Robert Allen (June 19, 1778 – August 19, 1844) was an American merchant and politician from
Carthage, Tennessee
Carthage is a town in and the county seat of Smith County, Tennessee, United States; it is part of the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,306 at the 2010 census. It is located on the Cumberland River, which was importan ...
. He represented Tennessee in the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
from 1819 until 1827.
Biography
Allen was born in
Augusta County, Virginia
Augusta County is a county in the Shenandoah Valley on the western edge of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The second-largest county of Virginia by total area, it completely surrounds the independent cities of Staunton and Waynesboro. Its county ...
, and attended schools there, culminating in the
College of William & Mary
The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III ...
. He married Rebecca Greer on December 28, 1803, in Jonesboro, Tennessee. After graduating from his law studies, he moved to Carthage, Tennessee and took up the Mercantile business as well as practicing as a
lawyer
A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...
in 1804. He also served as Clerk of Smith County for many years. He owned slaves.
Career
During the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
, Allen served as a
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
under General
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
.
[Marquis Who's Who, Inc. ''Who Was Who in American History, the Military''. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1975. P. 8 ] After the war, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives, serving four terms. While there, he chaired the U.S. House Committee on Revolutionary Claims (regarding claims from the
U.S. Revolutionary War). His wife, Rebecca died on March 29, 1822; and he married Alethia Van Horn on March 3, 1825. He declined to stand for re-election in the 1826 elections, and retired to Tennessee at the end of the term. He was a delegate to the State convention in 1834.
Death
Allen engaged in farming and mercantile pursuits until his death in Carthage, Smith County, Tennessee, on August 19, 1844 (age 66 years, 61 days). He is
interred
Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...
at Cedar Grove Cemetery, Wilson County, Tennessee. He died at "Greenwood," his plantation near Carthage.
See also
*
Eliza Allen (Tennessee) Eliza Allen also known as Eliza Allen Houston Douglass (December 2, 1809–March 3, 1861) was the first wife of Sam Houston. Their marriage, over after just eleven weeks, ended Houston's career as governor of Tennessee. Houston resigned and went t ...
, first wife of
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two i ...
, Robert's niece
References
External links
Biographic sketch at U.S. Congress website*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Robert
1778 births
1844 deaths
People from Augusta County, Virginia
American people of Scotch-Irish descent
Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee
Jacksonian members of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee
Tennessee lawyers
American slave owners
People from Carthage, Tennessee
College of William & Mary alumni
American military personnel of the War of 1812