When you're trying to figure out an intermarried family, it's important to know all the possible relationships you may have within the family. Your family legends may add confusion to the search. In the family I'm writing about, common and uncommon legends abound. If your family was in the United States before the Civil War, you probably have some of the same legends: a Native American ancestor, an elusive family Bible and a family that is split between north and south.
The best strategy for the family legends is to know what they are, but ignore them during your quest for records and for DNA. Hopefully, your results will help you determine the truthfulness of the legends.
The Allee family mixes the common legends in an interesting way. This is not a politically correct statement. Please understand it's historical, so needs no negative feedback. The legend is from the children of the first wife of Nicholas Allee.
When speaking about themselves and the children of the second wife, they say, "We went north and the Indians went south." The elusive family Bible legend adds that Merrill Allee (south) was the son of John Allee (north), as proven by the Bible that one cousin knows that another cousin knows that another cousin saw years ago.
Today, I'll introduce John Allee, called Jonathan Buford Allee by some in the family. I've not seen proof of his name. John was born in Virginia to Nicholas Allee and Ann Stevens between 1760 and 1765. He has been confused with a man named John Alley, who also was born in Virginia, in Russell County in 1764. Fortunately John Allee left a will in Putnam County, Indiana, that helps define his family. John Alley also died in Indiana, in a different county, with different children and with a Revolutionary War pension file.
John Allee lived in the area of Virginia that today would be in Franklin or Floyd County. His father was a planter or farmer, so John learned to work the land. On January 1, 1787, John married Mildred Lawrence in Franklin County. Most of their children were born in that area of Virginia, prior to their move to Kentucky.
John first appears on the tax rolls of Barren County, Kentucky, in May of 1806. His tax record tells us that his household included one white male over 21 (himself) and one white male over 16. He was taxed for 450 acres in the watershed of the East Fork of the Big Barren River. Over the years, he also acquired land that was in the Skaggs Creek watershed.
John's sons began to show up as adults on the Barren County tax rolls and census by 1810. Son Merrill is the one of interest to my family and his story will be the last in this series.
John's land became part of Monroe County, Kentucky, when that county was formed in 1820. He was taxed in Monroe County from 1820 until 1827.
The area where the Allee family lived is somewhere within a few miles of the Skaggs Creek Baptist Church (36.7928349,-85.6844162), which was organized by John Allee and others in 1814. Skaggs Creek is north of the church while the East Fork of the Barren River lies to the south. Neither is a large river, so they don't show up on the following map.
In 1829, John bought 80 acres in Section 10 of Township 13 North, Range 3 West in Putnam County, Indiana. There, in Jefferson Township, he built a horse mill, for which he is remembered in the county history books.
In the 1830 census, John's age was listed as between 60 and 69. Having been at least 45 at the time of the 1810 census, he would have been at least 65 in 1830. In 1834, being at least 69 years old, he made his will. Since he is not listed in the 1840 census, we can only assume that he had died between 1834 and 1840.
The 1840 census shows that his son, Noah Allee, was the head of the household, with an age of 30-40. In addition to his wife and children, there was a woman of age 70-80, who was possibly his mother, Mildred Lawrence Allee.
In 1842, Noah presented John's will for probate. Most likely, Mildred had died and Noah needed to claim his inheritance and distribute property to any other family members who were still alive. Noah was the youngest known son, with a proposed birth year of 1809.
It's hard to determine the exact relationships from the will. However, it is probable that John Allee had children named William Allee, Merrill Allee, Joseph Allee, David Allee, Noah Allee and Mildred Allee Chapman. Ruth Ann Shields was most likely a granddaughter, as she would have been far too young to be a daughter, being a minor in 1834. Louda Lain could have been a daughter or a granddaughter, as there is not enough information to determine a relationship.
The 1865 map of Putnam County shows that several tracts were owned by men who were members of the extended Allee family. John's original 80 acres had passed out of the family.
For descendants of the southern Merrill Allee, research into Mildred Lawrence and her parents and siblings will be needed. It would be her family's DNA that could prove the relationship between the northern and southern families.
A transcript of John Allee's will, as filed in 1842, follows. It begins at page 346 in probate court order book B and is also found at page 253 in deed book I.
Be it known that on this 28th day of April in the year 1842 Noah Allee one of the Executors of the last will and testament of John Allee late of Putnam County Indiana deceased personally came before me Arthur McGaughey Clerk of the Probate Court for said county, (in vacation of said Court) and made due proof of the following last will and testament to wit:
"In the name of God amen, I John Allee of Putnam County and State of Indiana being advanced in years but sound in mind memory and senses as old age will admit, do see cause to make this my last will and testament, I commit my soul to God and my body to be buried in a plain Christian like manner I will and do ordain that all just debts and lawful demands be paid and as for worldly estate which the Lord has bless me with I dispose of it in the following manner, I bequeath to my wife Mildred Allee, my house her part of the land that I cleared and all my property her natural lifetime if she is the longest liver, I bequeath to Noah Allee the land I now live on, all of it to be his after the death of me and my wife, what I have given William Allee, And Merril Allee is to be their part of my estate, I will to Ruth Ann Shields thirty dollars if she lives to be a woman, what I have give Joseph Allee, David Allee and Mildred Chapman to be their part of my estate, the mill with all that pertains to it to be sold and all other property and the value thereof to be divided between Joseph Allee David Allee, Noah Allee, Mildred Chapman, and Rutheann Shields and Louda Lain and Jos Allee David Allee and Noah Allee to be my executors. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 23rd day of February 1834.
John Allee seal "
(Seal in the original is a wafer with paper stuck over it)
A. McGaughey clk
Attest John C. Sherrill, Wm Conley
And on which said will is endorsed and written the following affidavit to wit: "State of Indiana Putnam County Sct. Be it remembered that on the 28th day of April 1842, before the undersigned Clerk of the Probate Court of said county personally came William Conley one of the subscribing witnesses to the within will, and being by me duly sworn pon his oath says that the within named John Allee, testator, at the time of making signing and sealing the within will was of sound mind memory and discretion, that the said testator signed the same in the presence of this deponent and one John C. Sherrill, and in the hearing of this deponent declared the same to be his last will and testament, that this deponent signed the same at the request and in presence of the said testator, as a witness thereto, and further saith not.
Wm Conley
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 28th day of April 1842
A. McGaughey ClkRecorded by me this 28th day of April A.D. 1842
A. McGaughey Clerk Probate Court P. Co.
