Samuel Allen II (abt. 1633 - 1705)

Samuel Allen II migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Note: This is not the profile for (1) Samuel Allen of Northampton, who married Hannah Woodford, (2) Samuel Allen, the son of George Allen of Weymouth and Sandwich, or (3) Samuel Allen of Salem

Biography

Parentage

Samuel Allen of Bridgewater was the son of Samuel Allen of Braintree and his first wife Ann (Unknown) Allen.^[1][2] His parentage is confirmed by a deed recorded in November 1672 in which [his step-mother] Margaret Allen "the Late wife of Samuell Allen now deceased" and [his half-brother] Joseph Allen "both Of the Town of Brantry in the Government of the Massachuset's" conveyed 12 acres of land in Braintree to Samuel Allen of Braintree "for & in consideracon of Twenty pound's, given & appointed to bee Paide, by the abovesaide Samuell Allen deceased, to his sonne Samuell Allen of Bridgewater in the Government of New Plimouth."^[3]

Date of Birth

Samuel's date of birth is uncertain. Mitchell^[1] and later secondary sources, including Savage^[2] and Vinton,^[4] probably in reliance on Mitchell, state that Samuel died in 1703 at the age of 71. Apparently based on this proposition, Mitchell^[5] and many other secondary sources^[6][4][7] state that Samuel was born in 1632. The probate records for Samuel's will and estate, however, clearly show that, although he made his will in 1703, he died on November 2, 1705.^[8] Therefore, if Samuel was 71 when he died, he would have been born in 1634, not 1632. Savage splits the difference and states that he was probably born about 1633.^[2] Based on the date of birth of his first known child (1660), Samuel's date of birth would be expected to most probably be sometime in 1631-1636 (based on a marriage date of 1659 and an age at marriage of 23-28), so a date of birth of 1632, 1633 or 1634 are all reasonable.

Oakes' 1905 Genealogy and Family History of the County of Jefferson, New York and many family trees state that he was born November 10, 1632.^[9] However, no reliable source has been found that supports that date of birth. The November 10, 1632 date also appears in many family trees as the date of birth for Samuel Allen of Northampton.

Place of Birth

Samuel's place of birth is uncertain. Since Samuel's father was in Braintree by 1635 and perhaps as early as 1632^[2] and was probably in England before then, and since Samuel was most likely born sometime in 1632-4, Samuel could have been born in either Braintree or England.

Residency in Braintree; Removal to Bridgewater

Since Samuel's parents lived in Braintree, Samuel probably lived there at least until he reached maturity. According to Mitchell^[1] and other secondary sources after him,^[6][4][7] Samuel was living in the part of Bridgewater that later became East Bridgewater, as early as 1660. According to The Bridgewater Book, Samuel was, in fact, the very first settler in Bridgewater's East Precinct and built his house on the east side of the Matfield River.^[10] His 1660 date of residency in Bridgewater is probably based on the fact that the birth of Samuel's eldest child, Samuel Jr. in December 1660, was recorded in Bridgewater's town records.^[11] Since Samuel met and married Sarah Partridge of Duxbury sometime before that date, it is probable that Samuel moved from Braintree to the Duxbury-Bridgewater area sometime in 1656-1660.

Marriage

Samuel married Sarah Partridge, daughter George Partridge of Duxbury.^[1][2][12] Their marriage is confirmed by a 1680 deed by George Partridge to his son John Partridge of a 50-acre lot in Bridgewater on the westerly side of the 50-acre lot of Samuel Allen, which "he had of me George Partridge his father-in-law"^[13] and is further supported by George Partridge's 1682 will, which contains a bequest to his granddaughter Bethiah Allen^[14][15] and the 1702 will of George Partridge's widow Sarah which refers to her daughter "Sarah Allien."^[15]

The date of Samuel and Sarah's marriage is uncertain. Savage states that they were married about 1658;^[2] Partridge^[16] and Vinton^[4] state that they were married in 1658; while Anderson just states that they were married by 1660.^[12] All estimates of their date of marriage appear to be based on the date of birth of their children. The first child whose identity is known is Samuel Jr., who was born on December 4, 1660. However, the Bridgewater town records of the births of Samuel's children state that Samuel was the "second borne" of Samuel Allen senior, without identifying the older child.^[17][18] Based on a typical two-year gap in births, Samuel and Sarah's first child was probably born in late 1658 or early 1659. Thus, the estimates of a marriage in about 1658 seem reasonable.

The location of Samuel and Sarah's marriage is also uncertain. Based on the residency of Sarah's parents in Duxbury at the probable time of their marriage and the fact that, after their marriage, they resided in Bridgewater, they were probably married in Duxbury or Bridgewater, with the former being somewhat more likely of the two.

Children

Samuel and Sarah had the following children, all except Mehetabel born in Bridgewater:

1. an unidentified child, b. say early 1659, presumably died young^[19]
2. Samuel, b. December 4, 1660,^{[17][18][11][1]} m. December 2, 1685 Rebeckah Cary in Bridgewater,^[20][1] d. 1736^[1]
3. Essiel/Elliel, b. March 1, 1662/3,^{[17][18][21][1]} living but unmarried in June 1703 (based on a bequest by Samuel to daughter Elliel Allen)
4. Mehitabel, b. January 20, 1664/5 "in Duxborugh,"^{[17][18][22][1]} m. December 2, 1685 Isaac Alden in Bridgewater^[23][1]
5. Sarah, b. April 14, 1667, m. 1st about 1687 Jonathan Cary in Bridgewater, m. 2d October 25, 1705 Benjamin Snow in Bridgewater, d. after September 1738 in Bridgewater (for sources, see Sarah's profile)
6. Bethiah, b. May 12, 1669,^{[17][18][21][1]} m. John Pryor^[1]
7. Nathaniel, b. February 10, 1672/3,^{[17][18][22][1]} m. 1st December 14, 1696 Bethiah Conant in Bridgewater,^[20][1] m. 2d Abigail ______^[1]
8. Ebenezer, b. October 14, 1674,^{[17][18][21][1]} m. October 11, 1698 Rebeckah Scate in Bridgewater^[24][1]
9. Josiah, b. April 21, 1677,^{[17][18][25][1]} m. December 25, 1707 Mary Read in Bridgewater^[23][1]
10. Elisha/Elishah, b. February 8, 1678/9,^{[17][18][21][1]} m. December 3, 1701 Mehitabel Byram in Bridgewater^[24][1]
11. Nehemiah, b. January 5, 1680/1,^{[17][18][22][1]} m. January 3, 1706/7 Sarah Wormel in Bridgewater^[20][1]

Public Life

Samuel held a number of prominent positions in Bridgewater. He was town clerk from 1683 to 1702.^[26] In 1687, Samuel was chosen as commissioner for taking a list of Bridgewater males 16 and older and valuing their estates;^[27] in 1691 he was selected as Bridgewater's Representative to the General Court of Massachusetts;^[28] and in 1694 he was chosen, together with Thomas Hayward, John Haward, Deacon Brett and Thomas Snell, to assign the seats to each person in the town meeting house.^[29] According to Mitchell^[1] and subsequent secondary sources,^[6][4][7] Samuel was a deacon in the local church.

In 1676, during King Philip's War, Samuel and his son Samuel Jr. were among a group of 22 men from Bridgewater led by Ensign John Haward who came upon the enemy, fought them, and took 17 of them alive.^[30]

Will; Death

Samuel made his will on June 9, 1703. In his will, he made bequests to his wife Sarah, sons Samuel, Nathaniel, Ebenezer, Josiah, Elisha and Nehemiah and daughters Elliel Allen, Mehitable Alden, Sarah Cary and Bethiah Prior, and appointed his wife Sarah and son Nathanial as executors. The will was witnessed by John Partridge, Samuel Seabury and James Partridge and was proved on December 21, 1705 before Nathaniel Thomas, Judge of the Probate Court on the oaths of all three witnesses.^[8]

The inventory of Samuel's estate states that he died on November 2, 1705.^[8] Since both his will and the inventory of his estate state that he was "of Bridgewater," he almost certainly died there.

^{[19] [18] [17] [24] [23] [20] [10] [29] [27] [30] [28] [26] [6] [7] [8] [11] [25] [22] [21] [16] [14] [12] [15] [13] [2] [4] [9] [5] [1] [3]}

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24} Mitchell, Nahum. History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. 1840. p 94. Link to page at archive.org.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692, on the Basis of Farmer's Register, Vol. I. Little, Brown and Company, 1860. p 35. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Suffolk Deeds. Liber VIII. City of Boston, 1896. pp 21-22. Link to pages at hathitrust.org.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5} Vinton, John Adams. The Vinton Memorial, Comprising a Genealogy of the Descendants of John Vinton of Lynn, 1648. 1858. p 303. Link to page at archive.org.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Mitchell, Nahum. History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. 1840. p 93. Link to page at archive.org.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3} A Branch of the Allen Family of New England. New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Volume 10 (1856). p 225. Link to page at americanancestors.org.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3} Allen, Asa W. Genealogy of the Allen and Witter Families. 1872. p 96. Link to page at archive.org.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3} Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967, Docket 322, Book 2, pp 73-5. Link to pages at familysearch.org.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} Oakes, R.A. Genealogical and Family History of the County of Jefferson, New York, Volume I. The Lewis Publishing Company, 1905. p 201. Link to page at books.google.com.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} The Bridgewater Book. 1899. p 12. Link to page at books.google.com.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2} Vital Records of Bridgewater, Massachusetts to the Year 1850, Volume I - Births. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1916. p 30. Link to page at archive.org.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1 12.2} Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume V (M-P). New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2007. p 378. Link to page at ancestry.com.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume V (M-P). New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2007. p 375. Link to page at ancestry.com.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} Partridge, George Henry. Partridge Genealogy: Descendants of George Partridge of Duxbury, Massachusetts. 1915. p 2. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1 15.2} Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume V (M-P). New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2007. p 377. Link to page at ancestry.com.
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1} Partridge, George Henry. Partridge Genealogy: Descendants of George Partridge of Duxbury, Massachusetts. 1915. p 4. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
17. ↑ ^{17.00 17.01 17.02 17.03 17.04 17.05 17.06 17.07 17.08 17.09 17.10} Bridgewater Town Records, Vol. 1, p. 15. FHL Film # 007009747, image 11. Link to image at familysearch.org. See image attached to this profile.
18. ↑ ^{18.00 18.01 18.02 18.03 18.04 18.05 18.06 18.07 18.08 18.09 18.10} Bowman, George Ernest Bowman. "Vital Records of Bridgewater, Mass." The Mayflower Descendant. 2(1900):91-92. Link to pages at hathitrust.org.
19. ↑ ^{19.0 19.1} The assertion that Samuel and Sarah had a child born before son Samuel is based on Bridgewater town records of the births of Samuel's children state that Samuel was the "second borne" of Samuel Allen senior, without identifying the older child. Based on a typical two-year gap in births, Samuel and Sarah's first child was probably born in late 1658 or early 1659. Since the birth of Samuel and Sarah's first child was not included in the Bridgewater town records, the child was probably stillborn or died shortly after birth.
20. ↑ ^{20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3} Vital Records of Bridgewater, Massachusetts to the Year 1850, Volume 2 - Marriages and Deaths. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1916. p 29. Link to page at archive.org.
21. ↑ ^{21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4} Vital Records of Bridgewater, Massachusetts to the Year 1850, Volume I - Births. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1916. p 27. Link to page at archive.org.
22. ↑ ^{22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3} Vital Records of Bridgewater, Massachusetts to the Year 1850, Volume I - Births. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1916. p 29. Link to page at archive.org.
23. ↑ ^{23.0 23.1 23.2} Vital Records of Bridgewater, Massachusetts to the Year 1850, Volume 2 - Marriages and Deaths. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1916. p 28. Link to page at archive.org.
24. ↑ ^{24.0 24.1 24.2} Vital Records of Bridgewater, Massachusetts to the Year 1850, Volume 2 - Marriages and Deaths. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1916. p 26. Link to page at archive.org.
25. ↑ ^{25.0 25.1} Vital Records of Bridgewater, Massachusetts to the Year 1850, Volume I - Births. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1916. p 28. Link to page at archive.org.
26. ↑ ^{26.0 26.1} Mitchell, Nahum. History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. 1840. p 35. Link to page at archive.org.
27. ↑ ^{27.0 27.1} Mitchell, Nahum. History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. 1840. p 66. Link to page at archive.org.
28. ↑ ^{28.0 28.1} Mitchell, Nahum. History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. 1840, p 36. Link to page at archive.org.
29. ↑ ^{29.0 29.1} Mitchell, Nahum. History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. 1840. p 67. Link to page at archive.org.
30. ↑ ^{30.0 30.1} Mitchell, Nahum. History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. 1840. p 40. to page at archive.org.

See also:

• Find A Grave: Memorial #74639304 Samuel Allen