Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume I.djvu/354

 330 ALLEN 1751, died Jan. 20, 1821. He rose to the rank of major during the revolution, commanded the guard which took charge of Andrd on his capture, and assisted in putting down Shays's rebellion at a later period. At the age of 50 he became a clergyman. ALLEN, Tbomas, an American clergyman, born in Northampton, Mass., Jan. 17, 1743, died in Pittsfield, Feb. 11, 1810. He graduated at Harvard college in 1762, and was ordained in 1764 at Pittstield, of which town he was the first minister. Twice during the war of the revolution he served as chaplain, and in the battle of Bennington he took an active part. He was minister of the same church from the time of his ordination till his death, a period of nearly 46 years, and during this time preached 600 or 700 funeral sermons. ALLEN, William, D. D., an American clergy- man and author, son of the preceding, born in Pittsfield, Mass., Jan. 2, 1784, died in North- ampton, July 16, 1868. He graduated at Har- vard college in 1802, and studied theology with the Rev. Dr. Pierce of Brookline. After being licensed in 1804 by the Berkshire association, he preached for some months in various parts of western New York. Upon his return he was appointed a regent of Harvard college, and was also assistant librarian of the college. During this period he prepared the first edition of his "American Biographical and Historical Dictionary " (1809), containing notices of about 700 Americans. This was the first book of general biography issued in the United States. In 1807 he prepared the biographical sketches of American ministers for the Rev. David Bogue's and Dr. Bennett's " History of Dissenters," published in London in 4 vols. The second edition of his "Dictionary" ap- peared in 1832, and contained more than 1,800 Dames. The third edition, published in Boston in 1857, contains biographies and notices of nearly 7,000 Americans. His connection with the university ceased in 1810, when lie was ordained pastor of the Congregational church in Pittsfield, as his father's successor. The legislature of New Hampshire in 1816 altered the charter of Dartmouth college, and created in ita stead a university, of which Dr. Allen was made president in 1817. Upon an appeal to the supreme court at Washington, the rights of the college against the state were maintained in 1819. In 1820 Dr. Allen was appointed president of Bowdoin college, Me., and retained that position till 1839, when he resigned it, and retired to Northampton, Mass., engaging in various literary labors. Among these is a col- lection of more than 10,000 words not found in dictionaries of the English language ; nearly 1,500 being contributed to Worcester's dic- tionary (1846), more than 4,000 to Webster's (1854), and about 6,000 to the new edition of Webster. His other chief writings are : "Junius Unmasked," to prove that Lord Sackville was the real Junius; "Accounts of Shipwrecks;" "Psalms and Hymns," with many original hymns (1835) ; memoirs of Dr. Eleazar Whee- lock, and of Dr. John Codman (1853) ; " Wun- nissoo, or the Vale of Hoosatunnuk," a poem, with learned notes (1856); "Christian Son- nets" (1860); "Poems of Nazareth and the Cross" (1866); and "Sacred Songs" (1867). ALLEN, William, an English chemist, born Aug. 29, 1770, died near Lindfield, Sussex, Dec. 30, 1843. He was the son of a Quaker silk manufacturer in Spitalfields, and learned chemistry in the pharmacy of Mr. Bevan, in London, to whose business he eventually suc- ceeded. He was for many years lecturer on chemistry and experimental philosophy at Guy's hospital, a fellow of the royal society, and president and one of the founders of the pharmaceutical society. In conjunction with his friend Mr. Pepys he established the pro- portion of carbon in carbonic acid, and demon- strated that the diamond was pure carbon. Having purchased an estate in Sussex, he de- voted himself for many years to improving the condition of his tenantry and poor neighbors, founding schools, building model cottages, and laying out gardens and playgrounds. ALLEN, William Henry, an officer of the Ameri- can navy, born in Providence, R. I., Oct. 21, 1784, died in Plymouth, Eng., Aug. 15, 1813. He was a son of Major William Allen, entered the navy as a midshipman in 1800, and in 1809 was appointed first lieutenant of the frigate United States. Oct. 25, 1812, he distinguished himself in the action between this vessel and the British frigate Macedonian, which resulted in the capture of the latter. He afterward received the command of the brig Argus in 1813, with which he cruised in the neighbor- hood of England, capturing property to the amount, as was estimated, of $2,000,000. On Aug. 14 he fought the British brig Pelican, losing the Argus, and himself dying of his wounds the next day. ALLEN, William Henry, LL. D., an American scholar and educator, born in Readfield (now Manchester), Kennebec county, Me., March 27, 1808. After preparatory study in the Maine conference seminary, he entered Bowdoin col- lege, where he graduated in 1833. From 1833 to 1836 he was teacher of Latin and Greek in Cazenovia seminary, N. Y. ; in 1836 principal of a high school at Augusta, Me., where he became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church ; from 1836 to 1846 professor of natural philosophy and chemistry in Dickinson college, Carlisle, Pa.; from 1846 to 1849 professor of philosophy and English literature in the same institution, and in 1847-'8 its acting president; from 1849 to 1862 president of Girnrd college, Philadelphia, and for one year president of the agricultural college of Pennsylvania. In 1867 he was recalled to the presidency of Girard college, which position he now (1873) occu- pies. In March, 1872, he was chosen presi- dent of the American Bible society. President Allen has contributed to the reviews and mag- azines many articles on philosophical, literary,