Joshua B. Allen

Joshua Barnes Allen BIRTH 1728 Hunterdon County, New Jersey, USA DEATH Nov 1810 (aged 81–82) Hepzibah, Harrison County, West Virginia, USA BURIAL Allen Cemetery Hepzibah, Harrison County, West Virginia

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/142277484/joshua-barnes-allen

Children Photo Sarah Allen Smith 1753–1837

Photo Joshua Barnes Allen 1757–1820

ALLEN, JOSHUA B

• DAR Ancestor #: A001723
• Service: VIRGINIA Rank: PRIVATE
• Birth: CIRCA 1728 SCOTLAND [SIC]
• Death: ANTE 11-23-1810 HARRISON CO VIRGINIA
• Service Source: NARA, M246, REV WAR ROLLS 1775-1783, ROLL #95
• Service Description: 1) CAPT MINNIS, 1ST & 10TH REGTS
• Spouse: MARY SWIGER born on c - - 1725 at Hunterdon Co NJ died at Hunterdon Co NJ on p 1 - Oct - 1757 married on - - 1751

Children include

• Barnes Allen born on 1 - Oct - 1757 at Scotland [SIC] died at Harrison Co VA on p 18 - Feb - 1820 and his ( 1st ) wife Eve Swiger born on - - 1761 at Loudin Co VA died at Harrison Co VA on p - - 1820 married on a - - 1787
• SARAH married AARON, SR. SMITH Aaron Smith born on 21 - Mar - 1751 at Hampshire Co VA died at Harrison Co VA on 11 - Oct - 1826 and his ( 1st ) wife Sarah Allen born on 3 - Apr - 1753 at Mercer Co NJ died at Harrison Co VA on 6 - Apr - 1837 married on 3 - Apr - 1772 married at Frederick Co VA [6]

Origins

• Seen as son of Joseph Allen and Sarah without supporting evidence
• Evidence offered as son of William Allen & Sarah Smith

Family

From https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LYV1-LKH

Parents:

• William Allen
• Lorana Allen

Spouses:

• Sarah Elizabeth Barnes
• Mary Duval Children:
• Barbara Combs (born Allen)
• Sarah Catherine Smith (born Allen)
• Joshua Barnes Allen Jr
• Allen Barnes
• Elizabeth Townsend (born Allen)
• Catharine Townsend (born Allen)

Biography

Joshua Allen was a widower when he married Mary Swiger, a widow whose husband had died at sea on a voyage to Germany. Soon after John William Swiger's presumed death at sea, Mary remarried to Joshua Allen, a widower at Fort Pitt (now Pittsburg), Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, in the 1780's.

After their marriage, Mary and Joshua, along with both of their families, came down the Monongahela and the West Fork Rivers to take up a land grant on the West Fork River near Hepzibah, Harrison County, Virginia (presently West Virginia) before 1790, and here on this farm they spent the remainder of their lives.

Joshua Allen died near Hepzibah, WV, (c) Novermber 1810, at the age of about eighty-two. He apparently died intestate; however, and inventory of his estate is recorded in Harrison County, WV and dated November 23, 1810. (Harrison County will book 1, page 443).

Mary was a homemaker and the mother of 7 children.

Excerpt from Swiger Family History by Ira L. Swiger, located in the New Martinsville, WV Public Library

Traditional Biography

Joshua Barnes Allen, Sr. and his son both came to America from Scotland.

Joshua Barnes Allen, Jr. went by his middle name "Barnes" perhaps to distinguish himself from his Father.

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY

Joshua Barnes Allen, Sr. and his son both came to America from Scotland.Joshua Barnes Allen, Jr. went by his middle name "Barnes" perhaps to distinguish himself from his Father.

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY

Clarksburg, Sept 20, 1909

Col. Henry Haymond,

Dear Sir:--At your request I will give you the tradition of my grandfather, Barnes Allen's adventure with the Indians as I heard it from my father, Stephen C. Allen.

Joshua Allen and his son, Barnes Allen, came from Scotland to Virginia, from there to Fort Pitt, thence up the river to what is now known as Hepzibah, or the Allen farm, five miles from Clarksburg.

Joshua Allen entered a large tract of land, and his son, Barnes, planted and matured four (4) hills of corn, which gave him a settlement right to 400 acres, built a log cabin on his land and went to Fort Pitt, and was married to a German woman named Eve Swiger, and returned to his cabin in the wilderness, and started to establish a home and clear out a farm.

To this union six children were born, four boys, John, Joshua, Israel, and Stephen and two girls, Catherine (married Sterling Bartlett) Rebecca was born in 1784, (married Thomas Bartlett) lived ninety-six years, died and was buried in Hepzibah church yard, all on or in the close vicinity of the original Allen farm.

Sometime in the early (18)80's while Barnes Allen was away from home watching a deer lick, his wife, who was alone became alarmed at the continual barking of their dog, and, going to the door to see what was the matter, discovered a small party of Indians approaching the cabin. She hurried out the back door and through the thick underbrush until she reached a large beech tree with low spreading branches which stood near the Spring. She climed this tree and hid herself in the heavy foliage.

As a boy, I well remember seeing this tree. It was known as Grandmother's tree. My father never allowed it to be disturbed and it was left standing until it wasted away.

The Indians entered the cabin and after taking everything they could carry, set it on fire, and while it was burning stood under the beech tree in which Grandmother was hidden.

From the hill back of where Hepzibah church now stands, Grandfather saw the light of his burning cabin, and hastened towards it to find what little he possessed, in ruins, and his wife gone. He supposed that she had been killed, but lingered about the place hoping to find some trace of her, and after some time, hearing a peculiar bird call, which he recognized as a signal agreed upon between himself and wife in time of danger, answered the call and his wife came down out of the tree, unharmed.

He took her to the house of a settler, near the Maulsby Bridge, I think by the name of Shinn. The next morning he and Shinn started to Power's Fort, near Bridgeport, to give the alarm.

On the way, and opposite the brick house built by William Smith, on Simpson's Creek, three Indians came out from some overhanging rocks, and fired at them.

The sudden starting of Allen's horse caused him to drop his gun in the sand. Shinn fired at the Indians, and they galloped on to the fort which they reached about noon.

A party was at once made up to pursue the Indians and on reaching the place where the two had been fired upon, it was discovered that the Indians had encamped the previous night under the rocks spoken of, and that they had left a belt, a knife, Allen's gun and two while scalps.

The men took up the trail, and discovered that one of the Indians has been wounded by Shinn's shot, and that he was hidden in a swamp on the farm afterwards owned by Jefferson Smith. He was finally discovered, shot and scalped. Further pursuit was then abandoned.

Very respectfully,

JAMES F. ALLEN

Notes

From https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LYV1-LKH

Harrison Co., West Virginia deed book 3, p 232. The Joshua Allen of Harrison County W.V. (Deed Book 3, Page 232) says: ...one of the legal heirs of the estate of William Allen deceased of Hunterdon, in the state of New Jersey... He is granting Power of Attorney to his son Barnes Allen and his son-in-law Aaron Smith. October 16, 1798.

Wills

West Virginia Estate Settlements

Harrison Co., WV (formed 1784)

Joshua ALLEN, Inventory dated Nov 23, 1810

Research

Emmigration: Allen family came from Scotland to Virginia. Source: Harold Bright.

--

Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement of Virginia by Lyman Chalkley, 1980

VOLUME II, p. 307 - 1787,

August 8, Solomon Townsend and James Townsend, surety. Solomon Townsend and Elizabeth Allen, daughter of Joshua Allen (consent). Teste: Peter Sanders,

Samuel Tompson.

The Allen Family

When the Revolutionary War soldier James Townsend was stationed at Nutter's Fort on his fourth tour, he became acquainted with the Joshua Allen family. In 1775, Joshua Allen settled at what is now Hepzibah but was then the Allen farm, five miles outside of Clarksburg. Joshua Allen, owned 350 acres on the West Fork of the Monongahela River, adjoining lands claimed by John Simpson, this land was to include his settlement made in 1775, and a preemption right to 1000 acres adjoining (History of Harrison County, West Virginia, by Henry Haymond, 1910, p.32). John Wilson, 400 acres, on both sides of West Fork of Monongahela River, adjoining lands of Joshua Allen, to include his settlement made in 1775 (p. 32, ibid).

Joshua Allen and his son, Barnes Allen, came from Scotland to Virginia, from there to Fort Pitt, thence up the river to what is now known as Hepsibah, or the Allen farm, five miles from Clarksburg (p. 144, ibid). This was on the opposite side of town from Elk creek where James Townsend eventually settled. James probably made several returns to Clarksburg after his tour of 1779, in his courtship with Catherine, born Oct. 10, 1761, daughter of Joshua Allen. They were married Jan. 20, 1784, probably eloping to a yet unknown place back east, since their marriage is not on record at any logical archive deposit. After their honeymoon, they settled on the Back Creek of Jackson River, Augusta County, now Bath, where James had purchased 153 acres of land on November 21, 1780.

Solomon Townsend

Perhaps it was due to Catherine's need for a "nanny" that her sister Elizabeth Allen came to Back Creek from her father's homestead near Clarksburg. As it is, James' brother Solomon obtained a marriage bond on August 8th, 1787 and married Elizabeth, daughter of Joshua Allen. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Archibald Scott. The church for which Rev. Archibald Scott was pastor is the Bethel Church, located five miles outside of Durbin, which is now Pocahontas Co., WV. (EHB)

References

• http://www.familytreedna.com/public/allan/ New Jersey Allen's group is listed on the results chart as Group I, subgroup e.
• https://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=demarce6&id=I3966 “ Joshua Allen was born 1728, and died 1810. He was the son of 2. Willem Allen and 3. Sarah Smith. He married Sarah Elizabeth Barnes. She was born 30 OCT 1726 in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.”
• Elizabeth Barnes in the U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 Name: Elizabeth Barnes Gender: Female Birth Year: 1730 Spouse Name: Joshua B Allen Spouse Birth Place: NJ Spouse Birth Year: 1728 Marriage Year: 1750 Number Pages: 1 Source Citation Source number: 155.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: JJH Source Information Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.
• "West Virginia Marriages, 1854-1932," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XRZ5-J4N : 10 February 2018), Joshua Allen and Mary Ann Swiger, 14 Oct 1851; citing Harrison County, West Virginia, reference ; FHL microfilm 847,273.
• Joshua Allen in the U.S., Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 Name: Joshua Allen Gender: Male Military Date: 6 Sep 1779 Military Place: Virginia, USA State or Army Served: Virginia Regiment: 1st Regiment Rank: Private Source Information Ancestry.com. U.S., Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007. Original data: Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M246, 138 rolls); War Department Collection of Revolutionary War Records, Record Group 93; National Archives, Washington. D.C. AncestryImage
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/142277484/joshua-barnes-allen “Joshua Barnes Allen BIRTH 1728 Hunterdon County, New Jersey, USA DEATH Nov 1810 (aged 81–82) Hepzibah, Harrison County, West Virginia, USA BURIAL Allen Cemetery Hepzibah, Harrison County, West Virginia,
• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Feb 6 2017, 12:12:21 UTC

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Joshua Barnes Allen BIRTH 1728 Hunterdon County, New Jersey, USA DEATH Nov 1810 (aged 81–82) Hepzibah, Harrison County, West Virginia, USA BURIAL Allen Cemetery Hepzibah, Harrison County, West Virginia

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/142277484/joshua-barnes-allen

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/142277484/joshua-barnes-allen

• Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: Sep 3 2022, 9:54:43 UTC