Rena Belle Eddins

Notes:

Janice Smith shows that she married Lloyd WHITEHEAD.

William married Adelia Allen. Adelia (daughter of John Wooldridge Allen and Mary Frances A. Alford) was born on 4 Feb 1872 in Shelby County, Texas; died on 10 May 1938 in San Augustine County, Texas; was buried in Liberty Hill Cemetery, Bland Lake, San Augustine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Name: Adelia Eddens
Death Date: 10 May 1938
Death Place: Precinct 1, San Augustine, Texas
Gender: Female
Race: White
Death Age: 66 years 3 months 6 days
Estimated Birth Date:
Birth Date: 04 Feb 1872
Birthplace: Shelby County
Marital Status: Widowed
Spouse's Name: W.H. Eddens
Father's Name: John Allen
Father's Birthplace: South Carolina
Mother's Name: Francis Alford
Mother's Birthplace: Shelby County, Texas
Occupation: Housewife
Place of Residence:
Cemetery:
Burial Place: Liberty Hill
Burial Date: 11 May 1938
Additional Relatives: X
Film Number: 2117695
Digital Film Number: 4030408
Image Number: 3154
Reference Number: cn 24993
Collection: Texas Deaths, 1890-1976

Notes:

Said to have been born in the Old District 96 of South Carolina.

Per FIRST SETTLERS OF SABINE COUNTY he received 320 acres of land on March 4, 1844

It is currently not known where he was located in 1840. There is a John W. Allen listed on the Carroll Parish, Louisiana census at that time. However, that John Allen was born sometime between 1800 and 1810, and has two daughters over the age of 10. It is not currently known if they are the same man.

On the 1854 Scholastic Census, his children Jas T. and Martha (s/b Margaret Elizabeth) were shown as being enrolled

In YELLOWED PAGES: VOLUME XXIV, No. 1, Spring, 1994, page 43, a list of Sabine County Voter's registrations are shown. Information about J.W. Allen is shown as follows:

January 29, 1868: 478 J.W. Allen Pct. Mi3, Years in State--27, Years in County--27, Years in Pct--27, Native of South Carolina.

According to the book "Selected Tax Rolls of Shelby County, Texas 1837,1845,1855,1865,1875,1885," a J.W. Allen paid taxes in Shelby County in 1885.

In her notes, Kate Allen Tirado erroneously list her uncle as John T. Allen, and shows his place of death as Sabine County.

(Research):

Census Listings:

1850 Census
Texas, Sabine County, Sabine District
Enumerated 1 Oct 1850
12-12
John W. Allin 27 M Farmer South Carolina
Cariline C " 23 F Miss
Jamest T. " 3 M Tx
Elizabeth " 1 F Tx

1860 Census
Texas, Sabine County, Redland Beat No, 4, PO Milam
Enumerated 27 Jun 1860
Page 22
156-156
Allen, J.W,37,M,W, Clock Pedlar, $--- $700 SC
" , James T,13, M, W, TX
" , Elizabeth Do,11,F,W, TX (married to William Fullen)
" , Jane (*),9,F, W, TX (married to John Fullen) (brothers)
" , Susan (#),1, F, W, TX

*Jane is the daughter of J.W. Allen by wife Caroline. Jane was born in December 1850, and the 1850 census was taken in October 1850. Therefore, Caroline would have been between 6 and 7 months pregnant at the time of the census. The 1860 census was taken in June, before Jane had reached her 10th birthday.

#The mother of Susan Allen is not known. It does not seem likely that she is the daughter of John's second wife, Margaret Harvey Allen, who had moved back home with their one year old daughter, Mary Allen. Did John have a daughter by a woman other than his then wife, perhaps leading to their separation? Or is Susan perhaps a niece or other family member? Or are Mary/Susan the same child, listed in both households?

His former wife, Margaret, and his daughter Mary are living in another household in 1860, as follows:

1860 Census
Texas, Sabine County, Patroon Beat No 5, PO Milam
Enumerated 6 July 1860
Pages 29 and 30
224-224
ZMA Smith 59 F Farmer 400 671 NC
Margaret Allen 34 F La
W.H. Harvey 21 M Farmer LA
ZMA Smith 8 F Tx
MAA " 5 F Tx
Mary E. Allen 1 F Tx

1870 Census
Texas, Sabine County, Beat 4, PO Milam
Enumerated 2 July 1870
Page 3
112-112
Allen, John W.,47,M,W,Farmer,300, 800, S.C.
" , Frances A., 27,F,W, Ala
" , Britton (*),5,M,W,TX
" , Robert K,4,M,W, TX
" , Theodore I, 2,M,W,TX
Seaford, Frank ,32,M,W,Laborer,Prussia

*Esther McGrew Hardin in San Antonio notes that this is a name often used in the Odom and Means family (associated with the Blackburn and McGrew families of Sabine County). John and Frances Allen were living only two households away from M. Blackburn (Martha Cole Blackburn), a 72 year old Widow (of Alexander Blackburn, brother of Eliz. Blackburn) born in South Carolina and living with the family of J.N. and Susan Bailey.

1880 Census
Texas, Shelby County, Precinct 3
Enumeratd 13 Jun 1880
Page 13 SD 1 ED 89 Stamped 1 56
106-108
Allen, J.W., W,M,67,Farming, SC,GA,SC
" ,F.A., W,F,38,Wife, Keeping House,AL,AL,AL
" ,J.B.,W,M,15,Son,at home, TX,SC,AL
" ,R.G.,W,M,13,Son,at home, TX,SC,AL
" ,Theodore I,W,M,10,Son,at home,TX,SC,AL
" ,Bannister,W,M,8,Son,at home,TX,SC,AL
" ,Adelia,W,F,6,Dtr,at home,TX,SC,AL
" ,Alarissa?,W,F,4,Dtr,at home,TX,SC,AL
" ,Laura,W,F,3,Dtr,at home,TX,SC,AL
" ,Annie,W,F,1,Dtr,at home,TX,SC,AL

John married Mary Frances A. Alford on 17 Jan 1865 in Sabine County, Texas. Mary (daughter of Isham Alford and Sylvia Ann Hodges) was born on 26 Jan 1842 in St. Clair County, Alabama; died on 7 Jan 1921 in Center, Shelby County, Texas; was buried in Allen Family Cemetery, Patroon, Shelby County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Her FindAGrave memorial, created by Sheron Smith-Savage, notes that "Mrs. Frances Allen was the mother of Mrs. Frank Swanzy and of T. I. Allen of Garrison. In 1920 she was living with daughter and son-in-law Adelia, 48, and William H. Eddins, 53, and their 5 children. "Funeral services and burial took place at the Allen cemetery in the Patroon community.""

Obituary, The Champion, January 19, 1921, reprinted in Mildred Cariker Pinkston, Obituaries of Early Pioneers, Shelby County, Texas, Center: Center Printing Co., 1983, I:141

Mrs. J. W. Allen, in Mangum Funeral Home files, Center, TX, 1921

Her memorial page also erroneously cites her father was Isom Allen, when her father was actually Isham Alford.

Notes:

In a Family Group Sheet prepared by Eva Mae Halbert Hackney, whose father was a grandson of Thompson Allen, she lists Thompson's birth as occuring on 22 Dec 1802, Elbert County, Georgia. His parents are not listed, though the parents of his wife, Elizabeth Wooldridge, are shown. No sources are cited by Eva. This handwritten group sheet was provided to me by Blanche Finley Toole in January, 1995. Blanche said she helped Eva prepare her DAR and DRT records applications. Blanche and Eva were connected through the Burton family. Neither Blanche nor Eva knew who Thompson Allen's parents were.

In a history of the W. W. Allen family, prepared by Thompson Allen's granddaughter, Kate Allen Tirado, she also writes that "Thompson Allen (Father of W. W. Allen, Levi T. and John Allen) was born December 22, 1802 in Albert (sic) County, Georgia. Thompson Allen departed this life at the age of 67 years, 10 months, and 5 days at his residence in Sabine County, Texas on October 17, 1870." Again, Thompson's parents are not mentioned by Kate. Kate prepared this four page, typewritten manuscript sometime after 1955, but before her death in October 1964

The "1850 Census Sabine County, Texas with added family information and corrections" by Helen Gomer Schluter and Blanche Finley Toole, shows that Thompson Allen in Household number 277 was the owner of 9 slaves. On this census, he is shown as age 48, and born in South Carolina. The 1860 census lists his place of birth instead as Georgia. Kate Allen Tirado, a granddaughter, writes that Thompson lived first in Houston, Texas ca 1840, later moving to Milam, Sabine County, Texas.

Sally Clark, a niece of Kate Allen Tirado, emailed that a Thos WG Allen was listed in the "First Settlers of the Republic of Texas Vol I." He was given a second class land grant as a resident of Harris County. He rec'd 1280 acres, and listed as Thos WG Allen - 3-16-1839. He woud have needed to be here prior to 10-1-1837 to be first class." It is possible this land grant in Harris county was for our Thompson Allen as Kate Tirado wrote that he lived in Houston, which is in Harris County, before moving to Milam, Sabine County in January, 1841. However it is also possible that this is another Thompson Allen, as the extract of a voters registration list from 1867 (shown in full below) for Thompson Allen shows "Yrs in State: 26, Yrs in County: 26, Yrs in Pct.: 12." This would seem to indicate that he settled directly in Sabine County around 1841, as the years in the state and county match.

According to a list of Sabine County Voter's registrations appearing in YELLOWED PAGES, Winter 1993, Page 27, "Aug 6, 1867 #322 Thompson Allen Prct 5, Yrs in State: 26, Yrs in County: 26, Yrs in Pct.: 12, Native of Georgia."

Gifford White's book, "The First Settlers of Sabine County, Texas" has the following listing: 19 Thompson Allen 1840, 640 acres, Dec 1843, noting further that a Wm D Fry and Bede Johnson are listed with the same dates.

According to an Affidavit of Mrs. C.D. Gooch, dated 25 May 1910, and on file in Sabine County, "Thompson Allen was married twice, that his first wife, whose name was Elizabeth Wooldrige before marriage; died about the year 1848, that she left surviving her, her husband, Thompson Allen and six children as follows: (1) John Allen, who died eight or nine years ago, and left a widow and children; (2) Connilia L. Allen, who married Annanias Oliver about the year 1840, and died 1909, leaving children; (3) Levi Allen who now resides in Lampasas County, Texas; (4) W.W. Allen who now resides in Lampasas, Texas; (5) Mary F. Allen who married W.W. Halbert in 1858 and died about 1900 in Sabine County, Texas leaving her husband and children; (6) Jerusha Allen, who married G.W. Speights in November 1865, and died in Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas in 1888 leaving husband and children; That the said Thompson Allen and his first wife, Elizabeth, had four other children, namely Marion, Martha, Elizabeth and Augustus, all of whom died without marrying and leaving no children; that the above mentioned ten children, were all and the only children of the said Thompson Allen and his first wife, Elizabeth Wooldridge, that reached maturity."

After the death of his first wife, Thompson married second Jane Russell, the widow of Epperson Duke Payne.

On the 1854 Sabine County Scholastic Census, Thompson Allen was shown as having five children and stepchildren enrolled in District 10: William, J.P. Pain, J.D. Pain, Mary, and Jerusha.

Blanche Toole, a Sabine County Genealogist and historian stated that, "Thompson and Elizabeth Wooldridge Allen are buried in the Oliphant Chapel Memorial Garden cemetery, and Thompson was a veteran of the Mexican War. " His name has not be located in the index of Mexican War veterans, however. Blanche also indicates that Thompson Allen's sister was Jemima Allen, the first wife of A.D. Oliphint. [Note: This is not proven and may be in error]. Blanche also said that Thompson "came to Texas with his wife, Elizabeth Wooldridge, and with the Oliphints. He settled just south of the Oliphint Chapel Community, on the Palo Gacho Bayou, where he had a grist mill and lumber mill. He lived near the Oliver family. He and his wife had a large family. Elizabeth died 7 March 1847, and was buried in the Oliphint Chapel Cemetery. They were parents of seven children. Three died young. When Thompson Allen died, after 1870, family tradition says that he was buried by his first wife, Elizabeth. It is presumed the three young children were also buried nearby." [Note: presumably Blanche means Thompson and Elizabeth had a total of TEN children, three of whom died young, and seven who lived into maturity]

In the family group sheet given to me by Mrs. Toole, one that was prepared and/or extracted from the notes Edna Mae Hackney, a total of twelve children are shown. It appears that two of these twelve children died before 1836, before the families move to Texas circa 1841. This may account for the discrepency in the number of children. Mrs. Hackney listed detailed birth and death dates for the parents and children, but no support was provided for these dates. Or Mrs. Hackney may have been in error about the two children who died young.

All twelve are shown in this file, however.

In an article entitled "Mrs Etta Nichols Speeks on History of Low's Chapel" published in the August 26, 1965 issue of the SABINE COUNTY REPORTER, "John Morris gave land for church, school and Cemetery about 1890...the school was named for Thomas Allen, and called Allen's Old Mill. Thompson Allen owned a mill that sawed logs into lumber as well as ground corn for meal. It was located about 1/2 mile north of Tuckers Bridge on Palo Gacho. A dam of boards, which was called a tumbling dam, produced the power. The saw worked vertically. Thomas Allen married Glendy McLanahan's mother, who was my great grandmother. Curtis Jackson owned the mill first."



(Research):Timeline (Courtesy of Tuck Wilson)

1802 - Dec 22, Thompson born in Abbeville District, SC (Arva Allen Bible notes). Other family records show location of birth as Elbert County, GA. 1850 census shows him as age 48, born SC. 1860 census shows him as age 58, born GA.
1820 - Thompson a minor, not found in Census in Alabama or SC
1828 - dau Ruthie Ann Allen b 13 Nov 1828 in SC
1830 - dau Minerva Jenkins Allen b. in Alabama
1830- should be living in Selma, Alabama Dallas County (birth of Minerva Jenkins Allen 23 Nov 1830) but not found in census SC, Ala, Mississippi
1832 - son Thomas Bannister Allen b. 29 Sept 1832 in Alabama
1833 - son Thomas Bannister Allen d. 4 Aug 1833 in Alabama
1834 - dau Caroline Woolridge Allen b. June 1834 in Mississippi
1836 - son Levi Thompson Allen b. 3 May 1836 in Noxubee County Mississippi
1836 - dau Caroline Woolridge Allen d. 26 Oct 1836 in Mississippi
1839 - son William Washington Allen b. 12 Sep 1839 in Noxubee County Mississippi
1840 - should be living in Noxubee County Mississippi. He is not shown there but there is a "T. Allen one county over in Winston County, Mississippi with 9 people that looks good. There is an Alfred E. Oliphint in Holmes County, 1 county west of Winston.
1840-43 Thompson Allen has moved to Texas by 28 Feb 1843 when dau Mary Frances is born.

Census Listings:

1850 Census
Texas, Sabine District in the County of Sabine
Enumerated 27 28 and 29 of Nov 1850
277-277
Thompson Allen 48 M Farmer $2000 South Carolina
Jane C --- 39 F
David R Payne 16 M Alabama
Margaret E --- 15 F Alabama
Jane E ---13 F Texas
J. Peckins 11 M Texas
Caroline D --- 9 F Texas
Tery Allin 13 M Mississippi
William --- 11 M Mississippi
Mary --- 9 F Texas
Jerusha --- 5 F Texas
Alfred A --- 2/12 M Texas
Alexander Bains 21 M Farmer Alabama

1860 Census
Texas, Redland Beat No. 4 in the County of Sabine, P.O. Milam
Enumerated 30 Jun 1860
Page 23
167-167
W.A. Payne 36 F Farmer $7500 $15782 La
Margaret A Payne 15 F Texas
Sarah A Payne 10 F Texas
Benjamin R Payne 6 M Texas
William E Payne 5 M Texas
Mary R Payne 2 F Texas
H.B. Bachtlor 18 M Overseer Ga
168-168
Thompson Allen 58 M Farmer $3000 $8451 Ga
Jane C. Allen 49 F S.S.
Caroline D. Payne 19 F Texas
J.C. Allen 15 F Texas
169-169
unoccupied
170-170
Levi and Telitha Allen family




(Medical):
yDNA results

A direct male descendant of Thompson Allen's (through his son William Washington Allen), born with the Allen surname, volunteered to submit a yDNA sample to FamilyTreeDNA.com.

His kit number, in the name of William Allen, is 237184.

The results showed that he was in the R1b1a2a1a1b haplogroup.

He was a 37 marker match to the following :

Samual Doyle Allen Jr (Ancestor Ephraim P. Allen, b. 1820 North Carolina)
Ronald Lee Allen (Ancestor Edmond Allen)
Henry Walton Allen (Ancestor not indicated)
Jerome Brady (Ancestor Richard Brady b. ca. 1805 Co. Caven or Claire, Ireland)
Williams Adams (Ancestor William Adams b. 1816)

Bill Adams emailed the following about his "Adams" lineage: "I can trace my lineage back to William Adams born in Mecklenburg, VA in 1816 or 1820. I know his mother was Sarah/Sally "Adams". (And I think he may have had brothers Alfred and James). I cannot determine who his father was. His grandfather appears to be James Adams who fought in the Revolution. Sarah/Sally having a last name of "Adams" is weird.

Due to the exact match between us, I am wondering whether Sarah/Sally actually had a husband named "Allen" who died or something. Maybe Sarah/Sally went to live with her "Adams" dad for this or some other reason and the kids were raised with an Adams last name. I sayy this because it seems weird to me that Sarah/Sally's husband would also be the same last name of "Adams".

You show your earliest ancestor being 1820, but I do know that the "Adams" in Mecklenburg lived on "Allen's" creek. Also, one of them married an "Allen" (maybe it was William, I can't remember for sure.) I know there were "Allens" living in close proximity to the "Adams" in Mecklenburg, VA."

Thompson married Elizabeth Wooldridge on 8 Feb 1821 in South Carolina. Elizabeth (daughter of John Wooldridge and Martha "Patsy" Ellington) was born on 7 Mar 1804 in Abbeville County, South Carolina; died on 25 Nov 1847 in Milam, Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Said to be the sister of ex Mayor A. P. Wooldridge of Austin, Texas. He lived at 3122 Wheeler Street, Austin. If she is related, she is more likely an Aunt or Cousin, as Alexander Penn Wooldridge, mayor of Austin, was born on 1847 in New Orleans, and therefore would be much younger than Elizabeth.

Notes:

Paulette Gilchrist shows him as a son of Archibald and Elizabeth ALFORD of North Carolina, and as born in Tennessee.

Other sources, most notably the Family Descendancy Report titled "Known Descendants of
Isham Alford & Anne Ferrell (1755 NC - 1832 GA)" which can be found onloine here:

http://www.alfordassociation.org/GENEALOGY/ISH755NC.pdf

These other sources instead have him listed as a son of Baldy Alford and grandson of Isham Alford and Anne Ferrell. This website is maintained by Janice Smith, a descendant. She states that Isham and Sylvia Anne Alford moved their family from St. Clair County, Alabama to Texas in 1854. They went to Texas crossing the Sabine River near Milam. They traveled across the Old San Antonio Road to what was then Washington County and settle at a little village called Evergreem about 12 miles from Giddings, now in Lee County, Sometime before 1860, Isham and Sylvia sold their land and moved their family to Sabine County in the piney woods of East Texas. Janice showsn that he was born ca 1815 in Georgia.

(Research):

Census Listings:

1860 Census
Texas, Sabine County, Redland Beat No. 4, PO Milam
Enumerated 30 Jun 1860
Page 24 Stamped 330
178-178
Isham Alford 43 M Farmer 1500 1815 Ga
Anna Alford 34 F Ala
Frances Alford 18 F Ala
Allen Alford 16 M Ala
Bertis Alford 14 M Ala
Baldy Alford 11 M Ala
Lousia Alford 9 F Ala
Thomas Alford 5 M Ala
Julias Alford 3 M Tx
179-179
Eaton and Julia RC Washham
180-180
W. B. Alford 20 M Farmer 150 200 Ala
Arletha L Alford 22 F Ala
Ausborn Alford 9/12 M Tx

Isham married Sylvia Ann Hodges on 15 Aug 1838 in St. Clair County, Alabama. Sylvia was born about 1822 in St. Clair County, Alabama; died on 8 Nov 1884 in Milam, Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Paulette Gilchrist shows her as the daughter of John William HODGES Sr. and Louisa Elizabeth TRUSS. Janice Smith also showns the same parents.