John Allen (June 12, 1763 – July 31, 1812) was an eighteenth-century lawyer and politician. He served as a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

and as a member of the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors.

Early life and career

Allen was born in Great Barrington in the

Province of Massachusetts Bay The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a colony in New England which became one of the thirteen original states of the United States. It was chartered on October 7, 1691, by William III and Mary II, the joint monarchs of the kingdoms of Eng ...

. He attended the

common school A common school was a public school in the United States during the 19th century. Horace Mann (1796–1859) was a strong advocate for public education and the common school. In 1837, the state of Massachusetts appointed Mann as the first secretar ...

s and taught school in Germantown, Pennsylvania and

New Milford, Connecticut New Milford is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The town, part of Greater Danbury, as well as the New York Metropolitan Area, has a population of 28,115 as of the 2020 census. New Milford lies north of Danbury on the ...

, before studying law at the

Litchfield Law School The Litchfield Law School was a law school in Litchfield, Connecticut, that operated from 1774 to 1833. Litchfield was the first independent law school established in America for reading law. Founded and led by lawyer Tapping Reeve, the proprietar ...

from 1784 to 1786. Allen was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1786 and began the practice of law in

Litchfield, Connecticut Litchfield is a town in and former county seat of Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,192 at the 2020 census. The town is part of the Northwest Hills Planning Region. The boroughs of Bantam and Litchfield are ...

. Allen began his political career as a member of the

Connecticut House of Representatives The Connecticut House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with each ...

, serving in the State House from 1793 to 1796. He served as clerk of the State House in 1796. He was elected as a

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters call themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of deep ...

candidate to the Fifth Congress, serving from March 4, 1797, to March 3, 1799. He was a proponent of the

Alien and Sedition Acts The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 were a set of four United States statutes that sought, on national security grounds, to restrict immigration and limit 1st Amendment protections for freedom of speech. They were endorsed by the Federalist Par ...

. He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1798. He was a member of the State council and of the Supreme Court of Errors from 1800 to 1806. He continued the practice of law in Litchfield until his death in 1812. Allen is interred in East Cemetery in Litchfield.

Personal life

Allen married Ursula McCurdy, a graduate of the

Litchfield Female Academy The Litchfield Female Academy in Litchfield, Connecticut, founded in 1792 by Sarah Pierce, was one of the most important institutions of female education in the United States. During the 30 years after its opening the school enrolled more than 2 ...

. They had two children, John W. Allen and Ursula Allen, who married to abolitionist Congressman Sherlock James Andrews. Their son John W. Allen was a U.S. Representative from

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

from March 4, 1837, to March 3, 1841, and previously, an Ohio State Senator. Allen's sister, Annie Willard Allen Goodrich, was married to Elizur Goodrich, a U.S. Representative from Connecticut, serving from March 4, 1799, to March 3, 1801, and brother of U.S. Senator Chauncey Goodrich. They were members of the family of socialite Mary Ann Wolcott Goodrich, Founding Father

Oliver Wolcott Oliver Wolcott Sr. ( ; November 20, 1726 December 1, 1797) was an American Founding Father and politician. He was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation as a representative of Connecticut, ...

, and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury

Oliver Wolcott Jr. Oliver Wolcott Jr. (January 11, 1760 – June 1, 1833) was an American politician and judge. He was the second United States Secretary of the Treasury, a judge of the United States circuit court, United States Circuit Court for the Second Circuit ...

, among others.

References

External links

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress: ALLEN, John, (1763 - 1812)
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, John 1763 births 1812 deaths People from Great Barrington, Massachusetts People from colonial Massachusetts American people of English descent Federalist Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut Members of the Connecticut House of Representatives Members of the Connecticut General Assembly Council of Assistants (1662–1818) Connecticut state court judges Litchfield Law School alumni Justices of the Connecticut Supreme Court 18th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 18th-century members of the Connecticut General Assembly