Ballynasollus Killycurragh Orritor Tullycoll

I have documented my own ALLEN lineage, separately....the following is a summary of ALLEN research in the districts mentioned! 

UPDATE 

ALLEN’S, Killycurragh, Ballynasollus, Orritor, Tullycoll, Parish of Kildress, Cookstown. These findings are not in any chronological order and are to be used to locate connections between the different Allen’s!

Growing up in Cookstown, living in the townland of Clare, the Parish of Derryloran, in a house addressed as "Sunnydale" I was aware of other Allen's in the town and district. They were business people. One was an Auctioneer and Property Agent, another had a Butchery business and another was a Pharmacist. My father nor grandfather never knew of any family connection! When I began our ALLEN research I was determined to find out if there was a "blood" link to this group.... and what our connection was to the Allens from Ballynasollus and Orritor district!
My Dad, Samuel John Allen 1921-2009, many years ago told me that there was a Samuel Allen, living in the townland of Ballynasollus, not far from Cookstown. He didn't know if he was connected to us?
During the Autumn of 2017 I began a research to find if these Allen's and our Allen's had a connection!
Using the Irish Census, irishgeneology.ie, familysearch.org, Griffiths Land Registry and a few other sources I have spent a lot of time trying to link “our” ALLEN line to the different ALLEN lines!
The following is what I have found on the Ballynasollus ALLEN family so far.....but no blood link yet!

Griffiths Land Registry records that in 1859 a Samuel Allen was a Tenant farmer to the Earl of Castlestuart. This land was located in Ballynasollus (Ballinasollus). Recorded as leasing ca 80 acres with house and offices (outhouses). Also a Samuel Allen leased 30 acres from William S R Brady with house and offices. Located in Legnacash. If this is the same Samuel, he was a big time farmer with ca 100 acres.
The 1901 Irish Census also gives us information on Allen’s Ballynasollus….Thomas John Allen birth year 1831 (was his father the Samuel, registered 1859 as Tenant farmer of ca 100 acres?) was head of family at House nr 7, Ballynasollus, married to Mary Henry. Married 28 July 1864. Her father was James Henry, Montober. The name Henry, as a christian name has followed down through several generations.
Residing in the house on Census day were Samuel 34 (perhaps grandson of Tenant farmer Samuel?), Susan 26, Henry Joseph 25, William James 22, Thomas Muller Allen 18 and grandson Samuel James Hunter 4.
The name combination, Thomas John Allen has a possible line to a young lady I know in Cookstown, Hollie Allen. I met her ca 2012, when visiting the Glenavon Restaurant, Cookstown, with cousin Norman Bell and his wife Meta. Met her again at Kyle Clarke’s wedding to Heather Boden, November 2016.
I contacted Hollie in early November 2017 requesting information on her father/grandfather etc. She kindly responded positively. Her Dad is Thomas John Neville Allen (dob15 June 1958) and grandfather Thomas John Allen (28 June 1911- 17 April 1988). *See below for birth details from PRONI (Public Record Office N Ireland)
Researching Thomas John I find one generation earlier the same name. Thomas John, birth 1831, detailed above from Irish Census records!
Recently, ie January 2017 I have been in touch with Ruth Houston, via Trevor Allen. She informed me that her father David Henry Allen is a cousin of Neville Allen, Hollie Allen's Dad! Ruth informs me that her grandfather was Thomas John Allen, one of six children. Cross checking this information with the 1911 Census I find that Thomas John's (birth register gives the name John only!) father is Henry Joseph and mother Maggie/Margaret Henry Dale (married 11 March 1905, both from Ballynasollus). In this year (Thomas) John is listed as being 5 years old (PRONI birth 17 Dec 1905). His siblings in the 1911 Census are.... Rachel 4, Mary Millar 3, Samuel William 1 and Henry Weir Allen is a baby.
HOLLIE INFORMED ME THAT HER GRANDFATHER WAS THOMAS JOHN ALLEN 1911-1988. RUTH ALSO INFORMS ME THAT HER GRANDFATHER WAS (THOMAS) JOHN....THIS MAKES NEVILLES FATHER & DAVID HENRY ALLEN'S FATHER FULL COUSINS, THUS MAKING NEVILLE ALLEN AND DAVID HENRY ALLEN SECOND COUSINS....HOLLIE & RUTH ARE THIRD COUSINS. Wonder if I've got this connection correct?

I found from irishgeneology.ie that the Thomas John’s (b 1831) son, Henry Joseph married Maggie (Margaret) Dale and had a family. According to PRONI records the following children were born....John 17 Dec 1905 (birth registered as John only! Ruth's grandfather and David Henry Allen's father?), Rachel 1 Jan 1907, Mary 28 Feb 1908, Samuel 11 June 1909, Henry 15 Oct 1910, Sarah 9 May 1912
A marriage of Samuel Allen, Ballynasollus to Mabel Glasgow, school teacher, Killycurragh 13 April 1909 is recorded on the Irish Geneology web site. He is the son of Thomas John (yob 1831)? This Samuel is 34 in the 1901 Census making him 42 on his wedding day. In the 1911 Census he is described as a farmer, head of the household in house nr 18, Ballynasollus. Noted in that household was his wife Mabel 30, NS teacher (National School). Also included was a domestic servant, Margaret O'Neill and a farm servant, Daniel McNicholl. I presume that with this household description that they were quite well off, thus a "big" farmer could be assumed!??
*Researching further at PRONI, I have the following information on the births to Samuel and Mabel....Kennedy b 26 Feb 1910, Thomas John b 28 June 1911 (Neville's father, Hollie's grandfather),Milfred (Mildred?) b 29 Nov 1911, Mary b 8 Jan 1917
In the early part of 2018 I communicated with Louise Doherty (Allen) when she responded to a FaceBook post I had inserted re Ballynasollus Allen's. Her father was Thomas James Henry Allen 70 years old. Year of birth 1943 (deceased a few years earlier in a tragic farm accident just outside Moneymore. Article in News Letter 27 July 2013) He was known as Henry. Her grandfather was Thomas Allen. She also gave me the name Tony Allen (full cousin of her father). However Louise replied in early April 2018 to say that her Mum stated "no relation" to the Ballynasollus Allen. However with the name HENRY so prevelant in this line, there must be a connection somewhere to those other Allen families where Henry is included as a middle name!....STILL NO LINK TO MY /TREVOR’S BLOOD LINE!

familysearch.org gave me informating relating to Thomas John Allen's Will....Probate of the Will of Thomas John Allen, late of Ballnasollus, farmer who died 8 December 1907, granted at Armagh to Robert Allen, farmer and William James Allen, Law Clerk. Effects GBP127.
Could it be that we’ve got to go back to Samuel Allen dob 1795 and see if he had brothers who had a family member moving to Ballynasollus??? (written January 2018).

UPDATE....Late February 2018....repeating some background!

Earliest research gives me a Samuel Allen, 1740, from the Protestant Householders Records, Desertlyn parish, but no townland mentioned. Tintagh is located in this parish so I assume this Allen to be my and Trevor Allen's line! Due to limited access to geneology details pre 1864 assumptions are made, when townlands and approx dates match.

Further detailed research on the document, linked to me by Trevor Allen, “Notes on the Congregation of 3rd Cookstown Presbyterian Church by Rev John Knox 1842-42” transcribed by Eddie Kelso (whom I remember from Cookstown High School days) from PRONI Microfilm MIC/1P/46063-J4.

PLEASE NOTE: For easier bloodline trace I am researching ALLEN males.....the following is some background!
Samuel Allen born 1795 married to Elizabeth McKinney 1797, both from Tullycoll, a townland in the parish of Kildress. No marriage date found. Eight (8) offspring, detailed later.
One other birth recorded in that era, Joseph Allen born 1806, married Eliza Russell born 1817, in 1837, 6 offspring, 4 girls & 2 boys. The boys were Samuel born 29 June 1849 and William John born 27 August 1852
Researching in “Super Search” on the My Heritage website I located a Family Tree website named Black Piper Web Site. Managed by a Billy Piper. Here I found Joseph Allen b 1806 married Eliza Russell, 5 September 1837. The only offspring referenced here was Elizabeth Allen, born 1846, married Ferguson.
Another birth, Jane Allen, born 1814, married William Hagan born 1801. Eight (8) offspring
I assume that Joseph 1806 and Jane 1814 above are siblings of Samuel 1795. My research cannot confirm they are siblings! However they too were born in the Parish of Kildress in the townland of Tullycoll.
This document has given me a lot of interesting links to Allen’s. One of whom is my/Trevor’s direct lineage, Samuel Allen b 1795, and I suggest is the grandson of Samuel Allen from the 1740 Protestant Householders Records. A generation is reckoned to be ca 30 years!
The document “Notes on the Congregation of 3rd Cookstown Presbyterian Church by Rev John Knox 1842-42” transcribed by Eddie Kelso (whom I remember from Cookstown High School days) from PRONI Microfilm MIC/1P/46063-J4, also tells me that Samuel Allen b 1795, moved to Tintagh. Daughter Margaret married William Crawford 6 June 1843. Son Joseph b 1821 died August 1838. Som Thomas James born 1822 died August 1838. Samuel born 1825 “does not attend our church”, recorded in the comments column. Sally b 1828 emigrated to America 1848. Eliza b 1832 married John McR ? John b 20 December 1835, “Gone to Tintagh”. William b 20 November 1838, “Gone to Tintagh”

Still a long way to wander….lots of Allen’s in and around Ballynasollus and neighbouring townlands. Where to place them in relation to each other and where do we go to find the LINK to our Allen line??
Could it be that we’ve got to go back to Samuel Allen dob 1795 and see if his possible brother Joseph or any other sibling had moved to Ballynasollus???

It would be of great interest if someone reading this research could decipher the different lineages and find links back to Samuel Allen born 1795, bringing us up to the present day. (November 2018)

Des Allen //13 November 2018