Martha Allen's dad is William Henry Hammond Allen!

After many years of searching for the father of Martha Allen, I have finally found her family.  This is the information passed down to us from Martha Allen’s granddaughter Harriett Kenney Pierce:

1.      Martha was born in 1809 in Vermont, she had an uncle named Ethan Allen of historical fame although she was living in Saratoga Springs NY when she met and married Garrett.

2.      Martha had a sister named Ruth Allen who married a Spaulding, who was living in Sturgis Michigan in 1950 when Martha died, who took daughter Helen to live with her.  “A sister of Grandmother’s Ruth Spalding of Stugis, Michigan took baby Helen home with her and raised her as her own daughter Mary, who was about the same age as Helen, she dressed them alike as twins.”

3.      Martha had a niece named Harriett Allen who married a Spencer, with whom Garrett made his home in 1856. 

4.      Martha named her children after some of her siblings or other family members—Milton was named after her brother.

With these clues in mind, when I found two family trees that confirm her parentage, I became convinced I had found her family.  The two trees are found at:

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/s/i/m/Anna-M-Simmons-WY/ODT1-0001.html

new.familysearch.org – look for Martha by searching LCP4-GC7

I was able to check each of these clues against what was listed for this family.

1.  The 1850 Census gives the information that Martha was born in New York.  This contradiction confirms my suspicion that Martha was not related to the famous Ethan Allen, but perhaps she did had an uncle with that name.  Perhaps someone else supposed that it was the famous Ethan Allen.  The family tree found at new.familysearch.org shows a brother named Milton.

2.  At both trees Martha has a sister named Ruth b. 1811 in New York who marries Alvah Spaulding.  The 1860 census for Sturgis, St. Joseph, Michigan shows Alvah Spaulding, 50, Ruth 49 b. NY, Hellen, 13 b. NY and Mary F. 12, b. NY. 

3.  In both trees Martha has a brother named John b. 1805 NY who married Elizabeth or Eliza Corbin.  In the new.familysearch.org tree, they are shown with a daughter named Harriett Allen. 

4.  Martha named a son Seneca and another son Milton.  She has siblings with the same name on the other family trees.  She also has a brother named James Harvey, and names a son Harvey.  

This is a big breakthrough!  I made this discovery several months ago and spoke on the phone with one of the submitters of these trees.  Now I can look these Allens up and learn about them.  Finding kin is always such a thrill!