Freelove Allen

Notes:

Information concerning her surname came from "Family Notes," a group of unpublished manuscripts compiled by James N. Arnold, and located at the Knight Library in Providence. This gives her birthdate as 20 May 1722, while Maytum's notes at Newport Historical Society says 20 Jul 1722. Arnold gives her date of death as 17 Mar 1817, while Maytum gives it as 17 May 1817. Neither gives a source as documentation.

She is also mentioned as Freelove Allen, wife of William Remington, on the back of an old photo of George Wait Remington, as his great-grandmother.

Could she be a daughter of William & Freelove (Tillinghast) Allen? They had a daughter Patience who married William Maccoone on 2 April 1738. Freelove would definitely fit into this time frame for their family group. (needs more research)

She could easily be a daughter of one of the Allen families from Prudence Island, as the land evidence from Portsmouth mentions a William Remington of Prudence Island who had a wife named Freelove (Portsmouth land evidence dated 25 Dec 1764, Bk 6 p. 123 & 126).

Son Hezekiah had a grandson named Stephen Allen Remington, so the Allen name reoccurs in the family.

Freelove married William Remington 20 Sep 1752. William (son of William Remington and Mary Manton) was born 17 Jun 1729, Prudence Island, Portsmouth, Newport Co., RI; died 30 Jun 1812, North Kingstown, RI. [Group Sheet]

1. Hezekiah Remington was born Abt 28 May 1757, Prudence Island, Portsmouth, Newport Co., RI; died 21 Mar 1819, North Kingstown, RI.

Notes:

According to a genealogy at Rootsweb's Worldconnect, this William Allen married Freelove Tillinghast. He is of the right age and location to have married her, but I have not yet found any documentation. Wayne G. Tillinghast in his book "The Tillinghasts in America" disputes that, offering evidence that William's wife could not have been Freelove Tillinghast -- at least not the daughter of Joseph Tillinghast.

I suspect that Freelove Allen who married William Remington is a daughter of William & Freelove Allen.

For the time being, I have placed Freelove Allen as a daughter in this family group, pending further research to confirm. These are assumptions only, based on incomplete evidence.

According to research of Wayne G. Tillinghast, William & Freelove Allen were admitted to membership in the Second Baptist Church of Newport on 4 March 1729 ("The Tillinghasts in America, The First Four Generations," RIGS 2006 p 150).

William married Freelove Unknown Abt 1714. Freelove was born Abt 1695; died 1767. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

It has been suggested that this Freelove may have been Freelove Tillinghast. However, Wayne G. Tillinghast in his book "The Tillinghasts in America" disputes that, offering evidence that William's wife could not have been Freelove Tillinghast -- at least not the daughter of Joseph Tillinghast. See page 150, where he notes that William & Freelove Allen were admitted to membership in the Second Baptist Church at Newport on 4 March 1729.

She also is identified as Freelove Tillinghast in the RI Genealogical Register Vol. 6 No. 4 p. 241, "Descendants of John Maccoone." The compiler of this article did not note his source, which may have been DeVere Allen's work on the Allens of Prudence Island.

Notes:

William's will is dated 10 Jan 1735/36, and proved 14 Jul 1740. It mentions his wife, Martha; and children William, John, Ebenezer, & Margaret, wife of Thomas Lawton of Bristol; grandson William, son of John; and grandson James. William Allin/Allen, Jr., reportedly resided at Portsmouth.

Portsmouth land evidence has numerous deeds involving the Allen family and land on Prudence Island.

He may be the William Allin that was admitted a freeman of Portsmouth on 6 June 1692, along with Thomas Remington.

William Allen is mentioned as a son-in-law in the 1718 will of James Sweet of Portsmouth, RI.

William married Martha Sweet Abt 1690. Martha (daughter of James Sweet and Hannah Unknown) was born Abt 1670. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Martha Sweet is identified as the wife of William Allen in The American Genealogist by Donald Lines Jacobus; Vol 48 p 224.

Notes:

A "William Allin" was baptized in the town of Wales, Yorkshire, England, on 19 August 1640. This "is almost certainly the William Allin who emigrated to America in 1660." (source: "Genealogy of the Stone Family Originating in Rhode Island" by R. C. Stone)

The location of William's birth and baptism should not be confused with the country of Wales in the British Isles. Rather, Wales, England, is a town in the West Riding of Yorkshire, about nine miles from Sheffield, the largest town in the area. The West Riding of Yorkshire is where our immigrant ancestor John Remington is believed to have come from, so it is possible that these families had common culture and roots, and even the same reasons for coming to the New World. (source: "Some Prudence Island Allens" by Devere Allen, at the RIHSL)

William served as constable of Prudence Island and was surveyor of cattle. In addition to his land on the island, William also owned land in the East Bay area, probably what is now Barrington or West Barrington, RI, but was originally part of Swansea, MA. This land, purchased from Captain Thomas Willett of Swansea, had originally been sold to Captain Miles Standish by the Indian sachem Wamsutta. This land was described as being on both sides of the Seven Mile River; this river now forms approximately the border between Providence Co., RI, and Bristol Co., MA. However, the location may have been different as described in the 1600s. His land in the East Bay area totalled about 600 acres. (source: Cole's "History of Washington and Kent Counties")

The name on his will (dated 2 June 1685, proved 29 June 1685) is "William Allin." In the will he mentions his wife "that now is" Elizabeth (implying she was not his first wife), four sons, three daughters, and two friends. William, Thomas, John, & Matthew were all under 21; Mercy & Sarah were under 18; daughter Marie Remington was already married at this time. Appointed as executors of the will were Elizabeth Allin (wife), son William, and eldest daughter Marie Remington (Mary, my ancestor).

According to notes in the Mary E. Rice Collection, William Allin died in West Barrington, RI; he was married aft 1660 to Elizabeth; and his first child, Mary (who married Thomas Remington, s/o John & Abigail), was born c1664.

According to Charles Gregory Maytum in his book "Paragraphs on the History of Prudence Island" p. 16, William's children were born of his first (unknown) wife. He was a close friend of John Paine, who lived at the northern end of Prudence Island. William was a large owner of cattle and also had hundreds of sheep. In 1669 he was admitted freeman of Prudence Island (along with John Paine). He was tax rate assessor of PI in 1671; also that year he was constable of PI, as well as in 1678, 1679, 1680, 1682, 1683, & 1691. (Maytum's book is at the Newport Historical Society.)

This book also recounts how in 1680 William Allin moved his house from PI across the frozen bay to West Barrington, with the help of Indians and using three large trees made into a sled pulled by oxen.

A note from Cynthia Joly, as found in the PI Cookbook: "William Allin . . . who came to Prudence in 1660 as a tenant farmer for John Paine. He later built his own home along what is now known as Allen Lane."

William married Elizabeth Unknown Abt 1660. Elizabeth was born Abt 1640; died Aft Jun 1685. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Elizabeth was probably not William's first wife, as implied by the wording in his will. He may have married Elizabeth after 1660 (see notes for William).

William's children may have been by his first wife.

A posting on a message board (L-Sweet) suggests that Elizabeth later married Philip Sweet. I have not yet seen evidence of this, so more research is needed.

Notes:

The will of James Sweet of Portsmouth is dated 23 Apr 1718 and proved 13 Dec 1725. It refers to, but does not name, his former wife; mentions present wife Mary; sons Thomas, James, & Samuel; two sons-in-law: William Hill and William Allen.

James's wife has been identified as Mary Greene, who is probably his second wife. (The American Genealogist, Vol 48, p 224)

Source of the following is Boston Evening Transcript, 26 Aug 1912, at Google News Archive Search:

James Sweet and James Sweet Jr. were admitted inhabitants of Portsmouth in Feb 1723/24.

James's widow Mary was appointed executrix 13 Dec 1725. She was his second wife.

James — Hannah Unknown. Hannah was born Abt 1655. [Group Sheet]