An American Family History

Sarah Kimball Allen was born in 1635 in Watertown, Massachusetts. Her parents were Richard Kimball and Ursula Scott.

She married Corporal Edward Allen on November 24, 1658. His parents were James Allen and Mary Greete.

Their children were John Allen (1659), Sarah Allen (1661), Edward Allen (1662), Sarah Allen Smith (1664), Elizabeth Allen Pritchard (1666), William Allen (1668), Martha Allen Kent (1696), Benjamin Allen (1673), David Allen (1676), Abigail Allen Palmer (1678), Samuel Allen, and Caleb Allen (1685).

In 1670 their barn with sixty loads of barley was burned by lightning.

When her father died in 1675 she received

forty pound, five pound to be payd the yeare & halfe after my decease and the rest five pound a yeare tillit be payed, also to her children I give seaven pounds ten shillings to be payed to them as they come of age or at day of marriage, if any dye b effort, that part to be equally devyded to the rest. And to my daughter Sarah above sd: I also give the bed I lye on with the furniture after one year use of it by my wife. 

They moved to Suffield, Hartford County, Connecticut in 1678 where he had purchased 180 acres.

On December 16 1695 the Allens were allowed to sit near the pulip because Sarah was hard of hearing.

Sarah died on June 12, 1696 in Suffield, aged about fifty six years. Edward followed soon after on November 21, 1696. His estate was inventoried at £257. In his will he directed that their son Samuel should live with Benjamin, and Caleb with David, until they were twenty-one. The older brothers to teach the younger the "art or trade of a weaver," and when they came of age to build each a house, and give each a cow.

Some of the Ancestors and Descendants of Samuel Converse, Jr. Volume 2 by Charles Allen Converse

Corporal Edward Allen of Ipswich, according to tradition, came from Scotland, and had been a soldier under Cromwell. He was as early as 1658 of Ipswich, Mass.

In 1662, he was occupying the farm in Ipswich owned by Rev. John Norton formerly of Ipswich, who had been preaching in Boston since 1652. In 1670 Edward Allen possessed a farm in Ipswich and that year his barn with sixty loads of barley was burned by lightning.

He removed to Suffield where he had purchased 180 acres in 1678 for himself and sons, and there he died 21 November 1696, leaving an estate inventoried at £257.

From 1689 to 1691, inclusive, he was one of the selectmen of Suffield. Under date of 16 December 1695, the following entry appears on the church records

''Corporall Allyn, in reference to his wife being thick of hearing, it was granted that he should have liberty to make a seat before, or just under the pulpit, somewhat higher than other seats, for the better accomodating to hear the word dispensed.''

Edward Allen married in Ipswich, 24 November 1658, Sarah, daughter of Richard Kimball of Ipswich, formerly of Rattlesden, Suffolk, England. She died 12 June 1696, aged about fifty six years. . .

In his will, made one week before his death, Corporal Edward Allen provides for his five younger sons at Suffield, and his two younger daughters Elizabeth and Sarah. The older daughters are not mentioned and were probably both dead. He provided that Samuel should live with Benjamin, and Caleb with David, until they were twenty-one; the older brothers to teach the younger the " art or trade of a weaver," and when they came of age to build each a house, and give each a cow.

In regard to the orthography of this name, the weight of evidence is in favor of Allyn; in the body of the will of Edward and in the signature it is Allyn, but as Edward made his mark, both were by the same hand. The Judge of Probate, John Pinchon, wrote Allin in the attestation and Alline in the filing; in the inventory taken by three of his neighbors, it was Alen; Samuel Partridge, Register, wrote Alline; in 1704, Edward and John, the elder sons, wrote the name indifferently Allin, Allen, Alline. This unsettled orthography continued for several years, but Allen finally obtained preference.

Inventory of the Estate of Edward Alen Suffield, deceased, Nov. the 21: 1696.
In wearing clothes £300
Books 1 10 0
In Bildings and Land 150 0 0
" Neat chattel 20 0 0
" horses 10 0 0
" sheep 200
" swine 12 0 0
" cart, plows and tackling 12 0 0
" two fether beds and two other beds & bedding 15 0 0
" loome and tacklin 300
" foure pots, and iron cettle 3 10 0
" two brase cettles, a brase pan and scilet 2 10 0
" two iron tramels, two pair of pot hooks and a pair of tongs 1 10
" a iron spit, a frying pan and slise 050
" two felling axes and a morticing ax 0 15 0
" three broad hows and two stubbing hows 1 50
" a beetel and three wedges 0 10 0
" other small iron tooles 040
" a warming pan, and a candlestick 070
" a box iron and heaters 030
" pewter 200
" two earthern platers and a culender 050
" two guns 200
" other household lumber 2 10 0
" new cloth, yarn and wool 300
In sadles and bridles 200
" three sickles 030
" come and meat 6 0 0
257 7 0
This is a trew Inventory taken the 17, of Decembr, 1696
John Penoilly. Jonathan Taylor. John Ke Nt.
Henj. Alline vt David Allinc made oath to the above Inventory that it was a true Inventory of Edward Alline, deceased his estate etc.
Samuel Partridge, Register."[See H. S. Sheldon's History of Suffield, and George Sheldon's History of Deerfield.]

Children of Edward and Sarah (Kimball) Allen:
John, born 9 Aug. 1659.
Sarah, born 4 July 1661; died 10 February 1662.
Edward, born 1 May 1663.
Sarah, born 1 March 1664; married, 21 April 1685, Edward Smith of Suffield.
Elizabeth, born 20 Dec. 1666; died 16 June 1694; married, 14 Nov. 1683, William Pritchard.
William, born 12 March 1668.
Martha, born; married, 28 July 1696, Samuel Kent, Jr., of Suffield.
Benjamin, born Sept. 1673.
David, born 1 Feb. 1675.
Abigail, born 25 March 1678; married Timothy Palmer of Suffield.
Samuel, born 1679.
Mary, born 9 April 1683; died, unmarried, in Deerfield, 25 Oct. 1707.
Caleb, born 31 March 1685.