Abijah A. Allyn 1794 - 1874
Abijah was the son of Peleg Allyn (ca. 1770-1830) and Mary Lobdell Allyn (1770-1854). He was born on 6 Mar 1794 in Sempronius, Cayuga County, New York, USA.
He married Catherine Hooper ((1799-(1853-1858)) in 1819 in New York. They had the following children:
Abigail Allyn (1820 - 1862)
Harriet Allyn (1821 - 1835)
Philo H. Allyn (1824 - 1888)
Julia Allyn (1825 - 1906)
Commodore Perry Allyn (1827 - 1888)
Alanson Harrison Allyn (1829 - 1890)
Sidney Allyn (1831 - 1883)
Hannah Allyn (1833 - 1901)
Walter Calvin Allyn (1834 - 1904)
Minerva J. Allyn (1836 - 1886)
Oscar Allyn (1838 - 1863)
Otis Allyn (1841 - 1898)
Francis M. Allyn (1843 - 1928)
Clarissa Cebosisa Allyn (1846 - 1897)
Martha Matilda Allyn (1849 - 1921)
I have not been able to find Abijah or his father Peleg in the 1820 census. However, his father bought land in Posey County, Indiana, in 1823. By the time Peleg died there in 1830, his family was firmly settled in southern Indiana. Abijah made a land purchase in 1826 and another in 1828, both of 80 acres, in Section 24, Township 6-S, Range 13-W.
The first census I have found Abijah listed in by name was the 1830 Federal Census in Black Township of Posey County. I have not gone through this census and dissected it like some others, but I fully intend to sit down at some point and do so to see if the number and ages of the people in the household ties out with what is listed in the family tree. (census image here)
The land office records show that Abijah made another two purchases on 30 March 1837 in Posey County, one of 40 acres in the same section his two prior purchases were made in, and another purchase of 40 acres in Section 13. I haven't looked at the maps of these sections but it wouldn't surprise me if the second purchase he made was adjacent to his other property but on the other side of the (rather arbitrary) numbered section boundaries.
The 1840 census found the family still in Black Township. They must have been very fortunate with their children, because I have only seen evidence of one child dying as a teenager (daughter Harriet), it seems as if the rest of the children survived to adulthood. Again, if I go over the census records with a fine tooth comb I may find otherwise but I haven't done that yet. (census image here)
Over the next decade the Allyn household did start losing children, but this was due to marriages, not death. Julia married John Kell Duckworth in 1843, Abigail married William Clarke in 1847, and Philo married Sarah Welborn in 1849.
The 1850 census gave us a real treat, for the first time everyone in the household was enumerated by name. Amazingly enough, the children who weren't married yet all showed up. I love it when things actually work out the way they're supposed to! With one exception: Alanson was off in California trying to make a fortune as a miner (I guess!) -- you can read his page for more details. (census image here)
Perry married Jane Downen in 1851, Sidney married Ann Ellis in 1853, Walter married Martha Jane Keeling in 1855, Minerva married James Henry Mills in 1855, Hannah married James Robb in 1856, and Alanson (who had come home from California) married Mary Chalier in 1856. Sadly, Abijah's wife Catherine died either in 1853 or 1858 (apparently there are some hand written or barely legible records at work here). She must have been a woman of truly epic energy to have dealt with so many children with such success. In any event, the 1860 census found the household much reduced in numbers, although most of that was due to the numerous marriages which had recently taken place. For some reason Hannah, although she was married to James Robb, showed up with her father and siblings again in this census. Oscar was living in Missouri with his brother Philo and Philo's family at this point. (census image here)
Sadly, Abigail Allyn Clarke died (it is believed) in 1862. Her fate is a bit of a mystery to me, I have not been able to find her or her husband in the census after they were married. In 1863 Oscar also died, but I have no idea what the circumstances were or where he died, although some sources list Posey County. On a lighter note, Martha married David Downen in 1868, Clarissa married George Tillman Downen in 1869, and Francis married Lamyra Blackburn in 1869 in Vanderburgh County (all the other marriages took place in Posey County).
By the 1870 census only Abijah and his son Otis showed up in the household. They were close enough to Alanson's house they they showed up just below his family on the census list. Otis was still not married, I know not whether it was because he was too busy taking care of his father, or if he was stuck taking care of his father because he was still single. (census image here)
Abijah died in Posey County on 1 Feb 1874. He is buried in the Lester Pfeiffer Farm Cemetery next to Catherine. In addition to their 15 children, the couple had at least 76 grandchildren and god only knows how many great grandchildren. Because of Abijah and Catherine's children's marriages to other prominent Posey County families (specifically the Downen, Robb, Mills, Welborn, Duckworth, Keeling, and Blackburn families) the Allyn descendants are cousins to thousands of other people whose families also settled in Posey County.
A quick postscript -- Otis finally got married in 1877, to Anna Ora Thompson. He and Anna had three boys, two of whom lived into their 70s and one into his 60s. Otis died in 1898 at age 56. His wife Anna remarried in 1900 to George Smith, outlasted her second husband as well and died in 1936 at the age of 75.
Other Links
Abijah Allyn page at Find A Grave
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