One of my biggest pet peeves in genealogy is seeing fathers, wives, and children attached to someone else's family tree.
It is this researcher's opinion that when there is no concrete proof, or even a hint of probability the questionable family member should be left off of the tree. However, be sure to make research notes about the individual.
A point I have been trying to prove for a while now is that George Allen the immigrant ancestor who arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony with the Rev Joseph Hull Company on 6 May 1635 from England was not married to Katherine Starks/Slarks/Starke. The George Allen that married Katherine Starke was the son of Richard Allen, Moneyer of the Tower of London.
Other pages that have discussed this issue:
The only way to get the word out that the Massachusetts couple has been confused with the London couple is to do research on the family of Richard Allen, Moneyer of the Tower of London.
The following is an extraction of his will:
Abstracts of wills in the Prerogative court of Canterbury at Somerset house, London, England, page 35 |
I have transcribed the will of his son Henry which was written in April of 1640. He mentions his brother George, sister Susan Willmott, sister Joane Usher, cousin Joseph Usher (should be nephew), brother John, and wife Susan.
Thanks to The Records of London's Livery Companies Online I was able to locate the apprentice and freeman records of George and Henry.
Thanks to The Records of London's Livery Companies Online I was able to locate the apprentice and freeman records of George and Henry.
- Henricus Allen - London - New apprentice, son of Rici - Monnyer - Turri London, London. Jozeph Ussher - Master Co Clothworker. Start Date: 25/07/1610 Apprentice Bond Length: 10 years.
- Georgius Allen - London - New apprentice, Son of Rici Allen Monnyer - Turrim London, London. Jozeph Ussher - Master Co Clothworker. Start Date: 30/09/1613 Apprentice Bond Length: 9 years.
- Georg Allen - New freeman Co Clothworker, Jozeph Usher - Master Co Clothworker, 1620.
- George Allen the Elder Sheeremaker - Queenehithe Master Co Clothworker, William Johnson - London - New apprentice - Start Date: 11/02/1658.
The age of apprenticeship was usually 14-21. So this would give George Allen, clothworker a birth date of about 1598, which would make him about 26 when he married Katherine Slarks. Since George Allen the clothworker from Queenhithe, London was busy still being a clothworker in 1658, he could not have been the George Allen who traveled to America with Rev John Hull since he died in the year 1648.
Therefore, Katherine Slarks/Starke was not the wife of our George and she was not the mama of his children.
I am putting together a database of the Queenhithe Allens that I have been able to find so far and will post it when I am done.
Leslie
Ann