I have come across a lot of brick walls on my family connections journey. And I’ve made it through some of them. But still, I have some brick walls I want to conquer.
William Allen was one of my great grandfathers. I have had a brick wall with him for a very long time. I’ve been looking back over what I know about him.
What do I know about William Allen and the people in his life?
On December 24, 1888, Wm. Allen applied for a license in St. Joseph, Missouri to marry a Miss Laura Washington (1867- 1947). George Fermon signed his name as a witness to William Allen’s signature; as Wm. made his mark on the application.
On March 6, 1889, Wm. Allen and Miss Laura Washington were married in St. Joseph, Missouri. They were married by The Rev Alexander Carl Terrell (1850 – 1922). He was the pastor at the Methodist Church on 311 Antoine in St. Joseph, MO.
Nine months later, on December 21, 1889, William and Anna Laura Allen were blessed with a daughter, Mary Anna Allen. William Allen was listed on my Grandmother, Mary Anna Allen’s birth record. However, Mary’s name wasn’t listed on the record.
Also on Mary’s birth certificate, William was listed as an American at age 28. He was from Georgetown, Missouri. His occupation was a farm hand. Date of returned birth record was January 4, 1890.
William and Anna were living with Anna’s parents at 1801 Mulberry in 1889. This was the place where Mary was born. Mary was Anna Laura’s first child.
I checked the censuses and St. Joseph, City Directories. I can only assume that the black William Allen on the 1880 census was Mary’s father. I’m not for sure that he’s the correct William. I haven’t found a death notice of William’s passing.
On the 1890 St. Joseph, Missouri city directory, William Allen was listed as a labor residing at Mulberry NE Cor 18th. This was the same address of William Washington Sr. and Susan (Leach) Washington (1835- 1890). They were the parents of Anna Laura Allen. There was a colored William Allen on the 1880 census living in St. Joseph. He was MO born in 1858 in MO. His parents were from Virginia.
On the 1893 St. Joseph’s City directory there is a colored William Allen lived at 510 N 3rd in St. Joseph, Missouri. I lost track of him. Wondering if he was the same William listed on the 1880 MO census in St. Joseph, His parents were from Virginia.
There’s a clue that the William Allen on the 1890 military census lived at 617 Corby. He enlisted in St. Louis MO. on Dec 31, 1889. And was discharged on March of 1893 in Fort Riley Kansas. This Wm. Allen was from Ripley County Missouri. This will could have been the William Allen on the 1882 City Directory living at 6th and 9th Hall and Corby.
On the 1870 and 1880 MO censuses, there was a Wm. Allen listed as mulatto with parents John Allen and Ann (Ramsel) Allen in Clay, Monroe, Missouri. I can’t find more on his parents or siblings listed on the censuses.
William Allen and Anna Laura Washington were married. I wonder if they divorced?
Anna Laura Walters was listed as the widow of Thornton Walters in 1898.
I haven’t located their marriage record.
I haven’t found a Laura Allen or Anna Allen as a widow of William Allen
The brick wall on William Allen still remains.
I hope to stumble across some clues, someday.
In the mean time, I’m waiting.
July In Remembrance:
Dade Family Connections
July In Remembrance:
Bartlett Family Connections
July In Remembrance:
Blakey Blakley WHITE Family Connections
Thanks for reading
Week 15 (Apr. 12-18): Brick Wall
God bless you
S.A. Blakley
Week 15: Brick Wall ~ Generations Café via facebook
Brick walls—we all have them. This would be a good week to write down what you know about your brick wall problem. (Sometimes just writing about it can help!) You could write about an ancestor who used to be a brick wall. Or get creative—maybe an ancestor who was a bricklayer? Feel free to share your links and stories in the comments.
