Biography: Horatio Gates Allen born Feb. 12, 1792

Happy Birthday!

HORATIO GATES ALLEN

BIOGRAPHY and GENEALOGY

(1792-1862)

Dallas, Clarke and Marengo Counties, Alabama

Horatio Gates Allen was born at Essex County, Mass on February 12, 1788, (see note below) to Ephraim W. Allen (b. 1752 – d. 1816) and Huldah Brown. His father served in the Revolutionary War under Horatio Gates.

Horatio G. Allen and his brothers, Ephraim Allen and William Brown Allen, were the publishers of a paper in Haverhill, Massachusetts. “Horatio was born into a Puritan family and was a firm believer in the old school Presbyterian Church and all its tenets.”

“On August 1, 1813, the senior partner of the business disposed of his entire interest to his brother Horatio, who continued the paper until the following year of January 1814. Horatio then sold his paper, printing office, and bookstore to Mr. William Greenough and Mr. Nathan Burrell. The 2nd of May 1813, Horatio Gates Allen married Lois Ayer Morse** of Haverhill, Mass.

After the first year of the marriage and the sale of the printing business/bookstore the couple moved back to Newburyport, Mass. Listed in the book, “HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT, by Currier, Horatio is again in business with brother William Brown Allen at 13 Cornhill, Newburyport, Massachusetts where Horatio printed “ALFRED” an epic poem in 24 books by Joseph Cottle. The town of Newbury, Mass has listed in their records of Horatio and Lois parents of 2 children a son and daughter who were baptized at St. Paul’s Church.”

Known children were:

1. Mary Brown Allen (b. September 27, 1813, Newburyport, MA)
2. John Appleton Ayer Allen (b. March 3, 1816, Newburyport, MA)

Horatio and William moved to Alabama after their father died in 1816. Their father had received a parcel of land located at Cahawba then the capital in present day Dallas County, Alabama. They opened a printing establishment and were the publishers of the Alabama code of 1822 and also newspapers, The Alabama Intelligence and Cahawba Press.

Later Horatio became a well-known teacher of Dallas County. He lived in Marengo County about 1867, and in Clarke about 1871, having taught successfully in both of these places.

Horatio was a Democrat and a master Mason. He was a member of Halo Lodge #5 at Cahawba where he served as a steward and was on the reception committee to welcome General Lafayette in 1825 when he visited Alabama. The celebration lasted three days.

Horatio’s mother, Huldah and William’s wife and daughters died around 1823 and are buried somewhere in the old cemetery in Alabama.

On 2nd October 6, 1835, in Dallas County, he married 2nd Elisabeth Stone, daughter of William and Edith (Rodgers) Stone, of Dallas County, Alabama. Horatio was the Justice of Peace for Dallas County in the early 1830’s. All four of their children were born in the town of Athens, Dallas Co., LA

Their children were:

1. Mary Elisabeth Allen, (b. Oct 6, 1836) m. Oliver Perry Slater, of Thomasville, Alabama;
2. William Brown Allen, (b. Jun 27, 1839 – d. in 1887);
3. Catherine “Kittie” Josephine Allen, (b. Mar 21, 1840) m. 1st Thomas J. Davis; and 2nd William H. Lewis;
4. Helen Barbara Carmelite Allen,(Mar 3, 1843) m. Edmund M. Vick.

He was a Methodist. Horatio G. Allen’s last residence was in Dixon Mills, Marengo County, Alabama. He died August 5, 1863* in Dixon Mills, Marengo County, Alabama and is buried at Shiloh Baptist Church Cemetery, in Shiloh, Marengo County, Alabama. Elizabeth died May 9, 1889, and is buried beside her husband.

In the1860, Alabama census, Horatio is listed as being a farmer age 68 years born in Massachusetts and having personal property valued at $10,000.00.

*Note: Another birth date is January 6, 1792 Newburyport. Mass. To Ephraim and Josephine Brown Allen. Another death date in August 24, 1862.

**Note: “Her second marriage is a bit of a mystery. She is listed in the Haverhill Vitals as marrying Horatio Gates Allen [1813] and then later as marrying Thomas Marsh [1827] where she is called Mrs. Lois A. Allen. Horatio by 1820 was living in Alabama so it may be that Lois refused to move to Alabama or maybe there is another story yet to be uncovered. 1850 was living in Haverhill, MA at the Poor House where she was a Pauper. Cause of Death: Slow? Mortification. She was still listed as married. Did her second husband abandon her (he was not living with her in 1850 and she was listed as a Pauper]

SOURCES

1. History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume 3 By Thomas McAdory Owen, Marie Bankhead Owen
2. ancestry.com 
3. manuscript of Oliver Edwards

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