The Allen family of New England is a very numerous and prominent one. The record herein contained begins with Daniel. He settled in Saratoga county, New York, prior to the revolution. He married Betsey Seabury, born January 30, 1730, died January 31, 1815. Children:
- Joseph, born September 27, 1750, died September 28, 1838;
- Humphrey, born February 16, 1754, died February 17, 1842;
- Ruth Sherman, born July 17, 1756, died August 16, 1798;
- Gideon, born November 5, 1760, died November 3, 1841;
- Pardon, born May 25, 1767, died March 28, 1836;
- Wesson, born May 8, 1768, died May 7, 1834;
- John, see forward.
(II) John, son of Daniel and Betsey (Seabury) Allen, was born in Providence, Saratoga county, New York, July 11, 1772, died May 14, 1864. He was a prosperous farmer and was engaged in agriculture all his days. He was a man of strict integrity, and so well known was his dominant trait of character that he was spoken of far and near as "Honest" John Allen. He married Deborah Palmer and had children:
- Seabury, married Hannah ————;
- Sylvester, married Sarah Cornell;
- William, married Elizabeth ————;
- Elihu, see forward;
- John;
- Smith.
(III) Elihu, third son of John and Deborah (Palmer) Allen, was born on the home farm in Providence, Saratoga county, New York, March 9, 1805. He was educated in the country schools, and in early manhood was a farmer. In 1846 he became interested in the manufacture of paper, locating his mill at Stillwater, Saratoga county. He removed his business to Sandy Hill (now Hudson Falls), having bought the plant and mill of Ferris & Bartlett located at that place. He there became associated with Nelson W. Wait as partner. For many years they continued in successful operation, adding to the prosperity of the village and holding an honored position in the trade. Mr. Allen was an active and interested member of the Baptist church of Sandy Hill, for many years serving as trustee. He married Laura, daughter of Uriah Cornell. Children, all born in Saratoga county, New York:
- Uriah Cornell, May 31, 1829; married, November 5, 1856, Elizabeth Stover, of Rensselaer county, New York.
- Hiram, January 14, 1831, died August 4, 1906; he was a paper manufacturer; he married (first) January 17, 1856, Fannie M. Benedict; (second) June 10, 1863, Helen S. Benedict; (third) July 31, 1896, Caroline A. Baker; by his first wife he had a son, Marcus Clyde, born April 11, 1859, afterward associated with his father and Uncle Loren as secretary of Allen Brothers Company.
- Loren, see forward.
(IV) Loren, youngest son of Elihu and Laura (Cornell) Allen, was born in Galway, Saratoga county, New York, December 7, 1833. He was educated at the academies in Stillwater and Glens Falls, New York. Soon after leaving school he began his long, useful and honorable business career as a clerk in a lumber yard in Albany, and during the winter months of 1855-56 he taught in the public schools of that city. In 1857 he formed a partnership with his brother Hiram and engaged in the manufacture of paper at Baker Falls, New York. They were very successful and their business grew to such proportions that they incorporated as "Allen Brothers Company," with Hiram Allen, president; Loren Allen, vice-president, and Marcus C. Allen, secretary. They manufactured blank wall paper, manila fibre and express paper, all of which was in such constant demand that their plant was run to its full capacity. After the death of Hiram Allen, the business was continued by Loren Allen and Marcus C. Allen, until the fall of 1906, when an advantageous offer from the Union Bag Company for the plant was accepted, and Loren Allen retired, after a connection with paper manufacturing of nearly half a century. He had not devoted himself exclusively to his private affairs, but in village and church has shown his deep interest and public spirit. He served on the village school board of Sandy Hill, and it was to his energy and modern ideas that the village could boast of the finest high school building in Northern New York. For sixty years he has been a member of the First Baptist Church, serving most of his time as trustee, and for twenty years has been a deacon. His influence has always been on the side of progress in all the affairs of Sandy Hill, where he is a well known and highly regarded citizen. Loren Allen was one of the promoters of the first street railroad of Hudson Falls, was the prime mover in securing the water works for Hudson Falls, and also largely responsible for the introduction of gas in this little city. He was for years president of the Alice Falls Pulp Company at Ausable Chasm, New York, and is now president of the Sarcana Pulp Company, of Plattsburgh, New York.
Mr. Allen was the prime mover in the establishment of the Standard Wall Paper Company at Baker Falls, New York. He has been conected with the Masonic order for many years, but never was active in lodge work. In politics he is a Republican. He married (first) December 25, 1856, Mary Ann, daughter of Peter Vandenburgh. She was born September 20, 1834, died May 18, 1879. He married (second) February 16, 1881, Harriette Ann Witbeck, youngest daughter of Wynant Gysbert Van Den Bergh, of Waterford, New York. Children, all by first marriage:
- Mary Ida, born May 30, 1859, married George Liddell, a son, Loren Allen Liddell, born December 27, 1887;
- Clifford Hiram, born January 31, 1867, married Lillian Wendell;
- Charles L., twin of Clifford H., married Jennie Fox, son Adelbert C., born March 21, 1894;
- Charles L. Allen, died June 5, 1910.
(The Van Den Bergh Line)
Gysbert Cornelessin Van Wesep, called also Gysbert ap. or Van de Bergh, arrived in the colony of Rensselaerwyck in 1645, and lived on a farm called "High Beigh" lying on the east side of the Hudson. He married Lysbeth, daughter of Claas Cornelis Segers Van Voorhoudt. In 1662 he bought a house, barn, etc. "lying this side of Bethlehem" of Marten Cornelise Van Buren. Children:
- Willem, married Catryna, daughter of Wynant Van der Poel;
- Cornelis Gysbertse, see forward;
- Gerret, married Teuntje ————;
- Gertje, married Evert Van Esch.
(II) Cornelis Gysbertse, son of Gysbert and Lysbeth (Van Voorhoudt) Van Den Bergh, was born, it is supposed, in Holland, his father's native country. He died between 1714 and 1717, and lived on the east side of the river between Albany and Troy. He married (first) Cornelia Wynantse, sister of Catryna Van der Poel; (second) Maria Van Beuren, widow of Lewis (Matthew) Van Beuren. Children:
- Gysbert, married (first) Diwertje Marten, October 20, 1700, (second) Catalyntje ————;
- Tryntje, married Peter Waldron, died 1753;
- Maritje, married Cornelis Van Alstyne;
- Cornelis, married Maria Winne;
- Cornelia, married Martin Van Alstyne;
- Matthias, see forward;
- Gertje, baptized December 20, 1691;
- Goosen Wynant, married Anna Wendell, March 20, 1721.
He had one child by his second wife,
- Gerrit, born 1703, died 1721.
(III) Matthias, sixth child of Cornelis Gysbertse and Cornelia Wynantse (Van der Poel) Van Den Bergh, was baptized in Albany, March 23, 1690. He married, May 26, 1717, Cathlyna, daughter of Rutger Melcherts and Weintje Harments (Hun) Van Deusen. She died and was buried in Albany, May 1, 1731, and her husband was buried there December 22, 1745. Children:
- Cornelis, see forward;
- Myntje, married (first) Ryner Van Yeveren, (second) Gerrit Lansing;
- Cornelia, married Reyner Van Alstyne, November 5, 1748;
- Rutgert, married Maria Van Den Bergh, July 6, 1754;
- Gysbert, died in infancy;
- Engeltje, baptized April 17, 1730, married, July 24, 1741, Bastian Tennis [Teunis?] Visscher.
(IV) Cornelis, son of Matthias, and Cathlyna (Van Deusen) Van Den Bergh, was baptized October 8, 1719, died February 2, 1798. He settled in the town of Half Moon, Saratoga county, New York, near Waterford, and is on the list of "path masters" for the years 1788-89. He married a kinswoman, Cornelia Van Den Bergh, in New York City, February 13, 1747. Children, baptized:
- Rachel, May 28, 1749;
- Annatje, March 17, 1751;
- Wynant, November 24, 1754, see forward;
- Matthys, August 13, 1758;
- Cathalyntje, November 15, 1760;
- Mattheus, born March 17, 1762;
- Gysbert, May 19, 1766.
(V) Wynant, son of Cornelis and Cornelia (Van Den Bergh) Van Den Bergh, was born in Saratoga county, New York, November 24, 1754. The family of Van Den Bergh furnished forty-five soldiers to the revolutionary army from New York state. Wynant was a private of the Thirteenth Regiment, Albany County Militia, Colonel John McCrea commanding. He was a farmer of the town of Half Moon, and a man of character and. influence. He married Fransytke Van Ness, a descendant of one of the early Dutch families of Albany county. Wynant Van Den Bergh died in 1822.
(VI) Gysbert, son of Wynant and Fransytke (Van Ness) Van Den Bergh, was born in Half Moon, Saratoga county, New York, April 8, 1776. He was a member of the Masonic order. Gysbert Van Den Bergh and his brother Peter cut and hewed the timber, and floated it down the river, that was used in the old Waterford Bridge that was recently destroyed by fire. He married, March 17, 1795, Sarah, born September 12, 1778, daughter of Hendrick and Altje (Van Ness) Schoonhooven. Hendrick, her father, was born in Half Moon in 1752, and married Altje Van Ness in 1771. He was a son of Guert Hendrick Van Schoonhooven, born in 1675, whose brother Goosen purchased the site of Waterford from the Indians, November 23, 1669. Children of Gysbert Van Den Bergh:
- Hendrick, born January 23, 1797;
- Wynant Gysbert, see forward;
- Frances Alida, born January 26, 1813; married Thomas C. Morgan, of Connecticut.
(VII) Wynant Gysbert, son of Gysbert and Sarah (Van Schoonhooven) Van Den Bergh, was born at Half Moon, Saratoga county, New York, March 30, 1799. He was one of the most prominent farmers of the town of Waterford, and for a number of years was supervisor; was elder of the Dutch Reformed church for thirty-seven years, until his death. He married, December 27, 1820, Sarah, born February 22, 1805, daughter of Cornelius and Cornelia (Lansing) Fonda, both of the oldest, most substantial Dutch families of the early period. Children:
- Henry Calhoun, born January 1, 1824, married Sarah M. Thrall, of Glastonbury, Connecticut;
- Frances Maria, July 6, 1827;
- Susan Alida, June 5, 1833, married Simon Sheldon, of Schuylerville, New York;
- Garrett Lansing, August 2, 1835, died in 1856;
- Sarah Matilda, February 3, 1837, married Smith Boughton;
- James Gilbert, September 1, 1841, died in infancy;
- Harriette Ann, October 2, 1853, married, February 16, 1881, Loren Allen, of Sandy Hill, New York (see Allen IV).