William Geer Allen Sr 1818-1880

[Melnick]

I am looking for William Geer Allen's father. I am a direct decedent of his and working on my family tree. Thank you.

[kiterunner]

Can you give us a bit more information about William, please, so we can help? Such as where was he born, where did he die, who did he marry, etc?

[Melnick]

B:1818, Laurens, Georgia, United States
Death:1880, Laurens, Georgia, United States
Married: 30 Aug 1851
Wife: Rachel Hester Drew Allen
Birth ABT 1825
Death 1900 • Laurens, Georgia, United States
I have all the kids names.

[kiterunner]

I can only find him listed as William G Allen on censuses, marriage records, etc so not found confirmation of his middle name yet. Unfortunately the marriage record doesn't give information about his parents.

There is a Huldah T Hester, age 64, with William and Rachel and family on the 1860 census, who I assumed was Rachel's mother, but from Googling around, I have found various old message board posts suggesting that she was William's mother, and that she was the Hulda Drew who married Stephen Hester in 1851. If so, then she is down as Huldah T Drew, in Laurens County, on the 1840 census.

This does seem to fit with this 1850 census entry for Laurens County (found the link from a public ancestry tree which has a lot of records etc attached):
http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/8054/4193244-00205/18768378?backurl=http://person.ancestry.co.uk/tree/17300722/person/29550868546/facts/citation/155076756147/edit/record
H T Drew 54 F
W G Allen 33 M Farmer
John S Drew 17 M
Georgina Drew 16 F
Rachael Drew 25 F
Susan Drew 6 F
Franklin Drew 5 M
Julian Drew 3 F
William Drew 1 M
S B Hester 66 M

Just wondering whether some of the surnames are incorrect? They are dittoed on the image. They seem to fit with the children who are down as Allen on the 1860 census? Of course it could be the 1860 census which is wrong. Are the older ones maybe Hulda's stepchildren, children of a Mr Drew who she was married to after the death of William's father? And is this the same Rachel as the Rachel who married William?

[Melnick]

There is a mistake in the census as far as I can tell, with the surnames Drew/Dean. There are 2 step kids that are Mr. Drew's. Hulda the mother of Rachel and yes it is the same Rachel that is married to William Allen. Its a bit confusing with the wrong names in the census. I have a weak lead who Williams father might be, but I don't have any hard proof to back it up with. Nazareth Allen B:780 North Carolina, D:20 SEPTEMBER 1880 Anson, North Carolina.

[Merry]

I have a weak lead who Williams father might be, but I don't have any hard proof to back it up with. Nazareth Allen B:780 North Carolina, D:20 SEPTEMBER 1880 Anson, North Carolina.


There are quite a few ancestry trees with this information but none with any recorded sources, as far as I could see.

[kiterunner]

On the 1860 census, the household before William G Allen's is John S Drew age 27, and the household before that one is John Allen, 70, farmer, Harriet 35 and Georgiann 12, so I wonder whether that Allen family is related to William.

On the 1830 census, in Laurens County, there is a John S Drew household which has 1 male age 10-15, 1 male age 40-50, 1 female age 5-10 and 1 female age 30-40. Likely to be Hulda's second husband, but it's not clear whether John and Hulda were married at this point (in which case the children could be William and Rachel).

Also in Laurens County on the 1830 census:
Nazareth Allen: 1 male 10-15, 1 male 15-20, 1 male 40-50, 1 female 40-50. The younger boy is the right age to be William but the woman too old to be Hulda unless she knocked some years off her age later (not impossible.)

Gillum Allen: 1 male under 5, 1 male 20-30, 1 female under 5, 1 female 15-20.

Bryan Allen: 2 males 5-10, 1 male 10-15, 2 males 20-30, 1 female 10-15, 1 female 15-20, 1 female 40-50 (again, too old to be Hulda unless she knocked some years off her age later)

Eason Allen: 1 male 5-10, 1 male 10-15, 2 males 15-20, 3 males 20-30, 2 males 40-50, 1 female under 5, 1 female 5-10, 1 female 40-50 (same applies.)

But now I need to check against the 1840 census as if any of these were still around then we can definitely rule them out.

Edit - sorry, all the above is working on the theory that Hulda was William's mother and Rachel's stepmother. If not then I will go back to square one!

[kiterunner]

I can't get the 1840 census image to load at the moment but the transcribed figures for Huldah T Drew's household are: 1 male 5-10, 1 male 20-29, 1 male 50-59, 1 male 70-79, 2 females under 5, 1 female 20-29, 1 female 40-49.

Bryan, Eason and Gillam Allen are all still around in 1840, or at least household heads of those names are.

[kiterunner]

There is a head of household transcribed as "Frank Allen" on the 1820 census but I'm not sure whether that is what it says:
http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/7734/4433224_00025/1479515?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk %2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3d1820usfedcenancestry%26gss%3d sfs28_ms_db%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26msT%3d1%26MS_Ad vCB%3d1%26gsln%3dal*n%26gsln_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp%3d Laurens%2bCounty%252c%2bGeorgia%252c%2bUSA%26msrpn %3d1700%26msrpn_PInfo%3d7-%257c0%257c1652393%257c0%257c2%257c0%257c13%257c0% 257c1700%257c0%257c0%257c%26msrpn_x%3d1%26msrpn__f tp_x%3d1%26MSAV%3d2%26uidh%3dvm5&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults

What we really need are some baptism and marriage records (pre-1851) from Laurens County! I wonder whether any exist.

[kiterunner]

There is a John S Drew marriage to a Peggy McMurty 14 Feb 1803 at Oglethorpe, Georgia - not in Laurens County, but not far from it. But of course, what I want to find is John S Drew's marriage to Hulda to see what her surname was before she married him!

[kiterunner]

Nazra Allen married Miss Tempy Lindsey 28 Sep 1820, in Laurens County:
http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/4766/40660_303294-00109/1148322?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk %2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3f_phsrc%3dNKb2073%26_phstart%3dsucc essSource%26usePUBJs%3dtrue%26db%3dGAMarriages%26g ss%3dangs-d%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26msT%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26 gsln%3dal*n%26gsln_x%3d1%26gskw%3dlaurens%26gskw_x %3d1%26MSAV%3d2%26uidh%3dvm5%26gl%3d%26gst%3d%26hc %3d10%26fh%3d20%26fsk%3dBEFYO6YIgAASngAAdr0-61-&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults

But William was born earlier than this. Of course Nazra / Nazareth could have had a previous wife. He does have a male age 15-20 in his household in 1830, though we don't know whether that is William or not.

[kiterunner]

Something to look at tomorrow:
http://gen.aircw.com/getperson.php?personID=I12841&tree=air

(see notes at the end.)

[kiterunner]

Here is the marriage of Henry Gay and Huldy Allen, 25 Nov 1819 in Baldwin County, Georgia:

http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/4766/40951_294504-00353/312117?backurl=http://person.ancestry.co.uk/tree/16935469/person/28051275879/facts/citation/155134792531/edit/record

Several ancestry trees have her as Hulda(h) S Teiser or Ticer. So it looks as though she married a Mr Allen and had son William G Allen, then she married Henry Gay in 1819, then John S Drew (Rachel's father, making Hulda Rachel's stepmother) some time before 1840, then Stephen B Hester in 1851. But even if this is correct, we still don't know Mr Allen's first name. Some trees have him down as John Allen, but presumably he can't be the John Allen who is near William on the 1860 census or Hulda wouldn't have been free to remarry (well, assuming she was actually married to Mr Allen, I suppose.)

[kiterunner]

This is interesting:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~brittonscott/b4974.html

Relevant part copied and pasted below:
"This indenture made this 10th day of 1846 between Huldah T. Drew of the county...of the one part and Henry Scott ...of the other part, witnesseth that the said H.T. Drew for and in consideration of whereas Henry Gay in his lifetime made a verbal gift of a tract of land containing 200 acres lying ...in the county of Emanuel...thus being the consideration of the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged ...hath granted and conveyed....grant unto Henry Scott ....all that tract of land containing 200 acres lying and being in the county of Emanuel ….unto him the said Henry Scott, his heirs and assigns together with all and singular the rights, members and appurtenances there to the same in any ...belong to his and their own proper use benefit and behalf forever in fee simple and that the said H. T. Drew for herself the said bargained premises unto the said Henry Scot...will warrant and forever defend the right and title thereof against herself in witness whereof the said Huldah T. Drew hereunto set her hand and seal the day and year above. Written and signed, sealed and delivered in the presents of us the day and year above written. Hulda T.Drew (LS) Witnessed by __? William G. Allen and Steven B. Hester. Admitted to record Jan. 10, 1852, Ezekiel Clifton CCR."

So this confirms that Hulda Drew is the same person as Huldy Allen who married Henry Gay, therefore it does look as though she was William G Allen's mother, not Rachel's.

Edit - also, if Hulda was married to Mr Allen, William's father, that rules Nazareth Allen out as he was still alive when she married Henry Gay.

[kiterunner]

Just to add that some of the trees on ancestry show Hulda as the daughter of Clark Ticer who died in 1803/4, but I found a transcription of his will which lists his children and does not mention her, so those trees are most probably wrong.

[kiterunner]

Various sources say that Julia Ann / Julian, wife of Nathaniel Gay (they are on the same page of the 1850 census as Hulda and family) was nee Allen and is William's sister, but I have not found anything to confirm this yet.

[kiterunner]

To add a bit of confusion, here is the marriage record of a Thomas J White to a Hulda T Hester, 26 Apr 1849 in Laurens County:

http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/4766/40660_303294-00263/1148548?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk %2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3dgamarriages%26so%3d2%26pcat%3 dROOT_CATEGORY%26gss%3dangs-g%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26msT%3d1%26gsfn%3dtho*%26g sfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dwh%253fte%26gsln_x%3d1%26MSAV%3 d2%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26msgdy%3d1849%26msgdy_x%3d1%26m ssng%3dh*da*%26mssng_x%3d1%26gskw%3dgeorgia%26gskw _x%3d1%26cpxt%3d1%26cp%3d12%26catbucket%3drstp&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults

I notice on the same image a John Allen marries a Harriet White, 18 Feb 1849. Could be the John and Harriet who were on the same census page as William, Hulda, etc on the 1860 census, although there is a big age gap between them.

Edit - found Thomas White and Huldy T White on the 1850 census and they are aged 18 and 20, but could this Huldy be a daughter of the other Hulda?

[kiterunner]

Okay, here is a document dated 4 Feb 1852 granting administration of the estate of Henry Gay, deceased, to Stephen B Hester Snr, with Robert Robinson, Andrew A Fagan and William G Allen:

http://interactive.ancestry.com/8635/005778076_00309/533835?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2f cgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3dUSProbateGA%26gss%3dsfs28_ms_ db%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26msT%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%2 6gsfn%3dh*r*y%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dgay*%26gsln_x% 3d1%26MSAV%3d2%26uidh%3dvm5&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults#?imageId=005778076_0 0309

[Melnick]

Kiterunner, I will need some time to look over every possible angles you mentioned. I am glad I might have a few possible leads or not. Thank you.

[Susan]

Melnick, I’m curious to know if you’ve learned more about Hulda T. Hester. I know this is an older post and you may not see this, but thought I’d ask just in case. I’m researching the Thomas White that is mentioned above as being the spouse of Hulda T. Hester. There has been much confusion around this couple as they are both commonly misidentified as another person in the area with the same name. Was hoping you’d found some clues that might help in my research as well. Thanks!

[Merry]

Susan, if you click on Melnick's name and then Contact Info you can send Melnick an email if you don't get a contact from your above message.