Alberta ALLEN (1869-abt.1947)

and Floyd ALLEN (1856-1913)

The following recollections of Laura Geneva BECKETT (Willy, Walker) (b.1908) suggested that Alberta "A.B." ALLEN (1869-abt.1947), the great-grandfather of her adoptive daughter Anna Christine MORBEN (b.1949), might be a cousin of Floyd ALLEN (1856-1913), who was executed for his role in the 1912 massacre at the Carroll County Court House in Hillsville, Virginia.

From an interview by Deane Whitney MERRILL (b.1938) on 11/30/1998, at Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts.

[ed. note: Some of the estimated birth dates are very approximate - merely rough guesses based on the birth date of a close relative. Additions and corrections will be appreciated.]

Despite the circumstances related in Laura Walker's anecdote, there is no evidence for a relationship between Alberta ALLEN (1869-abt.1947) and Floyd ALLEN (1856-1913).

The earliest known ancestors of Alberta ALLEN and Floyd ALLEN are, respectively, Adoniram ALLEN (1734-1838) and Joseph ALLEN (b.abt.1700).

My name is Laura Geneva BECKETT (Willy, Walker). I was born 10 Jun 1908 in Seabrook, Prince George's County, Maryland. I am the adoptive mother of Anna Christine "Chris" MORBEN, born 26 October 1949 in San Francisco. Chris's mother was Marilyn Jeanne ALLEN, born 26 Apr 1926 in Akron, Summit County, Ohio. Jeanne's father was Leonard Palmer "Lennie" ALLEN, born 11 Apr 1906 in Burnsville, Yancey County, North Carolina. Len's father was Alberta "A.B." ALLEN (1869-abt.1947).

In the 1950's Chris and her grandfather Len were living with me in Washington DC. I was quite close to Leonard's family, who lived in Pensacola, North Carolina.

Once around 1953, driving between Washington and Pensacola with Len and Chris, I pulled up at a gas station directly opposite the residence of J. Sidna ALLEN (b.1866) in Hillsville, Virginia. The house was a beautiful mansion with stained glass windows. I asked the attendant whose house that was. Len hushed me up, and afterward he privately told me the story of the 1912 Hillsville massacre. He was embarrassed to discuss it in public. Len asked me if I remembered anything about it. I did not - I was only four years old at the time. Len said there was kind of a folk song written about Floyd ALLEN (abt.1857-1913) and sang me a bit of it. I recognized the tune, but could not remember where or when I had heard it.

Leonard's brother William Lawton ALLEN (1900-1978) was the oldest of ten brothers and sisters. Lawton was a bachelor and the historian of the family. He knew more about the Allen family than all of the other family members put together. The others were quite secretive about their family history. Whenever I visited North Carolina, Lawton loved to go for drives with me in my car. One day around 1955, I drove Lawton over the mountain from Burnsville, North Carolina to the Tennessee border. On that day, Lawton opened up a lot to me about the tragedy.

Lawton said that he had always wanted to visit Hillsville to see how things looked. As a young man, about 1925, he had gone there and had found out where some of the relatives lived, and then knocked at their door the next morning. This was not the Sidna Allen mansion, but another Allen home in the vicinity. A young woman appeared. She said her husband was at work and would be back around 4 o'clock. When Lawton returned, the husband met him at the door and immediately said, "Good Lord, which one of the Allens are you?" Lawton explained that he was the son of Alberta "A.B." ALLEN (1869-abt.1947). Lawton stayed several hours. At the end of the visit, his host took him outside and explained, "All the land you can see from here, I own that land."

On another occasion in the 1950's, traveling with Chris and Len to visit Len's mother Cornelia BANKS-HUTCHINS (Allen) (1883-abt.1968), I stopped at a souvenir shop in Virginia. I was intrigued by some printed sheets describing the tragedy, which were being sold for five or ten cents. I bought a couple of them. I pulled one out later and showed it to Len's sister Lora ALLEN (Buchanan) (1901-1980). Lora flew into a rage and asked where I got them. She was furious that they were being sold to the public. She crumpled up my copy and threw it away.

From Len's and Lora's reaction, I think their family must have been closely related to the Sidna Allen family.

I remember that Alberta's family was living in southwestern Virginia in 1921, at the time Alberta's son Everett was killed. At the age of four, Everett ran in front of a car at a family picnic. I think Alberta was a woodsman who worked for the sawmills. He probably went to Virginia to find work there. Everett was buried there. Later, Alberta moved to Pensacola, North Carolina, to a house that was willed to Alberta by a relative named Silvers or Silver.

Alberta's father Andrew Jackson ALLEN (b.abt.1839?) lived in Tennesee, in or near Johnson City. He was a tall handsome man with a handlebar mustache and beautiful silver hair. He always wore a big hat and was greatly admired by women. One of his wives was called "Liney." She was a beautiful woman, and wore beautiful clothes, the family would tell me. Alberta's chldren called her either Grandma Liney or Aunt Liney. They often referred to her as she and her husband apparently cut a handsome figure.

[ed. note: In earlier interviews, Laura Walker thought that Andrew Jackson ALLEN was Alberta's brother, but this was corrected (11/98) by Carol Allen of Baltimore, Maryland.]

Len's youngest brother, Clyde ALLEN, told me that Liney was short for Carolina. Clyde used to work for The Dayton Company in Waynesville, North Carolina. As of 1998, he is still alive to the best of my knowledge. David La Bruce ALLEN, Chris' first cousin once removed, in Asheville, North Carolina, should know how to reach Clyde if Clyde is still alive.

[ed. note: Len's father Alberta ALLEN (1869-abt.1947) was about the same age as the brothers Floyd ALLEN (1857-1913), Jasper "Jack" ALLEN (abt.1866-1916) and Sidna ALLEN (b.1866). Alberta's father was Andrew Jackson ALLEN (b.abt.1839?); while the father of Floyd, Jack and Sidna was Jeremiah "Jerry" ALLEN (b.abt.1825?). Jerry's father was William Carr ALLEN (b.abt.1795?). According to Rufus L. Gardner, The Courthouse Tragedy, Hillsville, VA. (1962), Jeremiah ALLEN (b.abt.1825?) had brothers named Jackson, Robert, and John. If this Jackson is the same as Andrew Jackson ALLEN (b.abt.1839?) then Alberta and Floyd were first cousins!]

[ed. note: According to Carol Allen of Baltimore, Maryland (11/1998), Andrew Jackson ALLEN (b.abt.1839?) had a brother Irvine ALLEN (b.abt.1839?). Could Irvine be another brother of Jeremiah (b.abt.1825?). If so, then Floyd and (Carol's husband's grandfather Robert ALLEN (b.abt.1869?, m. Loduskey WHEELER) are also first cousins.]

Sources:

"Descendants of Joseph ALLEN (b.abt.1700)," Deane Merrill, 1/21/01 2300 EST, joseph_allen.html

"Descendants of Andrew Jackson ALLEN (b.abt.1839?) and Irvine ALLEN (b.abt.1839?)," Deane Merrill, 11/30/98. andrew_jackson_allen.html

alberta_and_floyd_allen.html 6/25/04 2300 EDT in:

dennie2:\\c:\dwmerrill\ftw\allen\
http://merrill.olm.net/family/allen/

Deane Merrill, merrill@crocker.com