Allen, that is a family name, my Paternal Grandmother was Pauline Allen Marshall. She was from Port Greville, Nova Scotia Canada. Here she is as a young woman in Rye New Hampshire.
She came to the United States as a young teen to work in the Amoskeag Mills in Manchester, NH.
Allen is an old surname in Canada and the United States. Some of our nation’s earliest settlers were the Allen clan. They are recorded in our history from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. Those who were loyal to the King of England during the Revolution moved north to Canada. In this genealogy line it is Miner Allen born at Kingston, RI in 1765 and died in Windsor, Hants, Nova Scotia in1836.
In tracing the family name back I came to the Fitzalan family of England and Wales and ties to the British crown. ( no wonder some were Loyalists) The first Allan / Allen I find in this country in the family tree is William Allan 1646-1685, born at Salem, Essex, MA and died at Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island.
To read more about the Allen family history and name origin look here:
http://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=allen
This would tie in well on a family story about searching roots, visiting England, playing chess or other courtly tied tales. Is there an Allen in your family tree? Do you have an Allen family story? Leave a comment on Allen family, shipyards or whatever this post inspires for you!
My curiosity was piqued to create a story about my connection to a shipyard or several, The inspiration came by this photo and memorabilia of my father’s.
My family story would be about visiting the Port Greville Shipyard as a child, the place where this Great Grandfather built ships! He is the one standing on some wood in Fox River Shipyard 1905, (he is a head taller than the others because of that. George Sancton Allen, born 1834 and died 1910. Now there is a story to tell and one I hope to learn more of. I can develop more of his story by visiting the Age of Sail Museum in Port Greville, Nova Scotia someday. When I do get there I will be sure to share some storytelling in memory of all my ancestors and their ties to the sea!
http://www.ageofsailmuseum.ca/
