Walter Allen
Born 1601 in England
(Helped to settle Newbury, MA)
Walter Allen was born about 1601 in England. He married Rebecca Wyman (Ward)
about 1629 in England. She was born around 1603 in England.
They came to the colonies and settled in Newbury, Massachusetts around
the time the town was incorporated in 1635. There is record that he was in
Newbury, Mass., in 1640, but moved to Watertown about 1652. In 1665 he sold his
estate in the latter town and bought sixty acres near the Concord boundary in
what was then called Watertown Farms. In 1669 he purchased 200 acres more in
Watertown Farms, afterward became known as the town of Weston. Rebecca died
here.
After death of his wife Rebecca in 1673, he went to Charlestown. While
in Charlestown he married, 29 Nov. 1678, Abigail (Martins) Rogers, she was born
1607 and their marriage is found listed among the “Record of Marriages of Charlestown”.
He died, July 8, 1681, in Charlestown, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay
Colony at age 80. He is listed as being buried in “Phipps Street Burying Ground” in Charlestown, but no memorial
maker or headstone was found there. This record was added to the family file
April 18, 2013 (Grave memorial #108718976). He took oath in 1677 that he was
76. At his death he not only owned land
in Watertown and Charlestown, but in Sudbury and Haverhill. The latter farm
came into his possession in 1673 in payment of a debt due from Thomas Davis.
While going through some old letters and
notes that was sent to me by other family members I came a crossed this note…
· The subject today
is the will of Walter Allen (1601-1681) of
Charlestown,
Massachusetts. He married (1) Rebecca Ward
(1603-1678),
and they had five children: John Allen
(1631-1711);
Daniel
Allen (1636-1694); Abigail Allen (1641-????);
Benjamin Allen (1647-1678);
and Joseph Allen (1649-1721).
· Walter married (2)
Abigail (Martin) Rogers (1609-????).
· Walter Allen died
testate. His will was dated 19 February
1679/80,
and was proved in August 1681. The will reads
(transcribed from
Middlesex County
(Massachusetts) Probate Records, volume 5,
page 163-164,
accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,521,762):
HIS
WILL & TESTAMENT….
"This
19th . 12. 1679. I Walter Allen of
Charlestowne in the Countie of Middlesex: being aged and crazie of body as yet
in my perfect understanding & memory doe make this my last will &
testament.
"Imps: I doe give unto my well beloved wife Abigail
Allen according to what we agreed upon before we marryed that shee should have
three pound a year so long as shee did live my widdow in manner as followeth,
the one halfe in money, the other in country pay as shall be suit her occasion
& this shall be pd out of my house at Charlestown by my three sons which I
make my executors joyntly; moreover I give unto my wife for her labour &
pains shee hath taken wch was in my sickness fourty shillings to be pd in money
six months after my decease.
"I
give unto my son Jno Allen, one parcel lying in Watertowne called Mr Mayhew's
farme contayning two hundred acres more or less with all ye timber & wood
to it belonging to him and to his heirs forever. Also I give unto my three sons one hundred acres
of land lying in Haverill, which I had of Thomas Davis of Haverhill mason: to
sell this land and to divide it equally between them: Also I give to my sons my dwelling house in
Charlestown & all my moveable goods & debts to be equally divided between
them: Moreover I give unto my son
Daniell allen & Joseph Allen, one farm called Knops farme and five acres of
meaddows lying in the great meadow of Watertowne which I bought of John
Ballson.
"As
for my bedding my will is that my son John shall the bed with the canvass
ticking with the feather bolster & pillow & blankets and hamock, to my
son Daniel the oldest feather bed & feather bolster, one pillow, one
blankett, & the colored rug; to my
son Joseph that feather bed, bolster, one pillow, two blanketts & green
rugg; I give unto my son John the twenty
acres of Divident land lying in Watertowne near the bridges I bought it of
Garrett Church. Also I give unto my son Daniel Allen one acre of meddow lying in Watertown wch I
bought of Mr. Norcross. As for ye bed
with the canvass ticking on it my mind is yt Elnathan the son of Daniel shall
have yt bed & John Allen shall have that I had of John Cool.
..........................................................................
Walter Allen
"Charlstown
this 6 May 1681: My desire is that my
sons would live peacably & not to contend & quarell but act contented
with what I have done. Butt if any of
them be not & will be quarrelsome, then yt are to shall have but ten pounds
& their brothers yt live peacably shall have my estate as written my hand
..........................................................................
Walter Allen
"Witness
Nathaniel Kettle
Jonathan Kettle"
· The inventory of
the estate of Walter Allen was taken
on
12 5th month 1681 by Lawrence Dowse, Henry Balcom
and
Jonathan Kettel. It amounted to 315
pounds.
The
real estate included:
1)
One farm in Watertowne lying near Sudbury
containing
two hundred acres (60 pounds)
2)
One farm contayning 105 acres & six acres of
meadow (17 pounds)
3) Another farm lying in Haverhill (20 pounds)
4) 20 acres of Divident land in Watertown (8
pounds)
5) The dwelling house & orchard in
Charlstowne
(105
pounds)
He had four pounds
ten shillings in money, and had
57 pounds in debts
owed to him.
The
inventory was entered by the clerk, Thomas Danforth, in September 1681
(Middlesex County Probate Records, volume 5, pages 165-166, accessed on FHL
microfilm 0,521,762). Walter Allen named only his wife, Abigail, and three sons
(John, Joseph and Daniel Allen) in this will.
His son Benjamin died before he did.
His daughter, Abigail, may have married and may have had children, but I
have no record of a marriage or children.
This
note was written by Genea-blogger John Newmark, who writes the excellent
TransylvanianDutch blog and started his own Monday blog theme many years ago
called Amanuensis Monday. He states that “This is the first will I've found
that says the testator was "crazie of body." My ancestry is through
the son, John Allen (1631-1711)”.
The
URL for this post is:
http://www.geneamusings.com/2012/01/amanuensis-monbday-will-of-walter.html
Walter
Allen's occupation is variously given in the old records as farmer, planter,
haberdasher, shop-keeper, and once (1673) more specifically, as a ''
Haberdasher of Hats." The inventory of his estate amounts to £3015, a goodly
sum for those days.
Children
of Walter and Rebecca, the first three born probably in England, the other two
Newbury:
John, b. 1631
Daniel b. 1634
Joseph b. 1638
Abigail, b. Oct. 1, 1641.
Benjamin, b. Apr. 16, 1647.
Sources:
· “Walter Allen of Newbury, Mass., 1640, and some of his
descendants: with a few notes on the Allen family in general" From a GENEALOGY
COLLECTION being held at the ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY. Complied BY ALLEN H.
BENT OF BOSTON, Member of the New-England Historic Genealogical Society.
BOSTON: DAVID CLAPP & SON, PRINTERS. 1896.
· Attention is respectfully called to the recently formed
Society of Descendants of Walter Allen, further information of which may be had
by addressing J. Weston Allen, Secretary, at Cambridge, Mass.
· A Genealogical Dictionary of The First Settlers of New England, Before
1692 Volume #1, Pages 24 – 33 (Alderman – Allen) By James Savage
