Allen B. McElhaney (1804 - abt. 1861)

Born 1804 in Tennessee

Ancestors

Husband of Judah (Blankenship) McElhaney — married 16 Jul 1823 in Madison, Alabama, United States

Husband of Catharine (King) McElhaney — married 25 Jul 1825 in Lawrence, AL

Descendants

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Lyle McElhaney [send private message]

Biography

Allen B. McElhaney appears to have been born in 1801-1804 in Tennessee, probably Grainger County.^[1] He was possibly the son of Moses McElhaney and his wife, possibly named Eleanor Nellie Watts. Lots of possiblies, no facs.

In 1809 the court of Grainger County recognized Allen as an Orphan and assigned his guardianship to Edward Bowen, a third cousin. He was at the time of the writ "8 years and 35 days" old. Notes say he was born 1801. See Research Notes below.^[2]

At the age of around 13 [note uncertainties in the chronology] Allen is believed to have joined Andrew Jackson's volunteers to fight in the War of 1812. At the point where he was released he apparently was given a land grant in the new terriitory of Arkansas, but lost his discharge papers. In the 20th Congress a representative Moore of Alabama pleaded his case for special legislation to award the land grant^[3]. From the testimony the committee came to the conclusion that it was expedient and just that the said McAlhany should have the bounty land promised by the government as an inducement for his enlistment into their service, and reported a bill for his relief accordingly. He was awfully young to be in the service in the war of 1812 (fought in 1814-15 here), but not unheard of; see ML McElhaney's civil war service. His army commander is treating him like a man/soldier at the ripe old age of 13. Note that his mother lived in Tennessee in 1815. Damn, but he didn't drop her name.

Allen was granted 160 acres in Arkansas Territory on 26 July 1828.^[4][5]

Allen apparently moved to Alabama around 1820. There be met Judah Blankenship and married her on 16 July 1823 in Madison County, Alabama^[6]. She likely died soon after, possibly in her first childbirth, for he married Catharine King on the 25th of July 1825, in Lawrence County, Alabama. ^[7]

Moving back to Grainger County, Tennessee, Allen, a blacksmith, and Catharine had six children: Martha Isabella, John A., Manerva A., Mary Elizabeth (these latter two possibly twins), Susan, and Moses Loony. In the 1850 census another is listed, Lourinda, born just seven months after Moses, but she turns out to be the daughter of Martha Isabela married to a James H. Winsett; for some reason James is not present in the census, and the census taker just assumed Lourinda's surname was McElhaney (or rather Mucklehaney, as he spelled it).^[1][8]

That 1850 census was taken in Lawrence County, Alabama. Apparenty Moses and his family moved back there sometime before Moses birth.

By 1860 the family is established in Somersville, Morgan County, Alabama where the census was taken.^[9] At that point the family is now named "McAlhaney" by the census taker, Isabela is now surnamed Winsett, and there are several other Winsett daughters and a son present living with Allen; James Winsett is again absent. John has left, but the rest remain to be counted.

At the opening of the Civil War Moses is recruited at 15 as a water boy for the local cavalry regiment. At that point all the rest of Allen's family excepting Isabella and her tribe, disappear from the records.

Research Notes

As noted under Moses McElhaney there are no known written records concerning Allen, four other McElhaneys of his generation (Hugh, Moses, Alexander, Rutha) and the possible fathers of them (James, Moses, Robert, John Moses and an shadowy Charles). The adoption writ could be a clue, but the father and other family members are not mentioned. Those who died in the likely time frame are:

James, died 19 Nov 1806; wife, children unknown
Moses, died sometime after 1805, perhaps much later; wife, children unknown
Robert died Nov 1806; wife Nancy McKnight died 1826; son George. Least likely candidate; I find it unlikely she would have abandoned Allen if he was hers.^[2]

Sources

^{[2] [1] [9] [4] [5] [3] [6] [7] [8]}

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} 1850 US Census: McElhaney, Allan, Bureau of the Census; National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C, "Seventh Census of the United States, 1850. Record Group 29; NARA microfilm Publication M432, 1009 rolls." (Year: 1850; Census Place: District 8, Lawrence, Alabama; Roll: M432_8; Page: 368B; Image: 12 [1]).
   Abstract: Allen Mucklehany in the 1850 United States Federal Census
   Name:Allen Mucklehany
   Age:47
   Birth Year:abt 1803
   Birthplace:Tennessee
   Home in 1850:District 8, Lawrence, Alabama, USA
   Gender:Male
   Family Number:54
   
   Allen Mucklehany 47
   Catharine Mucklehany 43
   Martha Mucklehany 22
   John Mucklehany 15
   Mary Mucklehany 12
   Manervy Mucklehany 12
   Susan Mucklehany 5
   Moses Mucklehany 0
   Lourinda Mucklehany 0
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Court: Guardianship, McElhaney, Allen. County Court minutes (Grainger County, Tennessee) Minutes, v. (1)-3 1796-1816 Minutes, v. 5 (v. 4 missing) 1822-1823. Extraction of hand-written order: </br> "Ordered by the Court that Allen McElhaney an orphan child, now of the age of 8 years and 35 days, to James Bowen untill he has attained the age of twenty-one years, Whereupon Thomas Henderson, Esq., chainrman of the court and the said James Bowen interchangeably enter into indenture according to Law."
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Military: Land grant by act of congress: McElhaney, Allen B, "Results of investigation into Land Grant promised to Allen B. McAlhaney of Tennessee." (Land legislation of the 20th congress, sessions 1-2, 1837-9. Published by Gales & Seaton, 1860. [2]). [Text follows, a scanned document, typos from uncorrected scanning] "20th Congress.] Ko. 672. 1st Session. BOUNTY LAND FOR MILITARY SERVICES. COMMUNICATED TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 3, 1828. "Mr. Moore, of Alabama, from the Committee on Private Land Claims, who were instructed, by a resolution, to inquire into the expediency of authorizing a military bounty land warrant to be issued in favor of Allen B. McAlhany, who served as a soldier in the late war in the 7th regiment United States infantry, and whose discharge [document] was destroyed, reported: "'That the facts set forth are sufficiently proved by the affidavit of the said McAlhany; and also that Francis W. Armstrong, late a brevet major in the same regiment, proves, by his affidavit, " that he knew the said McAlhany as a private in said regiment; that he was discharged at Fort Hawkins in 1815; that he travelled in company with him from that place to his mother's, in Tennessee; that he sustained the reputation of an honest and upright man; and that he has every reason to believe his discharge contained the word 'honorable,' and was written in the usual manner, &c. '" An Allen B. McAlhaney was granted 160 acres in Arkansas in July of 1828.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Land grant: McElhaney, Allen B, United States. Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records. Automated Records Project; Federal Land Patents, State Volumes. Springfield, Virginia: Bureau of Land Management, Eastern States, 2007, "Ancestry.com. U.S., General Land Office Records, 1776-2015 [database on-line]." (Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records; Washington D.C., USA; Federal Land Patents, State Volumes [3]).
   Abstract: Allen B McAlhaney in the U.S., General Land Office Records, 1776-2015
   Name:Allen B McAlhaney
   Issue Date:25 Jul 1828
   Place:Jackson, Arkansas, USA
   Land Office:Arkansas
   Meridian:5th PM
   Township:10-N
   Range:4-W
   Section:26
   Accession Number:AR3020__.187
   Document Number:26128
   Original URL:http://glorecords.blm.gov/deta...
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Land patent: McAlhaney, Allen B, United States, Bureau of Land Management. Arkansas Pre-1908 Homestead and Cash Entry Patents. General Land Office Automated Records Project, 1993, "United States, Bureau of Land Management. Arkansas, U.S., Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908 [database on-line]." [4]).
   Abstract: Allen B McAlhaney in the Arkansas, U.S., Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908
   Name:Allen B McAlhaney
   Warrantee Name:Allen McAlhaney
   Land Office:Arkansas
   Document Number:26128
   Total Acres:160
   Signature:Yes
   Canceled Document:No
   Issue Date:25 Jul 1828
   Mineral Rights Reserved:No
   Metes and Bounds:No
   Statutory Reference:2 Stat 728
   Multiple Warantee Names:No
   Act or Treaty:May 6, 1812
   Multiple Patentee Names:No
   Entry Classification:Script Warrant Act of of 1812
   Land Description:1 SW 5TH PM No 10N 4W 26
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Marriage: McElhaney-Blankenship (AL), Alabama Department of Archives and History, Montgomery, Alabama, "Ancestry.com. Alabama, County Marriage Records, 1805-1967 [database on-line] Ancestry.com. Alabama, Marriages, Deaths, Wills, Court, and Other Records, 1784-1920 Public information subject files—Card index of personal and corporate names and of subjects, ca. 1920–1960." ([5]).
   Abstract: Allen McElhany in the Alabama, Marriages, Deaths, Wills, Court, and Other Records, 1784-1920
   Judah Blandenship in the Alabama, County Marriage Records, 1805-1967
   Name:Judah Blandenship
   Gender:Female
   Marriage Date:16 Jul 1823
   Marriage Place:Madison, Alabama, USA
   Spouse:Allen Mcelhany
   Film Number:001305696
   Roll #:20
   Archive Collection #:SG031421
   Name Range:Lowery - McQurter
   
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Marriage: Mucklehaney-King (AL), Alabama Center for Health Statistics, Montgomery, Alabama. Dodd, Jordan R., et. al., Bountiful, UT: Precision Indexing Publishers, 19xx, "Ancestry.com. Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969; Alabama Marriage Index, 1936-1969." ([6]).
   Abstract: Allen B Mucklehany in the Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969
   Name:Allen B Mucklehany
   Spouse:Catherine King
   Marriage Date:24 Jul 1825
   County:Lawrence
   State:Alabama
   Performed By Title:Minister
   Performed by Name:Nathaniel Norwood.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} 1851 AL state census: McElhaney, Allen, Alabama State Census, 1820, 1850, 1855 and 1866. Montgomery, Alabama: Alabama Department of Archives & History. Rolls M2004.0008-M2004.0012, M2004.0036-M2004.0050, and M2008.0124, "1851 AL Census: McElhaney, Allen" ([7]).
   Abstract: Allen McElhany in the Alabama State Census, 1820-1866 Name:Allen McElhany
   County:Lawrence
   Census Year:1850 [Below, my interpretations in brackets:]
   male<21 1 [Moses Loony]
   male>=21 1 [John]
   male 11-45 0
   male>45 1 [Allen]
   female<21 3 [Susan, Mary Elizabeth, Manervy]
   female>=21 1 [Catharine]
   insane in county 0
   insane abroad 0
   slaves 0
   free, of color 0.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} 1860 US Census: McElhaney, Allen, Bureau of the Census; National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C, "Eighth Census of the United States, 1860. Record Group 29; NARA microfilm publication M653, 1,438 rolls." (Year: 1860; Census Place: South West Division, Morgan, Alabama; Roll: M653_19; Page: 422; Image: 424; Family History Library Film: 803019 [8]).
   Abstract: Allen McAlhaney in the 1860 United States Federal Census
   Name:Allen McAlhaney
   Age:55
   Birth Year:abt 1805
   Gender:Male
   Birth Place:Tennessee
   Home in 1860:South West Division, Morgan, Alabama
   Post Office:Cedar Plains
   Family Number:356
   
   Allen McAlhaney 55
   Catharine McAlhaney 53
   Elizabeth McAlhaney 23
   Manerva A McAlhaney 23
   Susan McAlhaney 15
   Mores L McAlhaney 10
   Elizabeth Winsett 30
   Lorenda J Winsett 10
   Louisa Winsett 6
   Catharine Winsett 4
   Jane A Winsett 5
   Malinda Winsett 1