Gideon Allen 1790 to 1862 & Associated Families Study in progress by: Deanna Branson West
Gideon
Allen was born in 13 FEB 1790 in Scipio twp, Cayuga Co., NY. He would marry at least twice in his life
time. In 1829 in New York state he wed Sarah Ann "Sally" Larrowe who
had several children by this union but died in 1852 at the age of 48
- He then wed Fidelia Rogers in 1858 in Cass Co, MI - (dob
abt 1804) Although Fidelia stepped in
to help finish raising the children, she and Gideon had no children by
this union due to her age at the time of marriage. I strongly feel that
Gideon had yet another complete family whille still in New York state. We will discuss Elihu Allen, who I believe was Gideon's son later in this article.
We
will start with Gideon's Great Grandfather: also Named Gideon Allen
born 25 FEB 1718/19 in Tiverton, Mass and died abt 1770 in Dartmouth
Mass.
Note: Gideon
was probably born in Tiverton, Mass. His will is dated 1770 and it was
probated in 1771. He married in 1742 to Elizabeth and his trade was a
carpenter. He lived in that part of Dartmouth now called Fairhaven. In
his lifetime spent in Dartmought Town the town was strongly Quaker and
as many as 2000 persons gathered at the meetings. These meetings
continued until the outbreak of the Revolution when the people along
the Massachusetts coast were harried by the British, their supplies
confiscated and their shipping and fishing brought to an end. This
began the great migration to the back county along the border
settlements where the would feel more secured and could follow their
own beliefs of their faith which forbid war. Gideon had married
Elizabeth (Unknown) 1742 in Dartmouth, Mass.
They had the following children:
Phillip Allen (the next individual we will discuss - born 1756 in Fairhaven, Mass Samuel Allen,Susanna Allen, Hannah Allen, Mary Allen, Elizabeth Allen and Abigail Allen. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phillip Allen (Gideon Allen)was born 1756 in Fairhaven, Mass. and died 1802 Scipio Twp, Yates Co.,, NY
It
is believed that Phillip Allen died in about 1802 in Scipio Yates Co.,
NY. In Feb, 1779 he left Dartmouth and went to White Creek, Washington
(then Albany) Co., NY. Letter of recommendation from the Sandwich,
Mass. meeting to the Saratoga meetings in NY has been found and states:
He is free from entanglements of Marriage. But on Oct 20, 1779 he was
married in a Friends meeting at White Creek, NY to Rebecca Wood. She
was the daughter of Isaac and Ruth (Baker) Wood who were also from
Dartmouth, Mass and then White Creek.
It
is supposed that Phillip and Rebecca were living in White Creek as they
were recorded as members of the Friends Church there in 1784. In 1800,
so stated the history of Cayuga Co., NY Phillip Allen "came in" as a
settler, But there is no record of his owning land in Cayuga Co. The
next year Isaac and Ruth Wood came and they had been preceded by Walter
Wood and family, he being a brother of Rebecca. It is supposed that
perhaps by some family arrangement, Phillip and Rebecca had a home near
the other relatives or perhaps even lived with them.
However
Phillip did not long survive and Rebecca was the wife of George Allen,
and so designated on deeds of conveyance in 1807. Two early burial
grounds used by the Quakers were opened about 1802. Phillip was most
likely buried in one of them, but the Friends used no gravestone until
after 1825, therefore his grave is unmarked and unrecorded. Rebecca
died sometime after 1832.
Phillip and Rebecca (Wood) Allen had the following
children:
1. Phebe ALLEN born 9
AUG 1780 and died before 1848 in New York. Wed Robert Heazlit and had
at least 2 children: Elizabeth Carr and Daniel M Heazlit. 2. John Allen birth - BET. 1780 - 1802 in New York - Per
Allen documentation at the Cass County Library in Cassopolis Michigan,
John settled in Ypsilanti, Michigan which would have been in Washtenaw
County.No other information available on this individual. 3. Walter W. Allen - birth abt 1786 - No other information available on this individual. 4. Gideon Allen (subject of this document) 1790 to 1862 5. Samuel Allen born 1794 in White Creek, Washington Co,. NY and died 16 Dec 1866 with burial in Allen Cemetery, this county.
Samuel
was born in White Creek, Washington Co., NY (Presumably) died 17 Nov
1866 on his farm in Silver Creek Twp., Cass Co., MI. In 1840 his aunt,
Elizabeth Wood, who is residing in the same county - Scipio, Cayuga
Co., NY and will him 200$. I believe at this time Samuel and his most
of his brothers have moved to the next county of Yates Co., NY. Samual
comes to Michigan with his brother Gideon, his sister Ruth, while
brother John (settles in Ypsilanti, Michigan) the remainder of the
family of his sister Ruth and the family of his brother William, come
to Cass County Michigan. Also two sons and a daughter of his sister
Phebe. Buried
in the Allen Cemetery in Silver Creek Twp, row 41, with his wife
Minerva W/Sam"l her stone read 76 y 3 m 28 d. 21 Mar 1874. Samuel's stone reads 73 yr 17 Dec 1866 - One son born of this union who was George W. Allen 1820 to 1888. See Rootsweb for more on this individual.
6. William Allen birth 1 APR 1802 - No other information available on this individual. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gideon Allen (Subject of this article) arrived in Cass County in 1845 with a large family. Children of Gideon and Sally Ann Larrowe were: Adeline dob 1831 and wed Lafayette Atwood 18 Mar 1849. Adeline died in 1861.
Jane
Allen (1832 to 1854) wed George Whitbeck (1820 - 1896) on
12 Sep 1847 and before her death in 1854 they had Charlotte born
in about 1849. John, 1850 to 1872 and Sarah 1853. George then wed March 4, 1855 to Maria Crossman (1830-1899)
Ann
Eliza dob 1833 and wed James Atwood 27 JAN 1856 in Cass Co., Michigan - she died in 1913 and James
preceded her in death in 1910 - both buried Riverside Cemetery,
Dowagiac, MI.
Henry Allen born 24 MAR 1835 in New York and died 22 JUN 1911 in Cass County, MI with burial in Gage Cemetery.
Charles Allen born ABT. 1837 in New York - - No other information available on this individual.
Clementine
1943 to 5 Jan 1916 wed abt 1867 to Halbert R. Taylor 1842 to 1917 both
buried in Riverside Cemetery, Dowagiac, MI. - they had two children.
-------------------------------------------------------------------- Elihu Allen abt 1810 to Oct 4, 1861 burial near Gideon Allen. Husband to Matilda Muncy lived 30 Apr 1824 to 6 May 1872.
In
investigating the genealogy of Elihu, I have been trying to determine
if Gideon was a brother or a father to Elihu Allen. (See Gideon Allen
b. 1789-1790). Elihu's
dies at only 51 years of age intestate, therefore the care of his only
child and daughter, my g-grandmother, Rebecca E. Allen is put into
James Atwood's and Gideon Allen's guardianship, as they did so many
times when a woman was widowed. Relationship of James Atwood who is the
son of Lafayette Atwood and his mother is Adeline Allen Atwood -
daughter of Gideon Allen. Also
as we examine the 1850 census for Cass County we see the close
proximity in which Elihu lives only a few households away from Gideon.
In this census it might be noted that household(hh) 1784 is Gideon
Allen, 1785 hh is Layfayette Atwood & Adeline and 1786 hh is
Tinkler family which includes Elihu living with them as farming for an
occupation.
Being
that Elihu had no will at the time of his death and was divorced from
Rebecca's mother, Matilda, did Gideon leave a generous sum in the
estate for Rebecca? This would explain why Gideon, who might indeed
have been Elihu's father from Gideon's first marriage, would not have
mentioned Elihu in his will when he died a few years after Elihu.
Matilda and Elihu are divorced in 1859 in Cass County, MI.
In
the 1860 census, Elihu is now living with and working for the Ebenezer
Gage family. Ebenezer's son, Seneca, will later marry Elihu's daughter
Rebecca when she returns from Florida after the death of her first
husband, Charles Spooner. Elihu Married Matilda (Muncy) Foster 1 May 1853. They had one child Rebecca E. born 17 Feb 1854 and died 30 Nov 1929. More on Matilda Muncy Foster Allen One
of the reasons it is so hard to track this lady is because of the
numerous misspellings that I have seen given for this name. Everything
from Munsy, Munsey to Muncy has been viewed on various web sites and
census records.
But
the evidence lies in her will as to what her maiden name actually was,
as she states a financial relationship to N. Muncey. Also we find in
the 1870 Federal Census for Cass County, Michigan her 3rd marriage to
John Argabright and also her brothers and children living not to far
from her. They have misspelled again, her brother Abel (Muncy's) name
in the census, who lives with Matilda and her 3rd husband.
In
Matilda's will we see where she leaves most of her worldly possessions
to her 4 children: Mary Foster Graham, Thomas J. Foster, Samuel F.
Foster and Rebecca E. Allen (The only child by her 2nd marriage to a
Mr. Elihu Allen). We also learn that Elihu and Matilda are divorced in
1859 by referencing information available at Cass County, Michigan.
Only
through referencing the 1870 census and noting that Mary Foster Graham
was born in Indiana was I able to look through the Indiana marriages
and actually find the date and place of the marriage to her first
husband, William Foster, in Kosciusko, Indiana in 1845. Further
evidence of Matilda's marriage to William Foster is the reference in
Matilda's will that a mortgage for Wm. Foster is to be settled from
monies from the estate.
Matilda
must have known her time was limited as she does write her will and has
it witnessed. She is only 48 years of age when she leaves this world on
May 6, 1872. She divides all her worldly goods between her children and
leaves Rebecca items that she and Rebecca had sewn together. Her
daughter Rebecca is given the largest cash settlement from this humble
estate which equals about 250$. After her divorce from Elihu Matilda wed John Argabright in about 1865. He was born abt 1811 W. Virginia and died 18 Sep 1876 in Cass Co., MI Per the study files of Gerald Argabright email at argabright@horizonview.net, he states that John and Matilda (Rayburn) Argabright were married on Sept 3, 1835 in Clark Co. Ohio. I found John, Matilda and their children in the 1850 census, Clark County, OH, Donnelsville, page 99. The same 3 children appear in this census as appear in the 1860 census and are listed on this report.
In
verifying this information we can look at the 1860 census for Cass
County Michigan in Jefferson twp, page 156 and see John and Matilda
there with some of their children.
In
the 1870 Cass County Census for Michigan in LaGrange Township, page
56b, John (age 59) and his 2nd wife another Matilda (Matilda Muncy)(age
46) can be found with her son Samuel Foster and John's son Henry M.
Argabright living with them. Also in the same household is a Mary
Benson or Bensow b. W. Virginia name living with them.Mary is age 60
and children Arnold (22) and Emily (20) are there with her. Matilda's
brother Abel Muncy are also living with them, along with a Jacob Overly
age 21 are there too.
Rebecca E. Allen - My Great Grandmother and daughter of Elihu and Matilda (Muncy) Allen 17 Feb 1854 to 30 Nov 1929
Rebecca
loses her father when she is only about 7 years of age. Her mother than
remarries John Argabright and Rebecca is raised with 3 other foster
siblings. "See Matilda Munsey for more information on these siblings." In
the 1870 Cass County, LaGrange Twp, page 54a, Rebecca is living with
the William H Hain family and is shown as a domestic servant. The
census states Rebecca is 18 years of age, but she would have been
closer to 16 or 17 years of age. I have not established the
relationship of Rebecca to this Hain's family.
After
the death of her 1st husband Charles, Rebecca must have returned to her
roots in Cass County. I have no doubt that the Allen family and Gage
family must have been friends proximity being the key, in 1870 census
they live rather close to one another. We also, in the 1860 census see
Elihu Allen working for Ebenezer Gage. This is the father of Seneca
Gage who will become Rebecca's second husband.
I
believe that for a brief time Rebecca and Seneca go to California,
probably to be closer to Seneca's sons. Allen, Rebecca's eldest son
joins them for a short period time and then all return to Cass County
sometime before 1914 when Seneca dies.
1914
Rebecca is up in the Cass County, Michigan area with her second husband
Seneca who dies that same year. This is perhaps why her son Allen and
spouse Katherine move up to the area for a while where their daughter Irene is born in 1915 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Through
Mr. Ralph Muncy we learn that there were letters written by Rebecca's
uncle, Levi Muncy concerning various family members. Rebecca's and
Mother Matilda were with Nimrod Muncy in 1859 after the divorce of
Matilda and Elihu Allen.
Rebecca was going to school in 1862. Also Rebecca is said to have been with her aunt Mary Allen in 1870.
1920 Federal Census for Benton Harbor, Berrien County MI, shows Rebecca living with Allen Spooner and his 3 children. Rebecca has remarried a Mr. Seneca Ebenezer Gage who she is now the widow of. She is 64 years of age Rebecca dies in 1929 after being ill for only 1 day. Note attached obit.
The News Palladium, Benton Harbor, Mich. Dec. 2, 1929 (Monday)
Mrs. Rebecca Gage Of Pavone Street Dies; Rites Tues.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday for Mrs. Rebecca Gage, 75 years old, who passed away at 5:10 P.M. Saturday at her home, 613 Pavone Street. D. W. Mather will read the Christian Science service at 1:30 P.M., at the Esalhorst funeral chapel. Interment will be in the Riverview Cemetery Dowagiac. Mrs. Gage was born in Cass County February 17, 1854, and had lived in Benton Harbor for nine years. Surviving are two sons, A. L. Spooner of Benton Harbor, and Jesse Spooner, Detroit, five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
1st husband was Charles W. Spooner Married:13 JUL 1879 in Hillsborough, FL he died in about 1885 and Rebecca returned to Cass County, MI with her two sons; Allen Lorenzo and Jesse Spooner
2nd husbance was Seneca Ebenezer GAGE 1848 to 1914 who also had lost a spouse Edith May Morton and he was the son of Ebenezer Gage and Minerva Allen .