Ralph Allanson1 
b. 8 July 1621
Ralph Allanson|b. 8 Jul 1621|p10070.htm|Matthew Allanson|b. 10 Nov 1599|p10093.htm||||||||||||||||
7th great-grandfather of Ruth Minerva Fairfield.
9th great-grandfather of Laura Jane Munson.
- Family Background:
- Fairfield and Allied Families
- Appears on charts:
- Pedigree for Ruth Minerva Fairfield
Ralph Allanson was baptized on 8 July 1621 in St. Helen Auckland, Durham, England.1 He was the son of Matthew Allanson.2 He married Anne Dixon, daughter of George Dixon and Anne Watt.
Sometime before 1665, Ralph Allanson, his wife Anne, their children Jane, Matthew and Anne, and probably Joseph Oliver, who was closely connected with him in his later career, accompanied his mother-in-law, Anne Watt Dixon, to America where they joined Mrs. Dixon's brother, Henry Watts, on his great plantation at Scarborough, Maine.1 There on 7 November 1665, the authorities presented for court action "Mr. Ralph Allison and his wife for not frequenting public meeting on the Lord's days and for his children's neglect in the same case." A similar accusation was brought in 1671.3 It is probable that the family adhered to the established church as Allanson's name appears on the petition of the inhabitants of Maine asking for a settled government, directed against the Massachusetts authorities, which is tentatively dated 1666.4
In addition to providing Mr. Watts with a housekeeper in the person of his sister, the object of the family's emigration seems also to have been to provide him with an American heir, and thus on 10 April 1673, Watts deeded to Allanson one half of his estate, stating that the other half should come to him on the grantor's death.6,5 He and Joseph Oliver witnessed a deed from Rev. Robert Jordan to Mr. Walter Gendall on 3 June 1673, and later took oath that they had seen the deed signed and delivered, Mr. Allanson taking an additional oath that he had heard Mrs. Jordan release her dower right, such precautions being necessary, alas, when dealing with the reverend gentleman.7 In 1674 Allanson was clerk of the writs and a grand juryman in the county court.
When the imminence of Indian war was brought sharply home to the Scarborough settlers by the murder of Robert Nicholson and his wife in September 1675, the Watts household, living on the frontiers of the town as did Nicholsons, retired down the Scarborough River to the protection of the Scottow garrison at Black Point. As they were listed as "living musket shot from the garrison" they probably found refuge with some other family or improvised temporary quarters. Their neighbors, the Algers of Dunstan, remained behind and Allanson and Joseph Oliver, realizing their danger, went to Mr. Scottow and told him that help should be sent to Dunstan, offering themselves to go. Mr. Scottow, however, replied by asking who would maintain their families if they were slain on this proposed expedition, and added that the Algers might have fled to the garrison at the first alarm as did the Watts household and that if they preferred to remain on their lands they must take the consequences. To this Oliver "replied that it was a sorry and inhuman thing that men should be in distress and we should not relieve them." Dunstan suffered a murderous attack on 9 October.
Not long afterward a company of Englishmen were seen "on Saco sands," across the by from Black Point, engaged in a desperate battle with Indians. Mr. Scottow was again begged by the braver spirits in the garrison to send aid by boat, as the quickest means of reaching the scene of action. He refused, but did allow a company to make the best of their way by land, and Henry Williams, lying wounded in the garrison at the time, states: "he who was sent to command that party, being named Ralph Allanson, informed (me), upon his return, that they having two rivers to pass and the tide being about three parts in, they could not come to their timely relief."
The inhabitants of Scarborough were now gathered in and about the garrisons at Black Point and Blue Point, and Mr. Watts, Mr. Allanson and Oliver were among the few signers of a petition to the General Court stating that "hitherto … preserved from the rage and fury of the heathen … the subscribers do intend not a man of us to leave our stateion without a special order from the General Court or our commanders" and praying for soldiers or vessels to transport them and their families to safety. Soldiers came, but Allanson and Oliver were among those who protested against being taxed for their pay inasmuch as Mr. Scottow, the commander, used them to relieve from garrison duty his servants, whom he sent to sea for the fishing season, and also to move his barn and repair his property.8
During a peaceful interval in 1676 Allanson and Oliver took the inventory of the estate of Richard Cummings of Saco. On 12 October of that year, however, a great force of Indians appeared before Black Point garrison and, while Mr. Henry Jocelyn was negotiating with Mugg, their leader, the inhabitants escaped by sea and scattered to the safer towns of the southwest coast. Ralph Allanson's name disappears from the records and nothing is known of his fate. Joseph Oliver was slain in some later skirmish of King Philip's War, before 21 June 1677, when Peter Shaw took his inventory, and, on 6 April 1680, at a court held at Kittery, administration on his estate was granted to Anne Allison, with whom he had left his tickets for military pay. She gave bond, with Nathaniel Fryer as her surety, and there remains no further record of her.9
Sometime before 1665, Ralph Allanson, his wife Anne, their children Jane, Matthew and Anne, and probably Joseph Oliver, who was closely connected with him in his later career, accompanied his mother-in-law, Anne Watt Dixon, to America where they joined Mrs. Dixon's brother, Henry Watts, on his great plantation at Scarborough, Maine.1 There on 7 November 1665, the authorities presented for court action "Mr. Ralph Allison and his wife for not frequenting public meeting on the Lord's days and for his children's neglect in the same case." A similar accusation was brought in 1671.3 It is probable that the family adhered to the established church as Allanson's name appears on the petition of the inhabitants of Maine asking for a settled government, directed against the Massachusetts authorities, which is tentatively dated 1666.4
In addition to providing Mr. Watts with a housekeeper in the person of his sister, the object of the family's emigration seems also to have been to provide him with an American heir, and thus on 10 April 1673, Watts deeded to Allanson one half of his estate, stating that the other half should come to him on the grantor's death.6,5 He and Joseph Oliver witnessed a deed from Rev. Robert Jordan to Mr. Walter Gendall on 3 June 1673, and later took oath that they had seen the deed signed and delivered, Mr. Allanson taking an additional oath that he had heard Mrs. Jordan release her dower right, such precautions being necessary, alas, when dealing with the reverend gentleman.7 In 1674 Allanson was clerk of the writs and a grand juryman in the county court.
When the imminence of Indian war was brought sharply home to the Scarborough settlers by the murder of Robert Nicholson and his wife in September 1675, the Watts household, living on the frontiers of the town as did Nicholsons, retired down the Scarborough River to the protection of the Scottow garrison at Black Point. As they were listed as "living musket shot from the garrison" they probably found refuge with some other family or improvised temporary quarters. Their neighbors, the Algers of Dunstan, remained behind and Allanson and Joseph Oliver, realizing their danger, went to Mr. Scottow and told him that help should be sent to Dunstan, offering themselves to go. Mr. Scottow, however, replied by asking who would maintain their families if they were slain on this proposed expedition, and added that the Algers might have fled to the garrison at the first alarm as did the Watts household and that if they preferred to remain on their lands they must take the consequences. To this Oliver "replied that it was a sorry and inhuman thing that men should be in distress and we should not relieve them." Dunstan suffered a murderous attack on 9 October.
Not long afterward a company of Englishmen were seen "on Saco sands," across the by from Black Point, engaged in a desperate battle with Indians. Mr. Scottow was again begged by the braver spirits in the garrison to send aid by boat, as the quickest means of reaching the scene of action. He refused, but did allow a company to make the best of their way by land, and Henry Williams, lying wounded in the garrison at the time, states: "he who was sent to command that party, being named Ralph Allanson, informed (me), upon his return, that they having two rivers to pass and the tide being about three parts in, they could not come to their timely relief."
The inhabitants of Scarborough were now gathered in and about the garrisons at Black Point and Blue Point, and Mr. Watts, Mr. Allanson and Oliver were among the few signers of a petition to the General Court stating that "hitherto … preserved from the rage and fury of the heathen … the subscribers do intend not a man of us to leave our stateion without a special order from the General Court or our commanders" and praying for soldiers or vessels to transport them and their families to safety. Soldiers came, but Allanson and Oliver were among those who protested against being taxed for their pay inasmuch as Mr. Scottow, the commander, used them to relieve from garrison duty his servants, whom he sent to sea for the fishing season, and also to move his barn and repair his property.8
During a peaceful interval in 1676 Allanson and Oliver took the inventory of the estate of Richard Cummings of Saco. On 12 October of that year, however, a great force of Indians appeared before Black Point garrison and, while Mr. Henry Jocelyn was negotiating with Mugg, their leader, the inhabitants escaped by sea and scattered to the safer towns of the southwest coast. Ralph Allanson's name disappears from the records and nothing is known of his fate. Joseph Oliver was slain in some later skirmish of King Philip's War, before 21 June 1677, when Peter Shaw took his inventory, and, on 6 April 1680, at a court held at Kittery, administration on his estate was granted to Anne Allison, with whom he had left his tickets for military pay. She gave bond, with Nathaniel Fryer as her surety, and there remains no further record of her.9
Children of Ralph Allanson and Anne Dixon
- Jane Allanson10 b. s 1650, d. Dec 1734
- Matthew Allanson11 d. a 1673
- Anne Allison+ 1 d. b Jan 1709/10
Citations
- [S907] Walter Goodwin Davis, "Allanson, of St. Helen Auckland, Co. Durham, and Scarborough," Massachusetts and Maine Families in the Ancestry of Walter Goodwin Davis (1885-1966): A Reprinting in Alphabetical Order by Surname, of the Sixteen Multi-Ancestor Compendia, (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1996), Vol. 1, 2, originally published in The Ancestry of Sarah Miller (1939).
- [S907] Walter Goodwin Davis, "Allanson, of St. Helen Auckland, Co. Durham, and Scarborough," Massachusetts and Maine Families, Vol. 1, 1, originally published in The Ancestry of Sarah Miller (1939).
- [S907] Walter Goodwin Davis, "Allanson, of St. Helen Auckland, Co. Durham, and Scarborough," Massachusetts and Maine Families, Vol. 1, 2, citing Province and Court Records, I: 227; II: 225, originally published in The Ancestry of Sarah Miller (1939).
- [S907] Walter Goodwin Davis, "Allanson, of St. Helen Auckland, Co. Durham, and Scarborough," Massachusetts and Maine Families, Vol. 1, 2, citing Documentary History of Maine, IV: 147, originally published in The Ancestry of Sarah Miller (1939).
- [S907] Walter Goodwin Davis, "Allanson, of St. Helen Auckland, Co. Durham, and Scarborough," Massachusetts and Maine Families, Vol. 1, 2, citing York Deeds, II: 148, originally published in The Ancestry of Sarah Miller (1939).
- [S908] Walter Goodwin Davis, "Watts, of Cockfield, Co. Durham, and Scarborough," Massachusetts and Maine Families in the Ancestry of Walter Goodwin Davis (1885-1966): A Reprinting in Alphabetical Order by Surname, of the Sixteen Multi-Ancestor Compendia, (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1996), Vol. III, 595, citing York Deeds II: 148, originally published in The Ancestry of Sarah Miller (1939).
- [S907] Walter Goodwin Davis, "Allanson, of St. Helen Auckland, Co. Durham, and Scarborough," Massachusetts and Maine Families, Vol. 1, 2-3, citing York Deeds, II: 133, originally published in The Ancestry of Sarah Miller (1939).
- [S907] Walter Goodwin Davis, "Allanson, of St. Helen Auckland, Co. Durham, and Scarborough," Massachusetts and Maine Families, Vol. 1, 3-4, citing Supreme Judicial Court, No. 1526; Suffolk Court Files, No. 1828.17; Documentary History of Maine VI: 106; Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire, p. 63, originally published in The Ancestry of Sarah Miller (1939).
- [S907] Walter Goodwin Davis, "Allanson, of St. Helen Auckland, Co. Durham, and Scarborough," Massachusetts and Maine Families, Vol. 1, 2-4, originally published in The Ancestry of Sarah Miller (1939).
- [S907] Walter Goodwin Davis, "Allanson, of St. Helen Auckland, Co. Durham, and Scarborough," Massachusetts and Maine Families, Vol. 1, 4, originally published in The Ancestry of Sarah Miller (1939).
- [S907] Walter Goodwin Davis, "Allanson, of St. Helen Auckland, Co. Durham, and Scarborough," Massachusetts and Maine Families, Vol. 1, 5, originally published in The Ancestry of Sarah Miller (1939).
