Allen / Allan Surname Resources

Frequently referenced resources

When trying to understand the meaning, locations and depth of my surnames there are several online resources I utilize. These sources are filled with interesting and detailed information and data you will want to bookmark to reference again and again.

• Ancestry
• Specific to the Allen Surname
• Forebears
• Specific to the Allen Surname
• Guild Of One Name Studies
• Search for the Allen Surname
• Family Tree DNA Projects
• Specific to Allen surname

From the Guild Of One Name Studies:

"The Allan surname (spelled with an 'a') is associated primarily with the Scottish Clanranald of the McDonals Clan (i.e. Cland Donald). The Allen surname (spelled with an 'e') is considered an English surname."1

Visit my Surnames page to see all the surnames I seek.

1. Guild of One-Name Studies (http://one-name.org/Results), accessed 11/2/2014.

Not So Wordless Wednesday Allen

My grandfather Charles Scott Allen and his uncle Francis Simpson Allen.

Photo taken around 1920 possibly in Winchester Kentucky. They have very similar facial features and I love my Grandpa's hat! These two obviously had a great relationship.

Visit my Surnames page to see all the Surnames I seek.

Surnames I Seek Allen / Allan - Migration Route

Allen / Allan - Direct ancestral line on my maternal side.

 

Locations of my Allen / Allan family I have documented

 

• Virginia - 1793
• Clark County, Kentucky - 1844
• Sumner, Tennessee - 1850
• Winchester, Kentucky - 1876
• Jefferson County, Kentucky -1900 
• Jackson County, Missouri - 1926 
• Summit County, Ohio - 1938  

Map created using Google Earth

 Collateral Names:

• Ecton
• Hart
• Haggard
• Merys
• Schooler
• Scott
• Watts

Allan Surname Meaning:

Scottish and northern English: variant spelling of Allen. This is the more common spelling of the name in Scotland and northern England; in Scotland it is often found as an English form of the Gaelic name McAllen (see McAllan). 1.


Visit my Surnames page to see all the Surnames I'm researching.


1. Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press, Last Name Meaning and Origins (http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts accessed September 10, 2014)

National Grandparent's Day 2014 - Allen - Merys

Charles Scott Allen   b: 1900 Winchester, Clark, Kentucky
                              d: 1960 Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri
                              m: 1923 Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri

Gladys Irene Merys  b: 1903 Osowatomie, Miami, Kansas
                              d: 1995 Harrisonville, Cass, Missouri

Charles worked for the railroad his entire life. He died of a heart attack while on the job at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri. Gladys was a homemaker and raised nine children.

WW I Doughboys

Frank S. Allen

Wordless Wednesday Winchester, Kentucky

 Wordless Wednesday Winchester, Kentucky

Grandmother possibilities: Martha Ecton or Susan Hart

Aunt possibilities: Cassandra, Alice, Liota or Lizzie Scott. or Lillie, Sophia, Jessie or Lidia Allen.

This is the Face of Genealogy

This is the face of my genealogy and they are beautiful!

Anna Pearl Scott born 1878 in Kentucky
Ora Gaines Allen born 1897 in Kentucky
Charles Scott Allen born 1900 in Kentucky

This post is in response to the very offensive image posted in the LA Weekly with an article regarding the upcoming SCGS Jamboree. You can read about the article here.

Whether the author or the editor selected the photo matters little, it was published. The photo depicts a very uneducated and outdated stereotype of genealogy. Boring! Come up with something new and original, then you can call yourself a journalist.

p.s.  If you've ever wondered how large the genealogy market is, call the LA Weekly tomorrow they should have the figures for you!

Inter-library Loan Magic!

I have been participating in the 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy challenges. The challenge for week 4 was to use the inter-library loan system at our local library. The book I requested through ILL was History & Families Oldham County, Kentucky: the first century, 1824-1924. I had a photo of a house with Westport, KY written on it and simply took a stab in the dark by requesting a book for that area.

The first photo, to the left, was a photo I had, the second photo was IN THE BOOK!! I started thumbing through the book as soon as I picked it up. I saw the house and said "wait a minute I've seen this house before". To say I was surprised and excited would be putting it mildly! The caption below the photo says at the time the photo was taken the house was owned by Clyde Gaines. I also have photos identified as Clyde Gaines, Jr., Connie Gaines and J.S. Gaines. Gaines is not one of my direct surnames, however, my Grandfather's sister was named Ora Gaines Allen and she lived in Clark County, Kentucky. Clark County and Oldham County are not adjoining counties. I have called the Oldham County Historical Society in hopes of finding out if the house is still standing and any information on the Gaines family. The book states the house is called Hurricane Hall and was built on a bluff above the Ohio River one mile north of Westport. I hope to hear something back tomorrow.

I will keep you posted!

UPDATE!
I spoke with the Oldham County Kentucky Historical Society...this house burned to the ground in the 1930's. :(

Birthday Tribute

Edith Irene Allen
October 15, 1926 - July 20, 2001

Mother of 9 and wife for 56 years!

Wordless Wednesday Grandpa Allen

Surname Saturday

Allan/Allen (KY,OH,MO) Scott (KY)


This is a page I scrapped with my mother's graduation photo.