Although the Shenandoah Valley had been explored as early as 1670 by Joseph Ledger and again by Louis Michelle, and some settlements had been made as early as 1727, none of these seem to have touched the area around Mt. Jackson. The area where the Allen brothers settled is located on the North Fork of the Shenandoah River in and around present day Mt. Jackson. The Massanutten Mountains divide the North and South Forks of the Shenandoah. Flowing North, the two forks come together to form the Shenandoah River near Front Royal and the river continues its northerly flow to empty into the Potomac River near Harper's Ferry. Therefore, when a deed description states the land extends up river, the direction is to the South, a difficult concept for a Texan.
On October 21, 1731 the Quaker Robert McKay and Hans Joist Heydt, from the Province of Pennsylvania, received a grant for 100,000 acres of land, with no requirement that this 100,000 acres be in one separate tract. The grant was contingent upon McKay and Heydt settling 100 families on the grant within a two year period. Unable to bring in 100 families that quickly, they obtained a two year extension, ending at Christmas in the year 1734. Robert McKay Sr. came to Virginia from Cecil Co., Md., having moved there some years before from near Freehold, Monmouth Co., N.J. and was undoubtedly acquainted with the Allen brothers. As part of their 100,000 acres Heydt (Hite) and McKay sold tracts on Happy Creek near Front Royal, now Warren County, Va, and sold many tracts throughout the whole of present day Shenandoah and Rockingham Counties.
Lord Fairfax, in 1719, by inheritance had become the Proprietor of the Northern Neck of Virginia, a vast territory extending from the Chesapeake Bay as enclosed between the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers, back to the head springs. The Western boundary, as finally closed, included the whole of the lower, or northern section of the Shenandoah Valley. The Southwest boundary of the Northern Neck had no natural boundaries and in 1746 a line 76 miles long was surveyed by Thomas Lewis for Lord Fairfax, putting all of present day Shenandoah County in the Fairfax Proprietorship. Lord Fairfax had agreed to honor all grants or patents issued in the name of the King, even though some of these grants had been made on land owned by Fairfax. Notwithstanding his agreement, Lord Fairfax disputed all McKay Heydt patents in present day Shenandoah County and went ahead and laid down or surveyed grants over the top of the land previously sold by McKay and Heydt. Suits involving the McKay Heydt patents were not settled until the 12th of October 1769 when the McKay Heydt Patents were upheld ("McKay's History and Genealogy", Vol. IV, p 1744).
Court records for the period from 1730 to 1772 are confusing for a number of reasons. In 1720 Spottsylvania County, east of the Blue Ridge Mountains was formed and included all the area West of the Mountains. In 1734 Spottsylvania County was divided and Orange County was formed. Orange, also on the East side, became the County seat for this vast territory, a long and arduous trip for settlers in the Valley to record their deeds and wills and many of them must have remained unrecorded. An Act was passed in 1738 creating Augusta and Frederick Counties, the first to be established west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, but it wasn't until 1743 that the Courts first opened in Frederick County and in 1745 in Augusta County. The boundary between the two Counties was set somewhat North of the Fairfax Line, putting the Mt. Jackson area in Augusta County, until 1753 when the boundary line was moved to the Fairfax Line, the present day boundary between Shenandoah and Rockingham Counties. Therefore, prior to 1745 records are found in Orange County, from 1745 to 1753 in Augusta County and from 1753 to 1772 when Dunmore County (present day Shenandoah County) was formed records are found in Frederick County. From 1772 to the present time, records on our Allens are found in Shenandoah County.
BENJAMIN ALLEN - Both Wayland and Kercheval state that Benjamin Allen, Riley Moore and William White settled near Mt. Jackson in 1734, coming from the Monocacy Valley in Maryland.
Flowing through the town of Mt. Jackson is a small lively stream which is referred to in old deeds as Benjamin Allen's Mill Creek. It is on this Creek that Benjamin Allen purchased from Joist Hite his first two tracts of land, one for 170 acres, surveyed Feb. 26 1734/35 and another surveyed March 3, 1734/35, consisting of 120 acres. It is on these two tracts of land that Benjamin Allen built his Mill. Records of these surveys are found in "English Duplicates of Lost Virginia Records", des Cognets, p 121. On June 29, 1739, Benjamin got an additional patent for 400 acres laying on both sides of the North Branch of the Shenandoah River and joining with his other two tracts (Va. State Archives Northern Neck Grants, Book 18, p 295). All three of these tracts purchased by Allen were part of 100,000 acres granted by the Colonial Government to McKay and Heydt by Order of the Council dated 21 October 1731. The 400 acre patent and the two surveys totaling 290 acres with mill site were still in possession of Benjamin Allen when he died in 1747 and his brother Ralph Allen of Portsmouth, Rhode Island inherited the land. Mr. Harry Long of New Market has done considerable research on the Allen lands in Shenandoah and drew a map for us. Benjamin Allen died intestate. Augusta County Courts are now open for business and we find there the application of his nephew Reuben Allen II for letters of Administration, stating he is "next of Heir to ye Estate of ye late Benj. Allen's Estates in this Colloney" (Augusta Co. Will Bk 1, p 22). Letters were granted and Reuben Allen II made bond with Thomas Moore and William White as sureties. The bond was filed for record 19th day of Feb. 1746/47, the three men coming into Court and acknowledging same. Inventory of Benjamin Allen's goods and chattels was made March 8, 1746/47 by John Rudell Sr. and Jr., Daniel Holeman and William James, and filed for record M arch 23, 1747 (Augusta Co. Will Bk 1, pp 74-75). The inventory totaled 68 pounds, 18 shillings, 11 pence, showed no debts due the estate. His mill must have been destroyed by fire or flood shortly before his death for the inventory shows a pair of millstones, the shaft and cog wheel and a thousand fifty three feet of plank "much damaged". We had the rare privilege of visiting this Mill site with Harry Long last year.
Whether Benjamin Allen had ever married and had children is not known. At any rate, when he died intestate there was neither a widow nor living children and his brother, Ralph Allen, having no desire to move to Virginia, on 19 June 1747 he and his wife Amy of Middletown, County of Newport in the Colony of Rhode Island, stating he is the brother and heir at law of Benjamin Allen, deceased, deeded the 400 acre patent of Benjamin Allen to Reuben Allen II "of Shenando" in the County of Augusta. The deed was not recorded, but the original deed has survived for over 235 years and is in the possession of a descendant, Mr. Rhesa McCoy Allen of Nicholasville, Ky. Accompanying the deed is an affidavit signed by Governor Gideon Wanton certifying to its authenticity. The Governor's affidavit mentioned that annexed is a deposition of Ebenezer and Increase Allen. Unfortunately the deposition is no longer annexed to the deed, so we can only assume that these two relatives of Ralph and Benjamin Allen had set forth that Ralph was indeed the brother and heir of Benjamin Allen of Augusta County, Va. and that all the other brothers and sisters were deceased. It is probable that Ralph Allen of Rhode Island also executed a deed for the other two tracts of land and that this deed was also unrecorded. Such a deed has not been found.
Twenty-five years after this deed was executed, Ralph Allen is deceased and his son and heir, Abraham Allen makes the long trip from Rhode Island to Shenandoah County, Va. to appear in Court to help clear up the title to this land, stating in his deed to Reuben Allen III that his father Ralph Allen had indeed sold the property to Reuben Allen II in 1747 and that "by reason of the remote residence of the Parties and witnesses thereto were not acknowledged and proven in order to be Recorded". Rhode Island was certainly a remote residence from the Court in Staunton, the County seat of Augusta County, Va. (Shen Co. Deed Bk 4, p 374, dated 2 June 1773).
DANIEL ALLEN - It is not known if Daniel Allen came to the Valley. He is probably the Daniel Allen who married Rebecca Newman 9 Feb. 1719/20 at St. Stephen's Parish, Cecil Co., Md. (Maryland Marriages, p 3) Augusta Co. Virginia records show a Daniel Allen on a delinquent tax list in 1746, with the notation "not found". (Chalk Vol II, p 413). Also in Augusta County Order Book 1, p 168, on 18th March 1746/47 is the following; "On the Petition of Daniel Allen for Administration of the Estate of Benjamin Allen, dec'd Ordered that Reuben Allen to whom the sd Admin. was granted be summoned to answer the sd Petition."
No reference has been found showing Reuben Allen II had appeared in Court to answer the summons for Daniel Allen's petition. Whether this was Benjamin Allen's brother Daniel, or a younger brother of Reuben Allen II is not known. However, the latter is probably the case, since Ralph Allen of Rhode Island was sole heir to Benjamin's land, we can assume the other brother, Daniel, had predeceased him.
REUBEN ALLEN I - Although there is no record of surveys or patents for land near Mt. Jackson owned by Benjamin Allen's brother Reuben, Reuben Allen I appears to have been by far the larger land owner of the two. Reuben Allen I died in 1741. As his sons were too young to have acquired much wealth on their own, the various Fairfax Grants in 1749, issued to Reuben Allen I's widow Mary and her sons Reuben II, Jackson and Joseph, appear to be for lands previously owned by their father. These Fairfax Grants of 625, 400, 270, and 202 acres, all four of which joined Benjamin Allen's land, were no doubt for lands once owned by Reuben Allen I, brother of Benjamin.
Dr. Wayland in writing his "History of Shenandoah County, Virginia" makes no mention of Reuben Allen I, brother of Benjamin. However, Reuben evidently followed Benjamin to the Valley, as he had in Cecil County, Md. Reuben Allen I died intestate in 1741 and records of his estate are found in Orange County, Va. The deed in Dartmouth in 1721 shows he had a wife Mary at that time. No marriage has been found in either Quaker or Civil records. The Carleton Genealogy states Mary was Mary Jackson, dau of Samuel Jackson of Baltimore Co., Md, but this has been proved incorrect. Samuel Jackson died in Baltimore County in 1719 and his dau Mary was willed 90 acres of "Carter's Rest" and 100 acres of "Jackson's Outlet" (Md. Calendar of WiUs, Vol. 5, p 2). This same 100 acres of Jackson's Outlet was leased to James Taylor by Mary Forster. Taylor, in turn leased the land to Mary Forster's brother in law, Rowland Kemble. No record of Reuben Allen is found in Deed Records and Rent Rolls in Baltimore County, which at this time period bordered on Cecil Co., Md. However, the possibilities are good that Mary's maiden name was Jackson as this name appears many times among the descendants. Reuben and Mary may have married before he left N. J. to move to Cecil Co., Md. in 1719.
Mary survived Reuben Allen I, as did five known children. Reuben and Mary had been married over twenty years and there were undoubtedly other children, some of them minors when Reuben died in 1741, but no Guardianship records were found, nor dower rights for his widow. With the distance to the Courthouse it is not surprising that none of these records exist. In fact, it is a sign of the hardiness of these Allens that we do have in Orange County, the petition for letters of Administration, made by Reuben Allen II, shown in the Court Order Book as "eldest son"; the Administration Bond of Reuben Allen II, made with Beniamin Allen and Thomas Moore as Sureties; and a full and complete inventory of his goods and chattels made by Peter Scholl, William White and Abraham Collett. The inventory shows it was made February 2, 1741/42 and was filed for record the 27th day of May 1742. The Administration Bond is dated November 26, 1741, and the record shows Reuben Allen II, Thomas Moore, and Benjamin Allen acknowledged this Bond in Court. Reuben Allen II was a Quaker, as evidenced by his affirmation in lieu of the oath of Administration (Orange County Va. Will Bk 1, pp 179, 180, 219, 221). Thomas Moore, one of the sureties for the Bond, was the son-in law, husband of Mary Allen.
The Inventory of Reuben Allen I's goods and chattels totaled 160 pounds, 7 shillings, 6 pence and included money due in Pennsylvania, belonging to the estate in the amount of 45 pounds. . There was also a debt owed by John Smith in the amount of 6 pounds, 10 shillings. The Pennsylvania monies due would seem to indicate that Reuben Allen I spent some time in Pennsylvania between the time he left Cecil Co., Md. before 1729 and his arrival in the Shenandoah Valley. Mary, the widow, did sue John Smith for collection of the debt he owed (Augusta Co. Court Order Book 1, p 64).
Henings Statutes, Vol. 4, p 15, November 1711 states, with reference to administrations of estates, that when any person shall die intestate the County Court shall have the full power and authority to hear and determine the right of administration in the following manner: First to the husband or wife of the deceased; secondly to the child or children, etc. So the question arises, why was Mary, the widow not named Administratrix of his in 1741? Again the fact that the trip over the Blue Ridge from the Valley to Orange was a hazardous one, the fact that Mary had young children, and might have even been pregnant with her last child, all makes it very logical to have the eldest son, Reuben Allen II handle the legal matters, with the assistance of Uncle Benjamin Allen and brother in law Thomas Moore.
A comparison of household articles in the inventories of both Reuben Allen I and Mary Allen shows many items still in the possession of Mary when she died in 1751 (Aug. Co. Will Bk 1 p 423). Jackson and Joseph Allen were named Administrators of the Estate of Mary Allen, deceased on the 29th of May 1751 (Aug. Co. Will Bk 1 pp 336 337). Thomas Moore and John Dobekin were sureties for Jackson and Joseph Allen's Administration Bond (Aug. Co. Will Bk 1 p 356). Reuben Allen II, son of Reuben and Mary Allen died within a day or two of his mother. Whether their deaths were the result of an Indian raid, or perhaps an epidemic is not known. Ingaborg Allen, widow of Reuben II was granted letters of Administration on 28 May 1751, with Cornelius Ruddell and John Dobiken as Sureties (Aug. Co. Will Bk I p 335).
Less than a year after the death of his mother, Mary, Jackson Allen sold her 400 acre Fairfax Grant to Jeofrey Beek, 14 Feb. 1752. (Aug. Co. Deed Bk 4, pp 356-57).
In 1749, by four Fairfax Grants, Mary Allen and her sons had obtained their land. Mary Allen, the widow was granted 400 acres on Mill Creek, adjoining Charles Dotson; the eldeat son, Reuben Allen II granted 625 acres adjoining the North aide of Benjamin Allen's old 400 acre patent, which Reuben Allen II also now owned.; Jackson Allen received a Grant for 202 acres adjoining Allen's old grant; and Joseph Allen received a grant of 118 acres, also adjoining Allen's old grant, near a place called the Graveyard. We can only surmise that this Graveyard is where Reuben Allen I, Benjamin Allen and other settlers were buried. This graveyard on Benjamin Allen's 400 acre tract, is located east of Mt. Jackson on State Route 698 at the entrance to the Myers Trailer Court. There are no inscriptions on the field stones that mark the graves. Also, on Benjamin Allen's land lying just west of the graveyard is 100 acres of fertile river bottom land formed by a large curve in the river. Hiatorian Samuel Kercheval on page 37 of his History states "Benjamin Allen settled on the beautiful estate called Allen's bottom".
These people were members of the Society of Friends, called Quakers and must have been among the early members of Hopewell Monthly Meeting. Unfortunately the first book of Minutes of Hopewell Monthly Meeting, covering the period from 1735 to 1759 was burned in a fire at the house of the Clerk, Wm. Joliffe, Jr. This lost much Allen information for researchers of this period. However, from 1759 Hopewell Minutes record many marriages, dismissals and removals of the Allen descendants.
One of the earliest Quaker records on our Allens is from Bowden's "History of the Society of Friends" which shows Ralph Allen and six of his brothers and sisters joined the Quakers at Sandwich, Mass. in 1657. In 1658 Ralph Allen was deprived of his right to vote in town meetings and during 1658-59 he had 68 pounds in goods taken from him for refusal to swear or for attending Friends' meetings. In 1661 he was imprisoned in Boston.
Ralph Allen's son, Joseph was a staunch Quaker. Births of his six eldest children are recorded in the Rhode Island Monthly Meeting records. Probably Benjamin and Reuben Allen I, sons of Joseph Allen, living in Cecil Co., Md. 1714-1729 belonged to East Nottingham Monthly Meeting, Pa. but no record has been found of them.
Smith Creek Meetinghouse was established very early. Wayland says in 1734 Robert Scarborough, who lived near Tenth Legion, wrote that he lived near a Friend's Meetinghouse, so it is probable that this was the first Smith Creek Meetinghouse, near Tenth Legion, now in present day Rockingham County. This first meetinghouse must have been abandoned as there is evidence that there was no Meetinghouse on Smith Creek in 1758, for in that year William Carroll wrote his will (Fred. Co. WiU Bk 2, p 347) in which he provided "..that if a Meeting House is built in this neighborhood for the use of Quakers that my Executors shall pay three Pounds out of my Estate toward the building of it..". William Carroll was an adjoining landowner to Thomas Moore on Smith Creek, about four miles northeast of New Market. Jackson and Joseph Allen made the Inventory of William Carroll's Estate (WiU Bk 2 p 136).
It was not until 1772 that visiting Friends recommended that a Meetinghouse be built "on Jackson Allen's land on the South side of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River". Jackson Allen seemlingly did not have the Meetinghouse built on his existing land, for in April 1773 he purchased 2 acres and 16 square poles of
land from Dr. John Henry Neff (Shen Co Deed Bk A p 284). Thus, on the Northwest side of the North Branch of the River and North of Quicksburg the new Smith Creek Meetinghouse was built. Meanwhile, in 1772 Smith Creek Friends were directed to report to Crooked Run Preparative Meeting, being unable to choose a site for their meetinghouse.
Probably the new meetinghouse was being used when the children of Jackson and Joseph Allen were received by request in April 1775. The first marriage recorded in Hopewell Friends to have taken place at Smith Creek Meeting House was that of Jackson Allen's daughter Mary to Isaac Smith on the 8th day of the 1st month, 1778, which was attended by the families of both Jackson and Joseph Allen as well as other relatives and friends. Forty people signed as witnesses of this marriage. In fact there were only ten marriages recorded at Smith Creek Meeting House, all of them between the years 1778 and 1799. Eight of them were Allen Descendants. Of the other two, one was the marriage of Ezekiel Thomas and Rebekah Bond, dau of Isaac and she was the step dau of Lydia (Allen) Bond. The other was the marriage of John O'Neal and Rebeckah Rambo, and there is a good possibility she was an Allen descendant.
When Jackson Allen died in 1786 his title to the Meetinghouse land, which he neglected to mention in his will, by Virginia law passed to his eldest son, Reuben Allen. In 1806, just before moving to Ohio, Reuben Allen, who had never joined the Quakers, sold this land for five shillings to his cousin, Benjamin Allen, son of Joseph, in trust for the use and benefit of the Quakers (Shen Co Deed Bk P p 239). A few years later Benjamin Allen also moved to Ohio but the title to the land remained in his name. Many of the older members died and the young ones started leaving the Valley. Smith Creek Meetinghouse was used less and less and in 1829 Hopewel1 Monthly Meeting recorded a letter from Benjamin Allen of Ohio, requesting that he be reimbursed for money expended in acquiring title to the land. It took until March of 1834 for Hopewell Monthly Meeting to come to a decision and order John Bond to send Benjamin Allen $8.25. At that time the Committee recommended that the property be sold. Finally in 1839, the site was sold to John Neff, the adjoining landowner, for the sum of $60.00. The transfer was handled by Moses Walton, for which he received a fee of $4.00 and John Bond was reimbursed $2.75 for money sent by him to Benjamin Allen, plus $1.00 expenses spent on correspondence with Benjamin in obtaining the original deed. Thus ended Smith Creek Meetinghouse.
The great Western Migration after 1800 is evidenced in the number of Quakers who received Certificates of Removal from Hopewell and Crooked Run. Certificates to Miami Monthly Meeting, Ohio were issued to 24 families and 23 individuals; to Concord, Ohio for 13 families and 11 individuals; to Caesar's Creek, Ohio for 6 families and 4 individuals. This was a staggering total of 43 families and 38 individuals of the Quaker faith to leave the Valley between 1803 and 1824. Allen descendants were well represented in this group.
Miami Monthly Meeting was located on the Little Miami River in Warren County, Ohio and had been opened in 1803. Concord in Belmont County, Ohio was established in 1801 and Caesar's Creek in Clinton County, Ohio in 1810 by order of Miami Quarterly Meeting.
Soon Quaker records in Ohio began showing information on these Allen descendants. They became active in the establishment of other meetings in Ohio, and then in Indiana, Iowa, Illinois and Kansas. We have attempted to show the Quaker affiliations down through the generations in Section Two.