Author Topic: Isabella A Allen - who was she?  (Read 1624 times)

Offline chris_49

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Isabella A Allen - who was she?
« on: Sunday 27 June 21 19:04 BST (UK) »
The RHS are keen to find out who this mystery botanist was:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-57601841

Skelcey (Skelsey Skelcy Skeley Shelsey Kelcy Skelcher) - Warks, Yorks, Lancs <br />Hancox - Warks<br />Green - Warks<br />Draper - Warks<br />Lynes - Warks<br />Hudson - Warks<br />Morris - Denbs Mont Salop <br />Davies - Cheshire, North Wales<br />Fellowes - Cheshire, Denbighshire<br />Owens - Cheshire/North Wales<br />Hicks - Cornwall<br />Lloyd and Jones (Mont)<br />Rhys/Rees (Mont)

Offline chris_49

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Re: Isabella A Allen - who was she?
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 27 June 21 19:06 BST (UK) »
Too early for official birth records or even marriages, but there are a few deaths on FreeBMD
Skelcey (Skelsey Skelcy Skeley Shelsey Kelcy Skelcher) - Warks, Yorks, Lancs <br />Hancox - Warks<br />Green - Warks<br />Draper - Warks<br />Lynes - Warks<br />Hudson - Warks<br />Morris - Denbs Mont Salop <br />Davies - Cheshire, North Wales<br />Fellowes - Cheshire, Denbighshire<br />Owens - Cheshire/North Wales<br />Hicks - Cornwall<br />Lloyd and Jones (Mont)<br />Rhys/Rees (Mont)

Offline chris_49

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Re: Isabella A Allen - who was she?
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 27 June 21 19:10 BST (UK) »
The Isabella Ann chr 1810 Worcs looks promising, but perhaps a little late
Skelcey (Skelsey Skelcy Skeley Shelsey Kelcy Skelcher) - Warks, Yorks, Lancs <br />Hancox - Warks<br />Green - Warks<br />Draper - Warks<br />Lynes - Warks<br />Hudson - Warks<br />Morris - Denbs Mont Salop <br />Davies - Cheshire, North Wales<br />Fellowes - Cheshire, Denbighshire<br />Owens - Cheshire/North Wales<br />Hicks - Cornwall<br />Lloyd and Jones (Mont)<br />Rhys/Rees (Mont)

Offline LizzieL

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Re: Isabella A Allen - who was she?
« Reply #3 on: Monday 28 June 21 08:15 BST (UK) »
The Isabella Ann chr 1810 Worcs looks promising, but perhaps a little late
The article said there was a handwritten inscription saying "Mrs Allen, La Botaniste", so we're looking for a married woman.
Berks / Oxon: Eltham, Annetts, Wiltshire (surname not county), Hawkins, Pembroke, Partridge
Dorset / Hants: Derham, Stride, Purkiss, Sibley
Yorkshire: Pottage, Carr, Blackburn, Depledge
Sussex: Goodyer, Christopher, Trevatt
Lanark: Scott (soldier went to Jersey CI)
Jersey: Fowler, Huelin, Scott


Offline chris_49

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Re: Isabella A Allen - who was she?
« Reply #4 on: Monday 28 June 21 08:20 BST (UK) »
OK so nobody has bitten on this one. Well, I found  the news story interesting.

I'm becoming more inclined to believe that Isabella Ann(e) Allen of Madresfield, Worcs is a strong suspect. Familysearch finds her there in 1851, with her sister Anne and a cousin Mariane Dance (all "landed proprietor") and three servants, and this fits her baptism there in 1810 to John Henry Allen and Susanna Rebecca, who may be a Cooper who he married 1808 St Pancras, and the only siblings found were John Henry Thomas chr 1809 and James chr 1820 who cannot be found thereafter.

She is also on the 1861 there but I only found that on Ancestry which I no longer subscribe to. Lookup please? I've not found her or her family in 1841, though I think her mother may have died that year in Upton district. She's almost certainly the one who dies 1865 Upton district aged 54.

What makes me think that this is the one is that she is of independent means, which is quite rare. As the article says, only young women of means could afford the time to study and engage in botany. Most young women would need to find a job that involved working long hours, or find a husband.

I don't think she would have lived at Madresfield Court -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madresfield_Court. It's true that the Lygons who owned it were in London in 1851, but it looks too big an establishment to be looked after by a mere three servants.

The article states that there are a lot of Isabella Allens on trees but I've not found this to be true, especially not with the middle initial. Someone of 19 or 20 is old enough to recieve the books as a gift in 1830. What do you think?

Skelcey (Skelsey Skelcy Skeley Shelsey Kelcy Skelcher) - Warks, Yorks, Lancs <br />Hancox - Warks<br />Green - Warks<br />Draper - Warks<br />Lynes - Warks<br />Hudson - Warks<br />Morris - Denbs Mont Salop <br />Davies - Cheshire, North Wales<br />Fellowes - Cheshire, Denbighshire<br />Owens - Cheshire/North Wales<br />Hicks - Cornwall<br />Lloyd and Jones (Mont)<br />Rhys/Rees (Mont)

Offline chris_49

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Re: Isabella A Allen - who was she?
« Reply #5 on: Monday 28 June 21 08:24 BST (UK) »
The Isabella Ann chr 1810 Worcs looks promising, but perhaps a little late
The article said there was a handwritten inscription saying "Mrs Allen, La Botaniste", so we're looking for a married woman.

OK, that would scupper all my research, but it doesn't necessarily mean that she was actually married. For instance, that might have referred to her mother who might have shared her interest. If there's a married Isabella A Allen I've failed to find her in censuses.
 
Skelcey (Skelsey Skelcy Skeley Shelsey Kelcy Skelcher) - Warks, Yorks, Lancs <br />Hancox - Warks<br />Green - Warks<br />Draper - Warks<br />Lynes - Warks<br />Hudson - Warks<br />Morris - Denbs Mont Salop <br />Davies - Cheshire, North Wales<br />Fellowes - Cheshire, Denbighshire<br />Owens - Cheshire/North Wales<br />Hicks - Cornwall<br />Lloyd and Jones (Mont)<br />Rhys/Rees (Mont)

Offline LizzieL

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Re: Isabella A Allen - who was she?
« Reply #6 on: Monday 28 June 21 08:34 BST (UK) »
Or if she was a professional botanist / botanical artist she might have adopted the title Mrs, like Eleanor Coade (inventor of the artificial stone known as Coade stone) was always known as Mrs Coade even though unmarried, as it was not considered seemly for single women to be businesswomen, but it was all right for widows.
Berks / Oxon: Eltham, Annetts, Wiltshire (surname not county), Hawkins, Pembroke, Partridge
Dorset / Hants: Derham, Stride, Purkiss, Sibley
Yorkshire: Pottage, Carr, Blackburn, Depledge
Sussex: Goodyer, Christopher, Trevatt
Lanark: Scott (soldier went to Jersey CI)
Jersey: Fowler, Huelin, Scott

Offline chris_49

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Re: Isabella A Allen - who was she?
« Reply #7 on: Monday 28 June 21 08:53 BST (UK) »
Thanks, Lizzie.

The article does say "She may be the early 19th Century botanical illustrator about which little is known". Whoever she was, I think that is right. I can't believe that there were two botanists of that name operating at that time - the forename is quite rare, and few women had professions of any sort.
Skelcey (Skelsey Skelcy Skeley Shelsey Kelcy Skelcher) - Warks, Yorks, Lancs <br />Hancox - Warks<br />Green - Warks<br />Draper - Warks<br />Lynes - Warks<br />Hudson - Warks<br />Morris - Denbs Mont Salop <br />Davies - Cheshire, North Wales<br />Fellowes - Cheshire, Denbighshire<br />Owens - Cheshire/North Wales<br />Hicks - Cornwall<br />Lloyd and Jones (Mont)<br />Rhys/Rees (Mont)

Offline jonw65

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Re: Isabella A Allen - who was she?
« Reply #8 on: Monday 28 June 21 09:33 BST (UK) »
She is also on the 1861 there but I only found that on Ancestry which I no longer subscribe to. Lookup please?

Image is on FamilySearch. Not a great one!
She is a Landed Proprietor Absent
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-P3N6-8SM1