Mary Allen, daughter of Increase and Rachel Allen, was born May 29, 1689 in Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts.[1] Her father, Increase Allen was a Quaker who, among other things, in Dartmouth on 4 Jan 1696/7 helped to "Inventory the estate of William Wood, Sr., of Dartmouth late dec'd taken 4 Jan 1696..." [2]
Her grandfather's brother, grand-uncle William Allen, was a "prominent Friend who with Edward Wanton, Joseph Coleman and Nathaniel Fitsrandal, (among many other activities) presented to the General Court of Plymouth 'conscientiously and in all tenderness' their reasons why they could not 'give maintenance to the established preachers."[3] Thus giving 'voice' to a common objection of these early Quakers both in the new colonies and in England.
Marriage and Children
The marriage of Mary Allen, daughter of Increase and Rachel Allen to John Greene is recorded at both Dartmouth, Bristol county, Massachusetts and Warwick, Rhode Island. (1) Mary Allen married John Green (son of James Greene of Warwick) on 16d 12m 1709 [February 16, 1710] in Dartmouth (Dartmouth MM), Bristol County, Massachusetts Bay Colony.[4] Traveling on land, Dartmouth, Massachusetts is about 42 miles distance from Warwick. 'As-the-crow-flies' across the waters the distance is 8 miles. (2) Mary Allen, daughter of Increase Allen, married 16 Feb 1709/10 at Warwick, Rhode Island, John Greene, son of James Greene [Warwick Vital Records]. [5]
Children
John & Mary (Allen) Greene had the following children recorded in the Narragansett Friends Records which suggests husband John Greene was also a Quaker or had converted. The following children were all born at Potowomut according to this record:
David Greene, b. 4d 11th m 1710/1, parents John & Mary Greene
James Greene, b. 19d 1m 1713, parents John & Mary
Rachel Greene, b. 16d 1m 1714-15, parents John & Mary; m. Francis Matteson
James / Increase (may be Increase, see children listing below) Greene, b.12d 2m 1717, parents John & Mary
Elizabeth, b. 26d 3m 1719, parents John & Mary
A listing of children is also recorded in Warwick, Kent county, Rhode Island state vital records which includes the children recorded in the Narragansett Quaker record (above) and additionally picks up where that record leaves off beginning with Benjamin. These latter children were all born in Warwick which is about 20 miles southwest of Potowomut. As with the Friends record the Warwick twp. listing records "Of John and Mary Greene and in some cases duplicates a few of the children in the Friends record" [6]
James, b. either 14th (Warwick records) or 19th day (Friends records) 1st mo (Mar) 1712/3 [7] ; d. 12th day 2nd mo. (Apr) 1717
Rachel, 16th day 1st mo (Mar) 1714/15 [7] ; m. Francis Matteson [7] ; d. 8 Mar 1740
Increase, b. 12 Apr 1717 [7][8]Note that in the transcription of Friend's birth record for Increase Greene is a typo where it accidently calls her 'James'. The Warwick VR also notes her birth and calls her 'Increase Greene'.
Research Notes
Caution: Numerous family tree's in all online genealogy websites attach Martha Greene, dau of John & Elizabeth (Unknown) Greene of Warwick, to the couple John Greene & Mary (Allen) Greene (daughter of Increase Allen). This is just not the case.
Common Name Caution
The commonality of Mary (Allen) Greene's name requires caution by descendant researchers when expanding her biography and family tree.
Mary, dau of Incease Allen not to be confused with Allen-407 Mary Allen (1688-1766) born in Salem, MA, dau of Joshua and Mary (Crowell) Allen; m. Windham, CT., Ebenezer Abbe (1683-1758); d. Windham, CT.
Sources
↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FZVN-K6P : 4 December 2014), Mary Allen, 29 May 1688; citing DARTMOUTH,BRISTOL,MASSACHUSETTS, ; FHL microfilm 0823562 IT 1-3.
↑ "Abstracts from the 1st Book of Bristol County Probate Records", image, pg.72; Reprinted online by Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. Accessed 19 Jan 2020.
↑ Rhode Island Vital Extracts, 1636-1899; Vol.01/21: Kent Counties: BMD; pg.51. Online db pub by Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, Provo, UT, USA. Accessed 19 Jan 2020.
↑ Rhode Island, Vital Extracts, 1636-1899; Vol.01/21; image pg.169; Warwick BMDs: Kent County. Typed ledger Reprinted by Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, Provo, UT, USA. Online db access 20 Jan 2020.
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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Mary by comparing test results with other carriers of her mitochondrial DNA.
However, there are no known mtDNA test-takers in her direct maternal line.
It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Mary:
Allen-22827 and Allen-3503 are not ready to be merged because: The children of Mary Allen and John Greene are well-documented. They had no daughter named Mary Jane Increase [Greene] Watson. Their daughter Mary died at age 3. It is noted there were a number of Mary Allens living at that time in that area of the country. Proof is needed before merging these two Mary Allens.
UNKNOWN-252999 and Allen-3503 appear to represent the same person because: Same name at birth; same date and place of birth. Husband's names are the same. Each has a daughter who married a Matteson. Not everything matches but they're similar enough that I think it would be worth doing some more research.