JAMES ALLEN (son of William Allen and Abigail Barnes) was born about 1790. (The 1850 census lists his age as 60 years. That census taker's handwritten notation for the state where James was born can be a bit difficult to decipher, but that notation has been translated elsewhere into print as North Carolina.) James married MARTHA "PATSY" CHASTAIN (daughter of John "Blind John" Chastain, Jr.)., about 1812.*
[NOTE: This James Allen had a first cousin known as JAMES C. ALLEN (son of Reuben Allen and Elizabeth Hendricks), who married Martha Chastain's older sister ELIZABETH CHASTAIN.** Proceed carefully to avoid confusing one couple with the other.]
James and Martha lived for a time in Pickens County, South Carolina, for their first child William Chastain Allen was born there in 1813.***
By 1840, James, Martha, and family were residing in Rabun County, Georgia, according to census records. By 1850, they are found in Gilmer County, Georgia. James and Martha's oldest child, W. C., is known to have moved from Rabun to Gilmer in 1842.**** It seems likely that James moved to Gilmer County about the time that his son W. C. did.
The following quoted paragraphs are from George Gordon Ward, ANNALS OF UPPER GEORGIA: CENTERED IN GILMER COUNTY 187, 189 (1965). Notably, Ward's sources included not only an account from B. B. Quillian written 26June 1884 but also the recollections ofJudge John Cleveland Allen, son of W. C. Allen and grandson of James Allen; both Quillian and Judge Allen had extensive and first-hand knowledge of early Gilmer County history:
"James Allen ... migrated [to Gilmer County] from Rabun County and settled on Clear Creek, approximately where W. C. Allen, his oldest son, lived later. Except where James Allen settled, there had not been any Cherokees. But an Indian named Hagg had lived on the same place and had cleared a small field. Mr. Allen was what was called in those days a wheelwright, and was the best of his trade....
"Mr. Allen was able not alone to build wheels, but he was a competent workman with wood generally, useful to the common weal in his neighborhood, and fortunate in his family. His daughters were praised by the pioneers, and were said to make excellent wives. [Daughter Jemima] married Israel Teem in Rabun County shortly before the couple removed to Gilmer and settled on land adjoining James Allen's.
"Mrs. Allen stood in high favor in her community also. She and Mr. Allen were parents of still other daughters who married among their pioneer neighbors. Soon after the Allens settled in the Clear Creek community, other settlers removed to Gilmer and settled on land adjoining James Allen's.
"James Allen was greatly missed when his death, just prior to the Civil War, occurred.***** He was a Democrat, and had long been a member of the Baptist Church.****** His family was of considerable size."
NOTES:
* Pierre Chastain Family Ass'n, PIERRE CHASTAIN AND HIS DESCENDANTS VOL. I: FIRST FIVE GENERATIONS IN AMERICA, p. 150 (1995).
** Id. at 149.
*** William C. Allen, Application for Indian War Pension & General Affidavit in Support Thereof (1892).
**** Id.
***** Some sources give 1859 as the year of this James Allen's death, but property records show that he died not later than 1857. Gilmer County, Georgia, Deed Book O, Page 614, records a deed dated 19 Nov 1857 between the heirs of James Allen, deceased, and Israel Teem (husband of James's daughter Jemima).
****** Clear Creek Baptist Church was established 1849.
-- W. R. Allen, 3x great-grandson of James Allen (2023)
[NOTE: This James Allen had a first cousin known as JAMES C. ALLEN (son of Reuben Allen and Elizabeth Hendricks), who married Martha Chastain's older sister ELIZABETH CHASTAIN.** Proceed carefully to avoid confusing one couple with the other.]
James and Martha lived for a time in Pickens County, South Carolina, for their first child William Chastain Allen was born there in 1813.***
By 1840, James, Martha, and family were residing in Rabun County, Georgia, according to census records. By 1850, they are found in Gilmer County, Georgia. James and Martha's oldest child, W. C., is known to have moved from Rabun to Gilmer in 1842.**** It seems likely that James moved to Gilmer County about the time that his son W. C. did.
The following quoted paragraphs are from George Gordon Ward, ANNALS OF UPPER GEORGIA: CENTERED IN GILMER COUNTY 187, 189 (1965). Notably, Ward's sources included not only an account from B. B. Quillian written 26June 1884 but also the recollections ofJudge John Cleveland Allen, son of W. C. Allen and grandson of James Allen; both Quillian and Judge Allen had extensive and first-hand knowledge of early Gilmer County history:
"James Allen ... migrated [to Gilmer County] from Rabun County and settled on Clear Creek, approximately where W. C. Allen, his oldest son, lived later. Except where James Allen settled, there had not been any Cherokees. But an Indian named Hagg had lived on the same place and had cleared a small field. Mr. Allen was what was called in those days a wheelwright, and was the best of his trade....
"Mr. Allen was able not alone to build wheels, but he was a competent workman with wood generally, useful to the common weal in his neighborhood, and fortunate in his family. His daughters were praised by the pioneers, and were said to make excellent wives. [Daughter Jemima] married Israel Teem in Rabun County shortly before the couple removed to Gilmer and settled on land adjoining James Allen's.
"Mrs. Allen stood in high favor in her community also. She and Mr. Allen were parents of still other daughters who married among their pioneer neighbors. Soon after the Allens settled in the Clear Creek community, other settlers removed to Gilmer and settled on land adjoining James Allen's.
"James Allen was greatly missed when his death, just prior to the Civil War, occurred.***** He was a Democrat, and had long been a member of the Baptist Church.****** His family was of considerable size."
NOTES:
* Pierre Chastain Family Ass'n, PIERRE CHASTAIN AND HIS DESCENDANTS VOL. I: FIRST FIVE GENERATIONS IN AMERICA, p. 150 (1995).
** Id. at 149.
*** William C. Allen, Application for Indian War Pension & General Affidavit in Support Thereof (1892).
**** Id.
***** Some sources give 1859 as the year of this James Allen's death, but property records show that he died not later than 1857. Gilmer County, Georgia, Deed Book O, Page 614, records a deed dated 19 Nov 1857 between the heirs of James Allen, deceased, and Israel Teem (husband of James's daughter Jemima).
****** Clear Creek Baptist Church was established 1849.
-- W. R. Allen, 3x great-grandson of James Allen (2023)
JAMES ALLEN (son of William Allen and Abigail Barnes) was born about 1790. (The 1850 census lists his age as 60 years. That census taker's handwritten notation for the state where James was born can be a bit difficult to decipher, but that notation has been translated elsewhere into print as North Carolina.) James married MARTHA "PATSY" CHASTAIN (daughter of John "Blind John" Chastain, Jr.)., about 1812.*
[NOTE: This James Allen had a first cousin known as JAMES C. ALLEN (son of Reuben Allen and Elizabeth Hendricks), who married Martha Chastain's older sister ELIZABETH CHASTAIN.** Proceed carefully to avoid confusing one couple with the other.]
James and Martha lived for a time in Pickens County, South Carolina, for their first child William Chastain Allen was born there in 1813.***
By 1840, James, Martha, and family were residing in Rabun County, Georgia, according to census records. By 1850, they are found in Gilmer County, Georgia. James and Martha's oldest child, W. C., is known to have moved from Rabun to Gilmer in 1842.**** It seems likely that James moved to Gilmer County about the time that his son W. C. did.
The following quoted paragraphs are from George Gordon Ward, ANNALS OF UPPER GEORGIA: CENTERED IN GILMER COUNTY 187, 189 (1965). Notably, Ward's sources included not only an account from B. B. Quillian written 26June 1884 but also the recollections ofJudge John Cleveland Allen, son of W. C. Allen and grandson of James Allen; both Quillian and Judge Allen had extensive and first-hand knowledge of early Gilmer County history:
"James Allen ... migrated [to Gilmer County] from Rabun County and settled on Clear Creek, approximately where W. C. Allen, his oldest son, lived later. Except where James Allen settled, there had not been any Cherokees. But an Indian named Hagg had lived on the same place and had cleared a small field. Mr. Allen was what was called in those days a wheelwright, and was the best of his trade....
"Mr. Allen was able not alone to build wheels, but he was a competent workman with wood generally, useful to the common weal in his neighborhood, and fortunate in his family. His daughters were praised by the pioneers, and were said to make excellent wives. [Daughter Jemima] married Israel Teem in Rabun County shortly before the couple removed to Gilmer and settled on land adjoining James Allen's.
"Mrs. Allen stood in high favor in her community also. She and Mr. Allen were parents of still other daughters who married among their pioneer neighbors. Soon after the Allens settled in the Clear Creek community, other settlers removed to Gilmer and settled on land adjoining James Allen's.
"James Allen was greatly missed when his death, just prior to the Civil War, occurred.***** He was a Democrat, and had long been a member of the Baptist Church.****** His family was of considerable size."
NOTES:
* Pierre Chastain Family Ass'n, PIERRE CHASTAIN AND HIS DESCENDANTS VOL. I: FIRST FIVE GENERATIONS IN AMERICA, p. 150 (1995).
** Id. at 149.
*** William C. Allen, Application for Indian War Pension & General Affidavit in Support Thereof (1892).
**** Id.
***** Some sources give 1859 as the year of this James Allen's death, but property records show that he died not later than 1857. Gilmer County, Georgia, Deed Book O, Page 614, records a deed dated 19 Nov 1857 between the heirs of James Allen, deceased, and Israel Teem (husband of James's daughter Jemima).
****** Clear Creek Baptist Church was established 1849.
-- W. R. Allen, 3x great-grandson of James Allen (2023)
[NOTE: This James Allen had a first cousin known as JAMES C. ALLEN (son of Reuben Allen and Elizabeth Hendricks), who married Martha Chastain's older sister ELIZABETH CHASTAIN.** Proceed carefully to avoid confusing one couple with the other.]
James and Martha lived for a time in Pickens County, South Carolina, for their first child William Chastain Allen was born there in 1813.***
By 1840, James, Martha, and family were residing in Rabun County, Georgia, according to census records. By 1850, they are found in Gilmer County, Georgia. James and Martha's oldest child, W. C., is known to have moved from Rabun to Gilmer in 1842.**** It seems likely that James moved to Gilmer County about the time that his son W. C. did.
The following quoted paragraphs are from George Gordon Ward, ANNALS OF UPPER GEORGIA: CENTERED IN GILMER COUNTY 187, 189 (1965). Notably, Ward's sources included not only an account from B. B. Quillian written 26June 1884 but also the recollections ofJudge John Cleveland Allen, son of W. C. Allen and grandson of James Allen; both Quillian and Judge Allen had extensive and first-hand knowledge of early Gilmer County history:
"James Allen ... migrated [to Gilmer County] from Rabun County and settled on Clear Creek, approximately where W. C. Allen, his oldest son, lived later. Except where James Allen settled, there had not been any Cherokees. But an Indian named Hagg had lived on the same place and had cleared a small field. Mr. Allen was what was called in those days a wheelwright, and was the best of his trade....
"Mr. Allen was able not alone to build wheels, but he was a competent workman with wood generally, useful to the common weal in his neighborhood, and fortunate in his family. His daughters were praised by the pioneers, and were said to make excellent wives. [Daughter Jemima] married Israel Teem in Rabun County shortly before the couple removed to Gilmer and settled on land adjoining James Allen's.
"Mrs. Allen stood in high favor in her community also. She and Mr. Allen were parents of still other daughters who married among their pioneer neighbors. Soon after the Allens settled in the Clear Creek community, other settlers removed to Gilmer and settled on land adjoining James Allen's.
"James Allen was greatly missed when his death, just prior to the Civil War, occurred.***** He was a Democrat, and had long been a member of the Baptist Church.****** His family was of considerable size."
NOTES:
* Pierre Chastain Family Ass'n, PIERRE CHASTAIN AND HIS DESCENDANTS VOL. I: FIRST FIVE GENERATIONS IN AMERICA, p. 150 (1995).
** Id. at 149.
*** William C. Allen, Application for Indian War Pension & General Affidavit in Support Thereof (1892).
**** Id.
***** Some sources give 1859 as the year of this James Allen's death, but property records show that he died not later than 1857. Gilmer County, Georgia, Deed Book O, Page 614, records a deed dated 19 Nov 1857 between the heirs of James Allen, deceased, and Israel Teem (husband of James's daughter Jemima).
****** Clear Creek Baptist Church was established 1849.
-- W. R. Allen, 3x great-grandson of James Allen (2023)
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