Allen family

[jamajo]

 Margaret i can find no marriages for the people i sent to you in PM

           Sue

[newburychap]

... a farm in Crookham Common, Newbury. 

In case you find yourself looking in the wrong parish registers - Crookham Common is in Thatcham. A long way from Thatcham church though  - Greenham or Brimpton are closer from some areas.

[Mum44]

Hello Newburychap      I was hoping you'd pop in here 

I've had no luck at all in pinning down Bessie or her father Fred 

There were a number of Allens 1881 - 1901 in the area - some living at Heads Hill, which looked promising  (I live in near Tadley so am a little bit familiar with the area)

However, not knowing how old they were, or even whether Bessie was born in the area (which as Bessie it seems not    )  and not knowing whether Fred was Frederick or Alfred,  I've not made any progress.

I suspect that unless someone with actual knowledge of the family shows up the best bet is going to be the 1911 census 

[cornishmj]

Hi All

Here is what I have found out so far...

Grandfather Allen's farm was called Knightsbridge View Farm.

Listed in a trade directory Cosburns 1904 up to 1917 were a H Allen and a W Allen at Knightsbridge View, Heads Hill.

We know Grandfather Allen had several children. Daughters  Lucy, Lydia, Sally, Alice and Bessie and 2 boys don't know their names, or the order they were born.

Frank Allen birth certificate states
Born 29 May 1907  Hilllsden, Oxford Street U.D.
Name Frank Allen
Father John Cope
Occupation Coachman (domestic)
Mother Rosa Bessie Cope formerly Allen
Residence Shaw House Stables, Shaw, Newbury
Regstered birth 2 August 1907 Newbury Berkshire

Now discovered Hillsden, Oxford Street was in Speenhamland

Sally married a George Webber, they lived in Marmion Road, Southsea and had a shop, then they moved to Abingdon, they had 2 children Fred and Millicent (all deceased now).

[Mum44]

Margaret       Progress    

Rose Bessie Allen.
Birth reg.  Q2. 1883  Newbury  Vol. 2c.  Pg. 236

What a difference the Rose made   

[Mum44]

Eureka   

1891
RG12.  P. 966  Fol. 73  Pg. 1

Horris Farm, Highclere

ALLEN
Henry  Head  M  48  Farmer
Sarah  Wife  M  48
Edward  Son  Un  20  farmers son
Henry  Son  Un  18        ~         ~
Sarah  Dau  14       Assists at home
Mary L  Dau  10     Scholar
Rosa B  Dau  8         ~
Lydia E  Dau  6         ~

all say born Greenham

[Mum44]

I looked for a Lucy -  I think Mary L is May Louisa reg. Q3. 1881 Newbury.

Louisa often shortened to Lucy ....      

[Mum44]

1901
RG13.  P. 1123  Fol. 77  Pg. 9

Heads Hill, Crookham

ALLEN
Henry  Head  M  56  Hay Binder  B.  Crookham
Sarah  Wife  M  56
Edward  Son  30   Farm labourer
Lydia E  Dau  Housemaid

Sarah, Edward and Lydia born Greenham

I can't see Rosa /Bessie at the moment 

There are two possibles for Henry     Both born Newbury, one says 1872 one says 1874.  One is married to a Mary and living in Titchfield, Hants -  he is a drapers assistant.  The other is married to a Lucy and living in Hertfordshire - he is a gamekeeper.

Horris Hill Farm (where they lived in 1891)  is still there; it comes up on Google maps

Knightsview farm I can't pin down at all;  the 1901 has no streets, house names etc for Heads Hill (except the Bakers shop)  It doesn't come up on google maps.  There is a Knightsview Drive in Headley (couple of miles down the road) nowadays,  but I can't see anything in 1901 which looks like that     Headley is Berkshire now, but in 1901 it seems to have been Hampshire.

So - we now have your father, his parents and his grandparents (your great grand parents )    Would you like me to see whether I can go back another generation on Henry and Sarah ?

[newburychap]

Headley is Berkshire now, but in 1901 it seems to have been Hampshire.

Headley is still in Hampshire - I recently bought a book about it Kingsclere Woodlands Story - The History of the Parish of Ashford Hill with Headley. Seems my wife had already bought it some time back (ho hum) - anyone want a copy?