Jane, I haven't given up yet. Samuel appears very clear that he was an Allen, knew his exact birth date and that his father was a stonemason in KY. What is not clear is why he had to live with his grandmother (who he didn't name) when he was 6 years old. Probably an epidemic. His grandmother got too old or perhaps died and Samuel went with Miss Banks. A relative? An aunt? "Traveled for about a year." What kind of business was Miss Banks involved in? Then met Mr. Stanton of Tennessee on the Chattahoochee River of GA. Did Miss Banks Marry Mr. Stanton? Apparently Mr. Stanton was from Kingston TN, or at least East Tennessee which would suggest that Samuel Allen was probably form Eastern KY. Mr. Stanton is logically the one who mistreated Samuel. It appears that Mr. Stanton was a trader. Shep Thacker came to Hardin Co. TN form the Kingston Area in 1816, but I have no idea what Shep Thacker was doing in AL in 1840. Unrelated item. This week I have been surveying the "Old Watson place" on Hardin Creek. There is about 100 acres left in that farm at this time. David SAMUEL R. ALLEN, one of the best known and most respected residents of the Twelfth District, was born in Kentucky, August 16, 1830. His father was also a native of that State, a stone-mason by trade. Mr. Allen was raised by his grandmother, remaining with her until his sixth year, when he went home with Miss Banks, traveling for about one year; met with Mr. Stanton of Tennessee, on the Chattahoochie River in Georgia; the following year went to Kingston, Tenn., from there he went on a flatboat on the Tennessee River to Limestone Creek, Alabama, and there met Shep Thacker with whom he came to Hardin County in 1840 and remained with him for twelve years. He then began renting lands and farming. September, 1855 he was married to Miss Harriet Whitlow, of Hardin County who died January 27, 1884. This union resulted in the birth of eleven children, of whom are living, Milton J., Sarah M., Granville S., Grant A., Ettie E., William R. and George H.; two died in infancy. Mr. Allen mar! ried the second time to Mrs. Isabella (Falls) McDaniel of Hardin County. Mr. Allen is a zealous member of the Christian Church., belongs to the Agricultural Wheel of Tennessee, and is a staunch Republican. He is one of the most enterprising, cordial and esteemed men in the entire community. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jane Ellis" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 3:54 PM Subject: RE: [TNHARDIN] Re: family ties > Bertha and David and other Allen researchers: > > I know I have told both of you this, but thought I would post it on the list > just in case someone else has a clue for us. > > Concerning Samuel R. Allen: > > Family tales told that Samuel R. Allen was an orphan and traveled the river > on a raft(probably the Tennessee River, although I always envisioned the > Mississippi when I was young), and ended up living with a family whose name > was Allen, and that he took on the name Allen from that family. The story > continues that at some point he was living with a man who ran a ferry and > was being mistreated, and someone (maybe Shep Thacker) came to his rescue > and took him away from the man who was mistreating him. Now, I don't know > if the Allen's were the ones who were doing the mistreating or not, and I > don't know how much has been added or taken away from the story as it was > passed down, nor do I know if any of the story was true or not, but that is > the way my uncle tells it. > > My uncle did some research many years ago, and read in a Time/Life book that > a James Allen ran a ferry on the Natchez Trace, and my uncle believes this > was the Allen family my great, great grandpa Samuel Allen must have lived > with. I found some information about the Allen's along the trace, but have > still made no connection with them either. Dates just didn't seem to fit > well. For the record and for some reason unbeknownst to me, my uncle > discarded all of his research and really prefers to not discuss it, although > he occasionally will discuss it with me. > > I do not know why my great, great grandfather would have told he were from > KY if he wasn't, and why he would have made up the story about his father > being a stone mason. Perhaps he just wanted a family history so he made one > up. The story handed down in the family matches what he told in his > biography to an extent. He was an orphan and he did travel on a river. He > was also taken in by a man (Shep Thacker), for what reasons we don't know. > > I am surprised that no one in my Allen or Watson families has ever mentioned > our Allen's being related to other Allen's in Hardin County, but I guess > that is a possibility if there were bad feelings or something. Maybe none > of them knew it either. I have tried to find some of Samuel's descendants > but so far I have been limited to those from the descendants of M. J. Allen > (my line) who lived in Hookers Bend. Hopefully some of the other Allens who > descended from Samuel knew more, but I am afraid we will never solve the > mystery of Samuel R. Allen. > > If anyone ever does, please let me know! > > Jane Watson Ellis > > A self-appointed family historian and proud of it. You can check out my > family's history at: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~hookersbend/ > > > > ==== TNHARDIN Mailing List ==== > Visit the Hardin County, Tennessee Genealogy and History Page at > http://www.tngenweb.org/hardin/ > >