ALLEN, James Vince ^{2 3 4 5 6}

   Other names for James were ALLAN, James ^{10 11} and ALLEN, James.⁸

  General Notes:

In 1855 when his wife Sophia was admitted to the workhouse, probably on account of illness, her husband, not named, was recorded as being a painter.

In 1858 James Vince Allen married Maria Pierce in the St Pancras district of London.

The 1861 census for St Pancras parish recorded James V. Allen, aged 44 years, a house painter, born in Pancras Middlesex, living as head of a household at 12 Middlesex Court that comprised his wife Maria, aged 45 years and born in Poplar, and his two sons Joshua and William, aged 10 years and 8 years respectively, both born in "Pancras, Middlesex".

The 1871 census for St Pancras parish in the parliamentary borough of Marylebone, London, recorded James (mistranscribed in Ancestry as Samuel) and Martha Allen with three children living in 144 Ossulston Street. The children were William aged 17 years, Martha aged 2 years and Mary aged 2 weeks. James was recorded as 53 years and Martha s 30 years old. All five are recorded as born in St Pancras. In occupation, James was noted as a painter glazier, and William as a porter in the railway.

James was recorded as a 'James Allan house painter (master)' in his son, William's marriage certificate in 1879.

When James Allen died in 1881 his death certificate recorded his age as 63 years. ^{7 8 9 12 13 14 15}

  Research Notes:

1841 CENSUS

An entry in the 1841 census for St Pancras, in the borough of Marylebone, recorded a couple called James and Sophia, aged 29 and 26 years respectively, living at St Pancras Field with two small children, Mary Ann aged 6 years and James aged 5 years, all born in the census county. The occupation noted for James is "Bricklr Lab", a bricklayer's labourer.
Note:It is not clear yet if this is this same couple, mainly on account of the names and ages of the children. They may have been children of a previous relationship on the part of one of the parents, or they may have been born before marriage and died at an early age, as did others of this couple's children, or it may be a different couple. 1837 was the start of statutory registration, so if the children were born born before that their births may not have been documented.


OSSULSTON STREET

"Ossulston Street, one of the main thoroughfares passing south to north through Somers Town, leaves Euston Road just west of Somers Town Goods Station. The part of the street south of Chapel Street ... was known as Wilsted Street "

ST PANCRAS FIELD

St. Pancras, after whom this district is named, was a young Phrygian nobleman who suffered martyrdom at Rome under the Emperor Diocletian for his adherence to the Christian faith; he became a favourite saint in England. The parish of St. Pancras contains two churches dedicated to the saint. The scene of a great part of the Tale of a Tub, by Swift, is laid in the fields about "Pankridge." At the start the reign of George III., fields, with uninterrupted views of the country, led from Bagnigge Wells northwards towards St. Pancras, where another well and public tea-gardens invited strollers within its sanitary premises.

MIDDLESEX COURT

This seems to have been a thickly inhabited part of St Pancras district near Chapel Street, the Grove, Newman's Place, Suter's Buildings, Denton's Buildings, and Middlesex Place.

POSSIBLE CHRISTENING RECORD

According to a descendant of James Vince Allen, there is a record of a christening of a James Vince Allen at St Anne's Soho, Westminster, London on 28 April 1816.

THANKS

I would like to offer my thanks to G. Allen, descendant of James V. Allen, for his generosity in sharing his information through Patrick's People web site. ^{16 17 18}

James married Sophia Martha HUNT, daughter of Joshua HUNT and Mary STEVENS, on 7 June 1840 in Old Church, St Pancras, London, England.¹ (Sophia Martha HUNT was baptised on 3 December 1815 in Old Church, Saint Pancras, London, England ^{19 20} and died on 3 November 1855 in St Pancras Parish Chapel Poor Law Union, London, England ²¹.)

James next married Maria PIERCE between April and June 1858 in Pancras District, London, England.² (Maria PIERCE was born about 1826 in Poplar, Middlesex, England ¹⁵.)

James next married Martha PICKEN, daughter of John PICKEN and Catherine POTTER, on 14 June 1868 in St Pancras District, London, England. (Martha PICKEN was born on 21 October 1840 in St Pancras District, London, England ^{8 22}, baptised on 27 May 1848 in St Pancras Parish, Middlesex, England ²² and died on 15 March 1923.)

  Marriage Notes:

The BMD Marriage Index (vol 1b page 284) lists the marriage for Martha Picken and James Vince Allen in the registration quarter April to June but does not give the exact date. The full certificate has not been consulted. The date comes from I Smith, a descendant of James Vince Allen. ³