Mary gave birth to eleven children during their marriage. Five of these children died in infancy. Of the six surviving children, it was George and William’s descendants who propagated this lineage.

William Philip Allen

Born: 1832 in Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England

Father: Philip Allen (1792 to 1853)
Mother: Ann Weaver (1808 to 1873)

Spouse: Mary Bennett (1834 to 1918)

Married: 5 JAN 1853 in the parish of St Mark in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England

Children:

George Henry Allen (1853 to 1933)
Anthony Allen (1856 to 1856)
Ellen Marie Allen (1858 to 19 DEC 1927)
Mary Alice Allen (1861 to 1862)
Eliza Ann Allen (28 SEP 1863 to 25 MAR 1951)
Mary Alice Allen (1865 to Unknown)
Fanny Allen (6 MAY 1867 to 5 FEB 1957)
Philip Allen (1869 to 1869)
Ann Allen (1871 to 1871)
William Allen (1874 to 1928)
Thomas Allen (1876 to 1876)

Died: 1903 in Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England

Burial:  St Peter and St Paul Churchyard

Timeline:

1841 Kemerton, Gloucestershire, England
1847 Death of brother, James
1851 Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England
1853 Marriage to Mary
1853 Death of father, Philip
1853 Birth of son, George
1856 Birth and death of son, Anthony
1858 Birth of daughter, Ellen
1861 Birth of first daughter, Mary
1861 Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England
1862 Death of first daughter, Mary
1863 Birth of daughter, Eliza
1865 Birth of second daughter, Mary
1867 Birth of daughter, Fanny
1869 Birth and death of son, Philip
1871 Birth and death of daughter, Ann
1871 Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England
1873 Death of mother, Ann
1874 Birth of son, William
1876 Birth and death of son, Thomas
1881 Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England
1888 Death of sister, Ann
1891 Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England
1894 Death of brother, Edward
1901 Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England
1902 Death of brother, Robert
1903 Death and Burial

Occupation: farm laborer

Records:

1841 to 1901 England Census Records
Gloucestershire, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1913
Gloucestershire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1938
Gloucestershire, England, Church of England Burials, 1813-1988
UK and Ireland, Find a Grave® Index, 1300s-Current

Variations of Surname: none

Did You Notice?

Mary gave birth to eleven known children during their marriage. Five of these children did not survive infancy:

Anthony Bennett (1856 to 1856)
Mary Alice Bennett (1861 to 1862)
Philip Bennett (1869 o 1869)
Ann Bennett (1871 to 1871)
Thomas Bennett (1876 to 1876)

All in the Family:

In 1853, William married Mary Bennett in the parish church of St Mark, Gloucestershire, England. In 1861, his sister, Mary Ann, wed Mary’s brother, Anthony Bennett, in the same church.

The 1861 England Census shows three Bennett families living near William and Mary in Westbury on Severn. I am sure there is a familial connection.

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.

William’s Wife:

Mary Bennett:

Mary was born in 1834 in Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England. She died in 1918 in Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England.

Mary’s father was Anthony Bennett. He was born in 1803 in Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England. He died in 1888 in Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England.

Mary’s mother was Mary Valinder. She was born in 1807 in Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England. She died in 1891 in Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England.

Mary had ten brothers and sisters:

John Bennett (1829)
Emma Bennett (1832)
Anthony Bennett (1835)
Thomas Bennett (1840)
Hannah Bennett (1842)
Ellen Bennett (1845)
Eliza Bennett (1846)
Fanny Bennett (1848)
Ann Bennett (1850)
Martha Bennett (1851)

William and Mary’s Daughters:

Ellen Marie Allen:

Ellen was born in 1858 in Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England. She died on 19 DEC 1927 in Horwich, Lancashire, England.

Ellen married Thomas Enright on 15 MAR 1886 in St Paul’s Church in Manchester, Lancashire, England. No known children were born during their marriage.

Thomas Enright was born in 1862 in Ireland. He died in 1909 in Horwich, Lancashire, England. Thomas was 47 years old when he died.

NOTE: I do not know the cause of Thomas’ death. The 1891 and 1901 England census records listed Thomas’ occupation as a crane operator. This was a dangerous job. Employees needed acute hand-eye coordination when operating these machines. The risks included falling from the ladder, load shifting or dropping, and the crane or boom collapsing.

After Thomas died, Ellen married Godefridus Manders in 1913 in Horwich, Lancashire, England. No known children were born during their marriage.

Godefridus Manders was born on 21 SEP 1867 in Deurne, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands. He died on 12 JAN 1932 in Helmond, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands.

Godefridus’ first wife was Henrica Verheijen. They were married on 30 OCT 1897 in Deurne, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands. Four known children were born during their marriage. The three oldest children were born in Deurne. The youngest was born in Bolton, Lancashire, England.

Margaretha Manders (1898)
Theodorus Manders (1901)
Wilhelmina Johanna Manders (1903)
Hendrikus Francis Manders (1908 to 1908)

Henrica Verheijen was born on 2 FEB 1873 in Deurne, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands. She died on 20 JUL 1908 in Bolton, Lancashire, England. Henrica was 35 years old when she died.

A Little History:

Godefridus, Henrica, and their three oldest children immigrated to England between 1903 and 1907. Godefridus was a peat cutter and worked at Red Moss near Horwich, Lancashire, England.

Henrica gave birth to their youngest son on 18 JUL 1908. She died two days later on 20 JUL 1908.

I believe Godefridus returned to the Netherlands with his four children to bury his wife. While visiting family, Godefridus’ youngest son died on 20 OCT 1908.

NOTE: The following Netherland websites supplied the vital information for Henrica and Hendrikus:

Genealogy Online
Geneanet
WieWasWie

There is a Wiki entry for the Manders family tree. This page shows that Godefridus’ ancestors had lived in Deurne since at least the 17th century.

The 1911 England Census shows that Godefridus returned to England. The children probably remained in Deurne with relatives until they reached their majority. They then returned to England, married, and lived in the Bolton area.

Godefridus probably returned to the Netherlands after Ellen died in 1927. Her probate record listed her adopted daughter, Agnes Mahon, and her stepdaughter, Margaretha Manders, as executors of her estate.

Eliza Ann Allen:

Eliza was born on 28 SEP 1863 in Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England. She died on 25 MAR 1951 in Newnham on Severn, Gloucestershire, England.

Eliza gave birth to one child out of wedlock:

Annie Elizabeth Allen (1882 Westbury on Severn)

Eliza married Henry Haines on 20 MAY 1884 in Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England. Eliza gave birth to eight children during their marriage. All of the children were born in Hartpury, Gloucestershire, England.

Joseph William Haines (1885 to 1885)
George Henry Haines (1887)
Fanny Mary Haines (1890)
Ellen Haines (1893)
Alice Maude Haines (1895)
Minnie Martha Haines (1898 to 1899)
William Allen Haines (1900)
Frederick Joseph Haines (1904)

Henry Haines was born in 1861 in Hartpury, Gloucestershire, England. He died in 1936 in Maisemore, Gloucestershire, England.

Mary Alice Allen:

Mary Ann was born in 1865 in Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England. I do not know if she married or when she died.

The 1871 England Census shows that Mary Ann lived in Westbury on Severn with her family. I could not find her in the 1881 and 1891 England census records using this birth criteria.

The 1901 England Census shows that Mary Ann was 36 years old and unmarried. She worked as a cook at the Retreat Mansion in Topsham, Devonshire, England.

Are you a descendant of Mary Ann? Do you know what happened to her? If so, please contact me. My email is dlwakenight@yahoo.com. You can also leave a message in the Comments Section of this post.

Fanny Allen:

Fanny was born on 6 MAY 1867 in Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England. She died on 5 FEB 1957 in Downend, Gloucestershire, England.

Fanny married Alfred Cooke on 14 FEB 1888 in Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England. Eight children were born during their marriage:

George A Cooke (1889 Cheltenham)
Minnie Cooke (1890 South Cerney)
John William Cooke (1893 South Cerney)
Edward Cooke (1896 Minchinhampton)
Frederick Thomas Cooke (1897 Minchinhampton)
Albert Cooke (1904 Nailsworth)
Frances Cooke (1907 Kingswood near Bristol)
Beatrice May Cooke (1909 Kingswood near Bristol)

Alfred Cooke was born on 4 FEB 1868 in Tidenham, Gloucestershire, England. He died on 23 JUL 1946 in Downend, Gloucestershire, England

NOTE: The 1891 and 1901 England census records listed Alfred’s occupation as a police constable. The 1911 England Census shows that he had been promoted to police inspector.

I have several police constables in my family tree. Most of these individuals did not remain in one parish. Alfred and his family moved at least five times during their marriage. I entered the children’s birthplaces on Google Maps to show their movements.

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