Roger Alling, b. 1677, named after his grandfather. He settled at Allingtown, New Haven, and was also a blacksmith, but with him the blacksmith trade appears to cease. His first wife Susanna had 2 children, and he married Ruth (?) who bore him three sons and two daughters, all of whom grew up and married.
We come through Ruth's 2nd son Samuel Alling who was a farmer, born 1716. Roger and Ruth were regular attendants at their church, and as was the custom of "well-to-do people" from a distance, they had a "Sabbath Day House" near their church. They would eat their lunch at the intermission between morning and afternoon services there, and in cold weather could warm themselves, for no fire was allowed to be made in the meeting-houses in coldest weather in those days.
Samuel Alling, b 1716, married Kezia Lines, and settled in Woodbridge soon after his marriage. His son, Cornelius Alling/Allen had a twin sister named Keziah, and they were born November 26, 1748. His twin sister died at age 18, but Cornelius began to use the surname "Allen", and married Mary Lemmon, and lived at Washington, Connecticut.
Their son Gideon Allen, is Pal's 2nd great-grandfather, and he married Rachel Hand. They lived in Litchfield, Connecticut, where all their 7 children were born. He then moved to Hartwick, New York, about 1820 -- when his son, Philo Allen, our ancestor was about 2 years old. They joined the "Mormon " Church in 1836, and then their lives were with the Saints, to Nauvoo, and thence to Utah.
They came west in 1849 in the George A.Smith/Dan Jones Company, when Gideon was 74 and his wife Rachel was 72 years old. They came in the same group as Philo Allen and his first wife, Lucy Alvord. ( We come through Philo's second wife, Sarah Adeline Butler whom he married in 1857, as a plural wife. She was 16 and he was 39, and she wasn’t happy in that marriage.) These are some comments of their journey by others who kept journals. It gives us an idea of their trip.
New Haven in 1640, when he was 28 years old. There were several with the
surname of Allen there already, so he took the surname of Alling. They were Allings until about 1800, when they reverted back to the original name of Allen.
This is the history of Roger Alling, our Allen immigrant ancestor, down to Philo Allen who joined the Church in 1835.
The origin of the Allens is lost in the unrecorded ages. The name is very ancient, and supposed to be of Saxon origin, and to have been originally written Alwyne -- signifying "beloved of all." It is a very common name in England, appearing often in history. The origin of the name Alling, more ancient than Allen, is probably from the Athelings--, a dark brunette race of the Angles, who came with the Saxons from Germany to Britain in the 500's. They drove out the Scots and took possession of the country, giving it the name Angle-land (England), and their mixture produced the Anglo-Saxon race.
The word Atheling means "a person of royal blood", and they were a hereditary aristocracy, and thoroughbred brunette race, unlike the other Angles and Saxons, who were "a light haired, fair complexioned people." These Allings located in the north of England, and were converted to Christianity by the Culdee Missionaries, while the other Angles and Saxons in the south and west were still heathen barbarians. As the Allings were the first of the Anglo-Saxon converts, so the Allings and the Allens were among the leading Christians of England in early as well as modern times.
The primary seat of learning for the Celtic Culdee Church was to be found at the Abbey of Dull, in Perthshire, central Scotland.
It is believed to date from around 700 A.D and continued for six centuries until it was supplanted, in 1311, by the Abbey of St. Andrews, on the east coast of Scotland. There is an ancient tradition that the Culdee Abbey at Dull was located on an earlier religious site dating from the 1st century A.D. Its founder was said to be a certain Mansuetus, a member of the Caledonian royal lineage, who was reputedly baptised by Joseph of Arimathea at Glastonbury.
In The History of the Culdees: the Ancient Clergy of the British Isles A.D.177-1300 by Rev. Duncan McCallum (1855) we find: "It is certain that Culdees introduced Christianity into the island in the third century....In the north, the Culdees quoted the apostle John as their authority for departing from the dogmas of the Church of Rome....The Culdees did not change the terms used by the Druids, the ancient priests of the Celtae. Their language being a dialect of the Celtic."
Our ancestor Roger and many of his descendants were of quite dark complexion. (So was my mother, Ruth Allen.) He used the surname Allen in England, but changed the form to Alling when he came to New England, perhaps to restore this ancient name and perpetuate their identity. There were around forty different Allens who emigrated early to various parts of this country, and Roger and John who settled in New Haven, were the only who used the spelling Alling. Their descendants used the spelling "Alling" until about 1800, when our ancestor "Cornelius Alling" became "Cornelius Allen", his father being "Samuel Alling."
Roger Allen (Alling), 1612, was the son of James Allen, blacksmith of Kempston, Bedfordshire, England. The will of James mentions three sons and three daughters: Roger, who married Mary Nash, (our ancestor) and migrated to New Haven, Connecticut, Joana Allen, who migrated to New Haven, Connecticut, and married Abraham Doolittle, William Allen, married, lived in England, Martha Allen, married Richards Parks in England, Mary Allen, married a Mr. Warner in England, and the youngest, John Allen, whom we presumed stayed in England, as he was the executor of his father's will.
When Roger was 28 years old he came over with Captain Lamberton, and served as the steward for the last part of the voyage, after the original steward died. A report was given in court of this voyage by Mr. Lamberton on May 6, 1640. Roger Alling appears in New Haven, Connecticut, and he was given a desirable location in the original "layout" in 1641. Roger was admitted to the church in 1641 and on the 29th of November was admitted a member of the bar or court. He was married in 1642 to Mary Nash, and in 1646 he was allotted pew No. 5 in the meeting house, and his wife Mary in the corresponding pew across the aisle. Males and females were seated separately. He learned the blacksmith trade from his father, as in August, 1646, he took John Potter for an apprentice for 8 years to learn the blacksmith trade, and he was to supply his board and clothing, and to get 5 shillings at the end of the time.
Roger's father died in England in 1657, and he returned to England to receive his inheritance and that of his sister, Joana, who was living in New Haven with her husband. He was gone several months, and while he was gone he was chosen to be a "Public Brander of Horses", and keep a record of what horses or mares were sold and shipped out of New Haven. He was also "a farmer, a large landholder, and an active business man, much above ordinary ability, of sound judgment, or strict integrity, of sterling worth, and with an humble and earnest religious character." He held many offices of trust in the community and church.
In describing him, it reads that "With scarcely an exception, his descendants have been honest, industrious and good citizens. " The early New Englanders were described -- "The early fathers were a type of the character that New England is proud to claim as peculiarly its own. They were men who make the most of their surroundings; who reap prosperity from a rugged soil; who join honesty to thrift; who love liberality as they scorn extravagance; who know there is no station in life, however lowly, or however high, that cannot be filled with dignity; no reward of life which cannot be gained by industry, integrity, good sense, and good morals."
We come through his first son, Sergeant Samuel Alling, born in 1645, who was also a blacksmith. He married (1) Elizabeth Winston, who bore him seven sons, and died soon after the last son was born in 1682. He married (2) Sarah Chedsey, and they had one son and three daughters. Seven of his sons and his three daughters all lived to maturity and all had families. We descend through Samuel's son Roger Alling, b. 1677, named after his grandfather. He settled at Allingtown, New Haven, and was also a blacksmith, but with him the blacksmith trade appears to cease. His first wife Susanna had 2 children, and he married Ruth (?) who bore him three sons and two daughters, all of whom grew up and married.
We come through Ruth's 2nd son Samuel Alling who was a farmer, born 1716. Roger and Ruth were regular attendants at their church, and as was the custom of "well-to-do people" from a distance, they had a "Sabbath Day House" near their church. They would eat their lunch at the intermission between morning and afternoon services there, and in cold weather could warm themselves, for no fire was allowed to be made in the meeting-houses in coldest weather in those days.
Samuel Alling, b 1716, married Kezia Lines, and settled in Woodbridge soon after his marriage. His son, Cornelius Alling/Allen had a twin sister named Keziah, and they were born November 26, 1748. His twin sister died at age 18, but Cornelius began to use the surname "Allen", and married Mary Lemmon, and lived at Washington, Connecticut.
Their son Gideon Allen, is Pal's 2nd great-grandfather, and he married Rachel Hand. They lived in Litchfield, Connecticut, where all their 7 children were born. He then moved to Hartwick, New York, about 1820 -- when his son, Philo Allen, our ancestor was about 2 years old. They joined the "Mormon " Church in 1836, and then their lives were with the Saints, to Nauvoo, and thence to Utah.
They came west in 1849 in the George A.Smith/Dan Jones Company, when Gideon was 74 and his wife Rachel was 72 years old. They came in the same group as Philo Allen and his first wife, Lucy Alvord. ( We come through Philo's second wife, Sarah Adeline Butler whom he married in 1857, as a plural wife. She was 16 and he was 39, and she wasn’t happy in that marriage.) These are some comments of their journey by others who kept journals. It gives us an idea of their trip.
On the 7th of July we started across the Plains in Brother George A. Smith's company. We had a good time until we reached the Sweetwater River. Then we had snowstorms and lost many cattle. We had to throw away trunks and baggage to make the loads lighter. I took malarial fever. We had to burn buffalo chips for wood.
We saw many buffaloes. There were so many rainstorms on the first 300 miles of our journey that it was difficult to travel because the wheels of the covered wagons would often sink very deep in the mire, and also after we came to the highland, the grazing was and still is very scarce for the animals.
We have been on this journey now for over three months and have traveled 863½ miles, have ascended to the height of over 7,000 feet above sea level; and almost unawares we have been surrounded on nearly every side by snowy tops of the Rocky Mountains, which perpetually dwell in the white clouds. O, majestic sights!! They are beyond description.
The histories of Gideon and Philo Allen are already mentioned in past blogs. Also, my grandfather John Butler Allen's life is written about -- please check in the list of topics if you'd like to read about them. My mother, Ruth Allen Miles, was a remarkable woman, and you have probably read several entries about her life, and her beautiful poems.Twenty-four of the wagons of our company belonged to the Welch saints, who had been led from Wales by Elder Dan Jones. They did not understand driving oxen. It was very amusing to see them yoke their cattle; two would have an animal by the horns, one by the tail, and one or two others would do their best to put on the yoke, whilst the apparently astonished ox, not at all enlightened by the guttural sounds of the Welch tongue, seemed perfectly at a loss what to do, or to know what was wanted of him. But these saints amply made up for their lack of skill in driving cattle by their excellent singing, which afforded us great assistance in our public meetings, and helped to enliven our evenings. (The Welsh are known for their music and singing.) -- end of the journal entry.
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