Caleb Allen

Caleb — Sarah Unknown. Sarah died Aft Feb 1762. [Group Sheet]

1. Elizabeth Allen was born 19 Apr 1748.
2. Rebecca Allen was born 22 Jun 1750.
3. Welthian Allen was born 1 Jan 1751/52.
4. George Allen was born 11 Jul 1753.
5. Lemual Allen was born 6 Apr 1755.
6. Sarah Allen was born 9 Sep 1756.
7. John Allen was born 1 Mar 1762.

Notes:

John Allin of Prudence Island sold a tract of land to William Remington of Portsmouth, schoolmaster, for 750 pounds, 6 Jan 1738/9. This piece of land, 50 acres more or less, on the island was bounded as follows: S by my son William Allin, W on the Sea, N on the land of William Allin my honoured father, E on my own land. Witnessed by Caleb Hill & John Ingraham. (Po Land Ev. Bk 4 p. 142)

Also, on the same day, John Allin sold land on Prudence Island to his honoured father William Allin. This was 50 acres more or less, bounded as follows: S by William Remington, W on the Sea, N by "my own land." witnessed by William Remington & Caleb Hill.

Also, on the same day John Allin sold land to Caleb Hill (witnessed by William Remington & Giles Slocum); also to William Havens (witnessed by William Remington & Caleb Hill); and to Giles Slocum (witnessed by William Remington & Caleb Hill).

About a month later, on 3 Feb 1738/9, John Allin bought land from William Remington, schoolmaster, of Prudence Island in the Township of Portsmouth. The "sum of 750 pounds in good and lawful bills of public credit . . . truly paid by John Allin of Town, County, and Colony aforesaid . . . a tract of land being on Prudence Island . . . 50 acres be it more or less, butted and bounded as followeth: S by land of William Allin Jun, W on the Sea, N on land of William Allin Senior, E on land of sd. John Allin. Witnessed by Caleb Hill & William Sanford. (Po Land Ev. Bk 4 p. 195) This appears to be the same land bought by William Remington from John Allin a month earlier.

On the same day John Allin bought land from Caleb Hill, witnessed by William Remington; also from William Havens and from Giles Slocum. (Po Land Ev. Bk 4 p. 196, 197, & 198)

John married Rebecca Hill Abt 1712. Rebecca (daughter of Jonathan HILL, Jr. and Unknown Wife) was born Abt 1690; died Aft May 1735. [Group Sheet]

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:

On 24 Dec 1695 Jonathan said he was aged about 38 years.

On 6 July 1703 Jonathan bought 1/4 of a farm in Cowesett (Warwick). On 16 Jan 1721 he deeded to son Thomas of Swansea 105 acres at Warwick.

He had 8 children. His will was administered 15 Sep 1731; the executors were sons Jonathan & Caleb.

(see Austin's "Genealogical Dictionary of RI" p98)

(Also see "New England Families Genealogical and Memorial" Vol 2 p 677 by William Richard Cutter at Google Books)

Jonathan married Unknown Wife Abt 1684. [Group Sheet]

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]

Notes:

Note: I am not absulutely sure that Jonathan Hill of RI is a son of John & Frances Hill. However, I have linked him to this couple based on genealogical information sent to me by Hill descendants.

Jonathan & Mary Hill lived at Warwick, Portsmouth, and Prudence Island.

Jonathan & Mary may have had another son named Thomas in the early 1650s, as the book "The History of East Greenwich" tells of a Thomas Hill who was in Potowomut by 1680, in business partnership with James Greene.

Jonathan may have been born earlier than 1640, possibly closer to 1630.

It is believed that Jonathan married twice, to two women named Mary: Mary Sharwood (Sherwood) and Mary Bassett.

From another genealogy: This or another Jonathan Hill may have died 2 Feb 1710, and his wife died 12 Sep 1715. (This needs more research.)

Jonathan — Mary SHERWOOD. Mary was born Abt 1640. [Group Sheet]