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Archiver > TNHARDIN > 2004-08 > 1092171251


From: "Jane Ellis" <>
Subject: RE: [TNHARDIN] Re: family ties
Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2004 15:54:14 -0500


Bertha and David and other Allen researchers:

I know I have told both of you this, but thought I would post it on the list
just in case someone else has a clue for us.

Concerning Samuel R. Allen:

Family tales told that Samuel R. Allen was an orphan and traveled the river
on a raft(probably the Tennessee River, although I always envisioned the
Mississippi when I was young), and ended up living with a family whose name
was Allen, and that he took on the name Allen from that family. The story
continues that at some point he was living with a man who ran a ferry and
was being mistreated, and someone (maybe Shep Thacker) came to his rescue
and took him away from the man who was mistreating him. Now, I don't know
if the Allen's were the ones who were doing the mistreating or not, and I
don't know how much has been added or taken away from the story as it was
passed down, nor do I know if any of the story was true or not, but that is
the way my uncle tells it.

My uncle did some research many years ago, and read in a Time/Life book that
a James Allen ran a ferry on the Natchez Trace, and my uncle believes this
was the Allen family my great, great grandpa Samuel Allen must have lived
with. I found some information about the Allen's along the trace, but have
still made no connection with them either. Dates just didn't seem to fit
well. For the record and for some reason unbeknownst to me, my uncle
discarded all of his research and really prefers to not discuss it, although
he occasionally will discuss it with me.

I do not know why my great, great grandfather would have told he were from
KY if he wasn't, and why he would have made up the story about his father
being a stone mason. Perhaps he just wanted a family history so he made one
up. The story handed down in the family matches what he told in his
biography to an extent. He was an orphan and he did travel on a river. He
was also taken in by a man (Shep Thacker), for what reasons we don't know.

I am surprised that no one in my Allen or Watson families has ever mentioned
our Allen's being related to other Allen's in Hardin County, but I guess
that is a possibility if there were bad feelings or something. Maybe none
of them knew it either. I have tried to find some of Samuel's descendants
but so far I have been limited to those from the descendants of M. J. Allen
(my line) who lived in Hookers Bend. Hopefully some of the other Allens who
descended from Samuel knew more, but I am afraid we will never solve the
mystery of Samuel R. Allen.

If anyone ever does, please let me know!

Jane Watson Ellis

A self-appointed family historian and proud of it. You can check out my
family's history at: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~hookersbend/


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