Thomas Allen*BIOGRAPHY by John Peck (A Rhoda Allen descendant) Re: [John] Rhoda Allen (ABT 1742- to 24 Aug 1820) last update 09 Mar 2003.

From family oral history, Rhoda Allen's ancestor Thomas Allen [or Allin] was born in 1650 in Ulster Province, Antrim, Ireland. His wife was possibly named Sarah. Around 1690/92 he and his teenage son Robert Allen, born about 1674, emigrated to Port Tobacco, in Charles County, Maryland, on the ship "Charles" Both were Indentured Cabinet Makers.

Thomas may have shown up in the 1704 Rent Roll Census St. Peter & Paul of Virginia, but apparently died on 2 May 1733 in Charles County, MARYLAND. Robert Allen may have married about 1699 into the McDonald clan in Charles County, MARYLAND. Their 1st child Thomas was born about 1702 in Charles County, MARYLAND, but probably about 1704 this family moved to land in VIRGINIA and was listed on the 1704 census, and also in a 1749 land sale in Southhampton County, VIRGINIA. Robert must have returned to Charles County, Maryland to die there about. 1775. Robert's son Thomas, a wood worker b about 1702, may have been a Captain in VIRGINIA in 1724. He appears to possibly be the Thomas in the 1732 Maryland Probate records, the 1734 Charles Co. Tax rolls, then back to Southhampton Land in VIRGINIA. He is believed to have died in Strafford County, VIRGINIA about 1770/1775.

[John] Rhoda Allen, Thomas Allen's son, was born about 1742 in Charles County, Maryland. He reportedly had 4 brothers. He was said to have been a bonded servant but worked off his bond before getting married about 1765/69 to Mary Emily Ransom (b about 1744) of probably Strafford County, VIRGINIA across the river from Charles County. He was a wood worker and Methodist minister circuit rider, as were many of his sons. He was a master cabinetmaker, which craft he also passed on to his sons. A son Theophilus was born 1770 and a daughter Mary Emily born 1773, both supposedly in Charles County, MARYLAND. Rhoda reportedly moved his young family across the Rappahannock into Stafford County, VIRGINIA near Dumpries. Rhoda bought land in Edgecombe County, North Carolina in 1773. He served in the American Revolution in 1775 as a private in North Carolina. His son Nathan N.G. Allen was born in 1775 in Edgecombe Co, North Carolina. An El Nino occurred from 1776 to 1778- yielding very cold weather during the Revolution. About 1790/93 he moved his family to Gallatin Co, TN. He is thus qualified for a First Family of Tennessee Certificate. He had moved to Sumner County, TN by 1793 where he registered a brand, and on 8 Apr 1794 he had bought 70 acres from John Williams, and was on the Sumner tax list. The Allen family had 8 children: Theophilis (b1770), Mary Emily (b 1773), Nathan N.G. (b 1775), Sarah (b 1777), Elizabeth (b 1780), Henry Davis (b 1782), John Rhodam (b 1785) and George Wesley (b 1787.) Three El Ninos occurred from 1782 to 1790, each yielding weather lasting several years. Mary Ransom died c1790/1807.

In 1810 Rhoda married a 2nd time to Lucinda Overby (b 1770) in Sumner County, TN. They had 4 children: Margaret N. (b 1811), John Wesley (b 1813) and William S. (b 1815.) In 1815, the deadliest volcano eruption in recorded history had led to the "year without a summer" in the eastern U.S. Rhoda was on the 1817, 1818, 1819 Sumner Co. Tax rolls. About 1819, Rhoda Organized a wagon train of 41 families, along with William Maxey, husband of daughter Mary Emily Allen, Rhoda's son, Rev. (John) Rhodam Allen II, and migrated to Shiloh Township., Jefferson County, Illinois with Lucinda and their three minor children. By 1820 he had bought 160 acres in Jefferson County, Illinois and was in the census as one of the first families in Jefferson County. John ``Rhody'' Allen was a master cabinetmaker, as were his sons, and also a Methodist minister circuit rider, again as were many of his sons. He was reported to be a Constable and Abolitionist in the County. On 24 Aug 1820, Rhoda reportedly died of a heart attack at age 78 while carrying a twelve-foot long log to be used on a building he was erecting. He was the first to be buried in the Old Union Church Cemetery of Jefferson County. In 1854 part of Rhoda's land that passed to son N.N.G. Allen at Cherokee County, Texas was sold by son NNG Allen and wife to John Maxey in Illinois. Rhoda Allen and his 3 emigrant ancestors here may qualify for The Order of The First Family of Maryland for resident in Maryland prior to 4 July 1776.