Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/121

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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and disregards party affiliation in the cor- lect performance of duty. He fraternizes with Wyoming Lodge. Improved Order of Red Men. the junior Order of United Amer- ican Mechanics, the Woodmen of the World, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, Lodge No. 366, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and Loyal Order of Moose.

He married, November 16. 191 1, Fannie Belle, born January 26. 1889. daughter of Howard Sinclair and Nannie Belle (Schmelz) Collier (q. v.).

Elizabeth Curtis, daughter of Robert Keith and Margaret Mumford (Sinclair) Curtis, was born May 17. 1884. and on Janu- ary 4. 191 1, married Ashton Wythe, son of Thomas Lowry and Louise (Browne) Sin- clair. Ashton \\'ythe Sinclair was born in Elizabeth City county. Virginia, October 4, 1885, and after a public school education entered mercantile trade. He at present is an extensive dealer in farm implements and supplies, his large trade extending mainly throughout Warwick and Elizabeth City counties. He is a popular merchant of strict business integrity, and possesses a wide circle of social and business friends. Mr. S-nclair is a strong Democratic sympathizer, and is a communicant of the Protestant Episcopal church. His fraternal orders are the Improved Order of Red Men and the Modern Woodmen of the World. Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair are the parents of: Robert Curtis, born January 12, 1912, and Ashton Wythe, Jr., born September 9, 1914.

William Allen, a well-known attorney of New York, was born at Claremont, Vir- ginia, January 13, 1855. He is the son of William and Frances Augusta (Jessup) Allen, and came of stock that had been identified with his native county and neigh- borhood in \'irginia from early colonial times. "Burke's General Armory" describes the crest, now to be seen on the Allen silver, brought over from England: "Per chev. gu. and erm. in chief two lions" heads erased or. Crest: Out of a ducal coronet or, a horse's head ar." "Allen — Derbyshire, London, Staffordshire." The book plates on the sev- eral volumes of the "Racing Calendar" show that the Lightfoots came from Teddington, England.

Arthur Allen, first" American ancestor, patented two hundred acres in the year 1649 between Lawn's Creek and Lower Chip-

poakes Creek, Surry county, Virginia. He built himself a brick house which, known as "Bacon's Castle," in still standing. He was born in 1602 and died in 1670, but as the first American ancestors of the families bearing the name of Allen or Allan number something very near a score, it is difficult to decide to which of them, or whether to any of them, he was related. In early times the name took the forms of Allin, Alline, Allyn, Allein, Allan and Allen. The deriva- tion often given is from the personal name Alan, common in Norman times. The name is often also from MacAlain, the ancestor of the Clan MacAlain, being Colla da Chrioch, a descendant of the monarch, Niall of the Nine Hostages, celebrated in Milesian song and story. Over fifty families of the name in Europe have the rights to coats armorial. Arthur Allen married Alice Tucker, and had a son and heir, subsequently known as Major Arthur Allen, who was burgess and speaker of the house of burgesses. His brick house was used by a part of Bacon's friends as a fort in 1676. He married Kath- erine, daughter and heiress of Captain Law- rence Baker, of Surry county. His will was proved in Surry county, September 5, 1710. His children were: Elizabeth, who married Colonel William Bridges ; John ; Katherme ; James ; Arthur ; Ann ; Mary ; Joseph. Of the above family, John Allen was a student ai William and Mary College in 1699. His will was proved March 8, 1741. He married Elizabeth, who was born July 4, 1697, and died October 4, 1738, daughter of William Bassett, of the council of Virginia. She died before her husband, and she is called in his will "sister of Mrs. (Lucy) Roscow (wife of Colonel William Roscow) and of Mrs. (Mary) Daingerfield" (wife of Cap- tain Edwin Daingerfield, of New Kent). He had no surviving issue, but left the bulk of his estate to William Allen, son of his brother Joseph, whom he requested to be educated at William and Mary College till he was twenty-one years old. He gave his gpld watch to Mary Roscow, daughter of Colonel A\'illiam Roscow, and made Cap- tain John Ruffin executor of his will. There is an interesting paper, yellow from age, in the possession of the present William Allen, signed by A. Spotswood. It is in substance : That Her Majesty's Lieutenant Governor and Commander in chief of this Dominion, wishing to determine and settle the bound-