Allen is the name of an ancient family in the county of Durham, England, and of another family in the county of Essex. The name in early times was spelled Alon, Alwyne, Alleine, Allyn and many other ways, but in New England, as well as in England, the common spelling is Allen. The Allens of England bore arms, a shield sable, "A cross potent, border engrailed or." Crest: "A demi Lion argent, holding a rudder gales, nooks and nails or." The American ancestor of the Sandwich, Massachusetts, family was George Allen, born in England, about 1568, was probably the son of Ralph Allen of Thurcaston, Leicester county. In 1635, when the Puritans were emigrating in large numbers from the old country to escape the persecution of Archbishop Laud under King Charles I., he came in company with one hundred persons under the leadership of Rev. Joseph Hull. He is supposed to have been an Anabaptist. George Allen and his family settled in Lynn, Massachusetts. In 1637 he joined with Edmund Freeman and others in the purchase of the township of Sandwich, Massachusetts, and the same year settled in that town. When Sandwich was incorporated he was chosen deputy to the general court in Plymouth, first office in town, and served in that capacity for several years. The name of his first wife is not known. His second wife was Catharine and after his death she married John Collins. He had twelve sons and several daughters; some of his sons preceded him to America and settled first in the vicinity of Boston, but after the purchase of Sandwich they all removed to that town and settled near the residence of their father. He died in Sandwich, May 2, 1648, aged about eighty years. In his will, probated June 7, 1648, he named five sons, Matthew, Henry, Samuel, George and William. He made provision in his will for "five least children" without naming them.
(II) Ralph, son of George Allen, of Sandwich, was born in England, died in 1698. He married Esther, daughter of William and Joan Swift, who came from Bocking, Suffolk county, England, and settled first in Watertown but removed to Sandwich, 1634, or previous to that date. William Swift died in Sandwich in 1642, and his wife Joan died there in 1662. Esther Swift is supposed to have been the second wife of Ralph Allen. The will of Ralph Allen, of Sandwich, is on record in Barnstable probate records, dated December 19, 1691. His children by his first wife were: John, Joseph, Increase, Ebenezer, Zachariah and Patience. His children by his second wife were: Jedediah, Henry, Benjamin, Meribah, David and Jonathan, Experience and Elisha.
(III) John, son of Ralph Allen, died in 1706. In the copy of Barnstable county probate records owned by the New England Historical Society of Boston, in vol. ii, page 255 — original vol. iii — there is a statement of the estate of John Allen, "late of Sandwich," dated May 20, 1706, and his wife, Rebecca Allen, is appointed administratrix. The items of the estate are given in vol. ii, page 275, then in vol. iii, page 54, there is an appraisal of the estate and settlement of estate on same page, dated February 26, 1711-12, mentions his wife now as "Rebecca Saunders, late widow of John Allen of Sandwich," and speaks of the cost of bringing up the children which are mentioned as follows: Isaac, Benjamin, Judah.
(IV) Judah, son of John Allen, married Rebecca, daughter of Ebenezer Wing and Elizabeth Backhouse, November 26, 1727. The town records of Sandwich — Old Book 127, copy page 100 — gives children of Judah Allen and Rebecca as follows: John, Ebenezer, Francis, Joseph and Joshua. The land transfers recorded in Dartmouth and Taunton between Judah Allen and his sons John and Joshua in 1765 are signed by his wife Elizabeth whom he had married, June 8, 1762.
(V) John (2), son of Judah and Rebecca (Wing) Allen, was born March 23, 1728-29, died in Danby, Vermont. He removed to Danby from Rhode Island about 1778 and was one of the first settlers of that town. Danby records describe him as a "highly respected citizen." He married, January 27, 1751, at Pembroke, Massachusetts, Sylvia, born about 1730, daughter of Isaac and Abigail (Booth) Keen. Children:
- Prince, of whom further.
- Zoeth, married Jane Harper; he was selectman nine years, member of the Vermont legislature four years, and justice of the peace for twenty-seven years; in 1820 he removed to Western New York.
- Isaac, married Sylvia Staples and removed to Collins, New York.
- John, married Sally Brown.
- Judah, married Phoebe, daughter of Elihu Benson.
- Rebecca.
(VI) Prince, son of John (2) and Sylvia (Keen) Allen, resided in Danby, where he was held in high esteem. He died in that town, where his descendants yet reside. He married (first) Hannah, daughter of David and Elizabeth (Wood) Brown. He married (second) Experience, daughter of Job and Sarah (Fish) King. Children of first marriage:
- Abigail;
- Daniel;
- Ira, married Rebecca Calkins;
- Prussia, married Savid [sic] Bartlett;
- Joseph;
- Laura;
- David.
Children of second wife: King, Savid, Ruth, Hannah, Rhoda, Rhoba.
(VII) David, son of Prince and Hannah (Brown) Allen, was born March 30, 1799. He married, at Danby, Vermont, October 16, 1825, Dinah Rogers, born November 13, 1801, died February 9, 1860, daughter of Deliverance and Judith (Folger) Rogers. Children:
- Cynthia, married William De Kalb;
- Emily, married Merritt Norton;
- Marcus Bartlett, of whom further.
(VIII) Marcus Bartlett, son of David and Dinah (Rogers) Allen, was born March 4, 1839, died November 18, 1906. He settled in Washington county, New York, where he owned a large farm and was a substantial citizen. He was a member of the Society of Friends. He was a man of sterling integrity, loved and respected by his townsmen. He married, December 28, 1858, Hannah Barker, born June 13, 1939, daughter of James and Susan (Barker) Norton. Children:
- Susan M., married George H. Northup;
- Florence A., married Joseph H. Roblee;
- George Myron, of whom further.
(IX) George Myron, son of Marcus Bartlett and Hannah Barker (Norton) Allen, was born at North Bend, Washington county, New York, on the Allen homestead farm, December 2, 1871. He was educated in the public school, and at Troy Conference Academy at Poultney, Vermont. He is a box manufacturer and lumber dealer in his native town, also interested in lands and other concerns. He is a member of the Society of Friends, belonging to the Granville meeting. Politically he is a Prohibitionist. He married, in Granville, New York, January 4, 1893, Lemoyne, daughter of Henry and Lillys (Borden) Dillingham (see Dillingham IX). Children:
- Ernest Leon, born November 23, 1893;
- Marcus Bartlett, March 14, 1899, died March 14, 1908;
- Henry Dillingham, December 21, 1899.
(The Dillingham Line)
Edward Dillingham, born in England, died in Sandwich, Massachusetts, in 1666. Of his life in America, French's An American Ancestry says: "One of the earliest comers to Lynn (1632) was Edward Dillingham, Gentleman, who bore arms and brought over considerable money to invest for his friends in Bitterswell, Lancastershire, England." In 1637 he became one of the ten original settlers in Sandwich. In 1647 and 1648 we find him one of those to inventory the property of James Halloway and George Knot. In 1657 he was arrested and admonished for sympathizing with the Quakers. He left but two sons, his only daughter having died in 1650. He married Drusilla ————, born in England, died in Sandwich in 1656. Sons:
- John, born England, died May 21, 1715, in Haverick, Massachusetts; married, March 24, 1650, Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Feake; she died November, 1720.
- Henry, of whom further.
(II) Henry, son of Edward and Drusilla Dillingham, was born in August, 1627, died in Sandwich, Massachusetts, 1695. He was a resident of Sandwich and his will was probated there August 25, 1705. To his son John he gave "land from my dwelling house to Falmouth, part of which my son John now dwells on." He married, June 24, 1652, Hannah Perry, died June 9, 1673. Children:
- Mary, born December 25, 1653;
- John, of whom further;
- Deborah, born December 21, 1659, married Daniel Wing;
- Dorcas, married Ralph Earl;
- Edward, born about 1669.
(III) John, son of Henry and Hannah (Perry) Dillingham, was born in Sandwich, Massachusetts, February 24, 1658, died 1733. He was still a resident of Sandwich in 1702. He married ———— ————. Children:
- Henry, born about 1685;
- Edward, born about 1687;
- John, about 1689, married, August 11, 1715, Jael, daughter of Elisha and Elizabeth Turner;
- Mary;
- Jeremiah, born 1697;
- Meletiah, of whom further.
(IV) Meletiah, son of John Dillingham, was born 1699, died January 25, 1786, at Hanover, Massachusetts. He is mentioned in the settlement of his father's estate and lived in Sandwich until after his first marriage, but removed to Hanover before his first wife died. He was a large land owner, holding property in several adjoining towns. He married (first) in Scituate, Massachusetts, October 28, 1723, Mary Curtis, died December 17, 1727, aged twenty-four years. He married (second) in Hanover, February 18, 1730, Phebe Hatch, died January 20, 1732. He married (third) January 2, 1735, at Hanover, Maria Gifford, born October 16, 1709, died December 21, 1784. Children of first marriage:
- Edward, born 1724 or 1725;
- Lemuel, married, September 23, 1756, Sarah Palmer, of Hanover, daughter of Joshua and Sarah Palmer.
Child of second marriage: Mephibosheth, born December 29, 1730, died June 9, 1731.
Children of third marriage:
- Lydia, born March 22, 1736, married Zacheus Gifford;
- Hannah, February 6, 1738;
- Content, June 30, 1739;
- Thomas, March 17, 1740;
- Joshua, of whom further;
- Meribah, born November 4, 1745;
- William, September 16, 1747;
- Ann, September 9, 1749;
- Phebe, January 14, 1757.
(V) Joshua, son of Meletiah and Maria (Gifford) Dillingham, was born in Hanover, Massachusetts, March 21, 1743. He married, July 6, 1773, Hannah, born October 4, 1747, daughter of Thomas and Deborah Rogers, of Marshfield. Children, all born in Marshfield, Massachusetts:
- Stephen, of whom further;
- Deborah, June 6, 1775;
- Otis, May 3, 1777;
- Joshua, December 11, 1779, died young;
- Lydia, twin of Joshua, died young;
- Joshua (2), December 7, 1782;
- Hannah, November 3, 1783;
- Sarah, December 9, 1784;
- Rhoda, April 9, 1787.
(VI) Stephen, eldest son of Joshua and Hannah (Rogers) Dillingham, was born in Marshfield, Massachusetts, March 6, 1774. He married Amy Tucker, born September 15, 1775, at Chappaqua, New York, died in Westchester, New York, October 16, 1856. Children:
- Joseph, married Ruth Smith;
- Deborah, died young;
- Abraham, of whom further;
- Hannah, married David Rogers;
- Stephen, married Eliza Rogers;
- Otis, of whom further;
- Reuben, died young.
(VII) Abraham, son of Stephen and Amy (Tucker) Dillingham, was born March 10, 1800. He married Lydia, born June 28, 1807, at Danby, Vermont, daughter of Aaron and Dinah (Folger) Rogers. Child, Henry.
(VIII) Henry, son of Abraham and Lydia (Rogers) Dillingham, was born July 17, 1833. He married, August 22, 1854, Lillys, daughter of Russell and Jane (Hoag) Borden.
(IX) Lemoyne, daughter of Henry and Lillys (Borden) Dillingham, was born October 28, 1865. She married, January 4, 1893, George Myron Allen (see Allen IX).
(VII) Otis, son of Stephen and Amy (Tucker) Dillingham, married (first) June 12, 1832, Elizabeth Keese, of Peru, New York, born March 3, 1810, died January 10, 1845. He married (second) March 11, 1846, Lydia, daughter of Isaac and Mary Barker, of Granville, Washington county, New York. Children, all by first marriage:
- John K., married Sarah Potter;
- Hannah K., of whom further;
- Deborah, married William Huntington;
- Edwin, died young;
- Elizabeth, married Anson Rogers.
(VIII) Hannah K., daughter of Otis and Elizabeth (Keese) Dillingham, died May 4, 1900; married, February 2, 1852, Nelson Hull.