David and Louisa’s children married their prospective spouses in the 1940s. This was after the 1939 England Census was released making it difficult to find out if they had children of their own.

David George Allen

Born: 18 JAN 1887 in Bagworth, Leicestershire, England

Father: George Henry Allen (1853 to 1933)
Mother: Frances Blower (1851 to 1930)

Spouse: Louisa Fouracres (1888 to 1974)

Married: 1909 in Nailstone, Leicestershire, England

Children:

George William Henry Allen (11 JAN 1910 to 9 AUG 1990)
Jim Allen (18 JUL 1915 to 1984)
Leonard Allen (30 JUL 1917 to 17 FEB 1990)
Daisy Louisa Allen (31 OCT 1919 to 1999)
Margaret E Allen (28 JUL 1921 to Unknown)
Alma W M Allen (3 JAN 1924 to Unknown)
Florence G Allen (1926 to Unknown)

Died: 1941 in Ibstock, Leicestershire, England

Timeline:

1891 Nailstone, Leicestershire, England
1901 Nailstone, Leicestershire, England
1911 Death of sister, Sarah
1911 Ibstock, Leicestershire, England
1930 Death of mother, Frances
1933 Death of father, George
1939 Ibstock, Leicestershire, England
1941 Death and Burial

Occupation: coal miner

Records:

1891 to 1911 England Census Records
1939 England Census Record
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index: 1837-1915
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007

Variations of Surname: none

David was John’s twin brother. They were both coal miners working in the local collieries.

John lived to the venerable age of 83 years old. The 1939 England Census shows that David was 52 years old and incapacitated. He died two years later.

I do not know what caused David’s death. Coal mining was a dangerous occupation. Tunnels would collapse. Natural gas leaks caused explosions. There were also health risks including lung and heart diseases.

David’s Wife:

Louisa Fouracres:

Louisa was born on 1 JUL 1888 in Ibstock, Leicestershire, England. She died on 10 AUG 1974 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England.

Louisa’s father was William Deacon Fouracres. He was born on 22 JUL 1859 in Barton in the Beans, Leicestershire, England. He died in 1940 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England.

Louisa’s mother was Emily Muggleton. She was born in 1864 in Liddington, Rutland, England. She died in 1930 in Ibstock, Leicestershire, England.

Louisa had eight brothers and sisters:

Charles Orissa Fouracres (1885 to 1893)
William Fouracres (1887)
Mary Jane Fouracres (1890 to 1893)
Winifred Fouracres (1892)
Sidney Fouracres (1895)
Ernest Fouracres (1897)
Cyril Fouracres (1905)
Rowland Fouracres (1908)

David and Louisa’s Daughters:

Daisy Louisa Allen:

Daisy was born on 31 OCT 1919 in Nailstone, Leicestershire, England. She died in 1999 in Ibstock, Leicestershire, England.

Daisy married a man named George H Collins in 1941 in Ibstock, Leicestershire, England. I could find no information on Daisy’s husband. I also do not know if any children were born during their marriage.

A search of the “England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007” produced these results:

Margaret E Allen:

Margaret was born on 28 JUL 1921 in Nailstone, Leicestershire, England. She died in 1950 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England. Margaret was 29 years old when she died.

Margaret married Charles William Thompson in 1945 in Ibstock, Leicestershire, England. I do not know if any children were born during their marriage.

Charles William Thompson was born on 2 MAR 1920 in Coalville, Leicestershire, England. He died on 20 NOV 1988 in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, England.

After Margaret died, Charles married Maria D Hannigan in 1957 in Coalville, Leicestershire, England. I do not know if any children were born during their marriage.

Marie D Hannigan was born in 1937 in Coalville, Leicestershire, England. She may have remarried after Charles died.

Alma Winifred Mabel Allen:

Alma was born on 3 JAN 1924 in Nailstone, Leicestershire, England. She died in 2012 in Coalville, Leicestershire, England.

Alma married Frederick Archer Ford in 1945 in Ibstock, Leicestershire, England. One known child was born during their marriage:

James Richard Allen (1946)

Frederick Archer Ford was born on 24 OCT 1923 in Swadlincote, Staffordshire, England. He died on 15 JUL 2001 in Coalville, Leicestershire, England.

Alma and Frederick must have divorced. This is based on data in other family trees.

Alma then married a man named Herbert Green in 1980 in Ibstock, Leicestershire, England. She was 56 years old.

I could find no information on her second husband. One family tree indicates that he died in 1989.

Florence G Allen:

Florence was born in 1926 in Nailstone, Leicestershire, England. I do not know when she died.

Florence married Collin Boodie Douglas in 1948 in Ibstock, Leicestershire, England. I do not know if any children were born during their marriage.

Collin Boodie Douglas was born on 7 MAY 1922 in Nailstone, Leicestershire, England. He died in 1994 in Nuneaton and Bedworth, Warwickshire, England.

NOTE: David and Louisa’s daughters married their husbands in the 1940s. The last census released by the UK government was in 1939. This means there is no way to determine what children were born during their marriages.

A descendant of this family may have the answer to this question. If so, please contact me. My email is dlwakenight@yahoo.com. You can also leave a message in the Comments Section of this post.

The Allen Family:

The Surname Database indicates that the surname Allen is of Gaelic and Breton origins:  

“The Bretons, who were originally British settlers in France, returned as invaders with William, Duke of Normandy, otherwise known as ‘The Conqueror’ in 1066, and in so doing it is claimed, re-introduced the name into England.”

The House of Names website explains:

“The name was popular among the Breton followers of William the Conqueror due to St. Alan (St Alain), a 5th-century bishop from Quimper, Brittany. During the Middle Ages, parents often named their children after saints in the hope that the child would be blessed or protected by the saint.”

“The surname Allen was first found in the lands of Shropshire, where Walter Fitz Alan of Brittany held a family seat after the Norman Conquest of 1066.”

An article on Wikipedia indicates that Walter was a son of Alan Fitz Flaad:

“Alan Fitz Flaad, a Breton knight, was awarded lands in Shropshire by King Henry I.  Although the surname was also common in Scotland and Ireland, it was probably Alan’s descendants who populated these counties.”

The Allen ancestors that you find in this family tree settled in the counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire in England. Shropshire lies directly northwest of these counties.

The progenitor of this family tree was Philip Allen. He was the second illegitimate son of Lucy Allen. Her parents were William and Mary Allen. They remain a mystery at this time.

Do you have Allen ancestors who lived in this area of England? Do you have information on Lucy’s parents? If you know the answer to this question, please contact me. My email is dlwakenight@yahoo.com. You can also leave a message in the Comments Section of this post.

Creating Your Family Tree:

Are you interested in building a great family tree? Do you want to preserve your family history? Here are some tips on how to become a family genealogist.

Genealogy:

Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” You start with one individual and go “back into time.” You would add parents, grandparents, etc., and continue down the line. Your family tree will grow when you add your ancestors’ descendants, their children, their grandchildren, etc.

Choose a Family Tree Website:

There are family tree websites that require paid memberships. These include Ancestry, My Heritage, and Find My Past. If you want a family tree website that is free of charge, you can try FamilySearch. These family tree websites allow you to search millions of records and build your family tree.

WikiTree is another family tree website that is free of charge. This site does not have searchable databases.

Add Photographs and Documents:

Have you heard the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words“?  All of these family tree websites allow you to upload photographs and scanned documents to your family tree.

Ask your parents, grandparents, and cousins for copies of their family photos. They may also have documents such as letters, diaries, family bibles, and newspaper articles. These are all excellent sources of vital records.

Create Family Stories:

Every family has a story to tell! Did you have an ancestor who served in the military? Did your ancestor become a doctor, lawyer, or well-known actor? Did your ancestor have a “skeleton in the closet“? These stories can be uploaded to your family tree website.

What’s In A Name?

Have you ever wondered what your last name means?  The SurnameDB.com is a great website for finding the origins of English surnames. There are also websites for other parts of the world like Eastern Europe, South America, and the Middle East.

Thank You!

I hope you enjoyed your visit to the Family Tree Insider. If you notice an error or want to comment on a post, please contact me.  I appreciate any feedback that will improve your experience on this website.